NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 wins all 10 head-to-head benchmarks against the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile. There is no test in the database where the mobile part takes the lead. This does not mean the comparison is pointless; the magnitude of each win differs sharply across API generations and workload types, which tells a more nuanced story.

For desktop gaming, the RTX 2060 is the clear choice. Its biggest margin comes in the modern DirectX 12 workload, 3DMark Steel Nomad, where it scores 1242 against 469, a delta of 164.8%. That is more than 2.5 times the performance of the mobile chip in a current-generation graphics test. The gap narrows considerably in older DirectX 12 and compute tasks, but the desktop card still holds a comfortable edge everywhere.

For mobile users, the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile is not a lost cause; it is simply a product of its power envelope. Its closest competition in the database is the desktop NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, which sits just 0.4% ahead in average score. That comparison places the mobile chip in a performance class well above integrated graphics and near older desktop mid-range parts, but it cannot match the full desktop RTX 2060.

The data separates the two by raw render resolution and fill rate. The RTX 2060's pixel rate of 80.64 GPixel/s versus 33.12 GPixel/s on the mobile part explains why the desktop card wins the raster-heavy DirectX 9 test by 58.3% and DirectX 10 by 63.3%. For those who play esports titles on a high-refresh monitor, the RTX 2060 has the compute and texture throughput to keep up. The mobile chip is better suited for lighter 1080p sessions, but the numbers show it will struggle where the RTX 2060 does not.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different foundries and nodes. The RTX 2060 uses the TU106 chip on TSMC's 12 nm process, measuring 445 mm² with 10,800 million transistors. The RTX 3050 Ti Mobile uses the GA106 chip on Samsung's 8 nm node, packing 12,000 million transistors into a much smaller 276 mm² die. The newer process yields a higher transistor density: 43.5M/mm² for the mobile chip versus 24.3M/mm² for the desktop. That is the physical reason the laptop part can fit in a 75 W TDP while the desktop card demands 160 W.

Architecturally, the RTX 2060 is Turing, the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile is Ampere. The desktop card fields 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores, while the mobile part has 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores. The shading unit count tells a more complex story: the RTX 3060 Ti Mobile has 2560 shading units, which is more than the RTX 2060's 1920. However, the desktop part makes up for it with 120 TMUs and 48 ROPs, whereas the mobile chip has 80 TMUs and 32 ROPs. The desktop card's 192-bit memory bus and 6 GB GDDR6 at 336.0 GB/s bandwidth dwarfs the mobile's 128-bit bus and 4 GB at 192.0 GB/s.

The FP32 compute rates reflect clock and bus differences, not raw core counts. The RTX 2060 delivers 6.451 TFLOPS, the mobile part 5.299 TFLOPS. FP16 is where they diverge the most: the desktop GPU does 12.90 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), the mobile part only 5.299 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio). For workloads that use FP16 tensor math, the desktop card has a clear advantage.

On the feature set, both support the same API list: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The mobile part runs on PCIe 4.0 x16, the desktop on PCIe 3.0 x16. Display connectivity is a major split: the RTX 2060 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C, while the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile's outputs are entirely dependent on the portable device it is fitted into.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest victory is in the newest and most demanding test. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RTX 2060 scores 1242 against 469, a delta of 164.8%. This is not a small edge; it is a generational difference in rasterization efficiency. The second-biggest win is in Passmark DirectX 10, where the desktop part scores 98 versus 60, a 63.3% lead. Passmark DirectX 9 shows 190 against 120, a delta of 58.3%.

The gap narrows as the API ages. In Passmark DirectX 11, the RTX 2060 scores 110 versus 76, which is a 44.7% delta. Passmark DirectX 12 brings the closest margin: 53 versus 49, only 8.2% ahead. That is the only test where the two are nearly equal, and it suggests the mobile part's newer architecture helps it hold up in modern low-level APIs despite its lower shader clock.

Compute tests show a moderate but consistent lead. In Passmark GPU Compute, the RTX 2060 scores 5488 versus 4305, a delta of 27.5%. Geekbench OpenCL gives 65014 versus 57915, a 12.3% lead. Geekbench Vulkan gives 65846 versus 55812, an 18% lead. The desktop part wins all ten, but the margins tell you that the mobile chip is closer in general compute than in pure 3D rendering.

The Verdict

For a desktop buyer, the RTX 2060 is the obvious pick. It is end-of-life, but the data shows it outperforms the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile in every recorded test, with the average benchmark score at 15290 versus 12940, a 18.2% overall lead. The percentile rank is 58 versus 53, which places it in the higher tier of all GPUs. If you need a desktop GPU for gaming, the RTX 2060's 6 GB GDDR6 memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are better suited for a 192-bit memory bus at 1080p or 1440p.

For a laptop buyer, the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile is the only option when portability is non-negotiable. Its 75 W TDP and IGP slot width mean it fits into thin machines, and its 4 GB GDDR6 memory with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth is enough for lighter titles at lower settings. The database shows it is only 0.4% behind the desktop GTX 1660 SUPER, so it is not a weak chip; it simply has to operate within a much smaller power and cooling envelope.

The choice is not about which is faster, because the RTX 2060 is faster. It is about the form factor. If the build is a desktop, the RTX 2060 is the only sensible option. If the requirement is a laptop, the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile is the part that exists, and the data says it is a capable mobile GPU, just not a desktop replacement.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in synthetic 3D rendering?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 scores 1242 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 164.8% higher than the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile's 469. The desktop card wins all ten recorded benchmarks.

Q: How do the two compare in legacy DirectX 9 performance?

A: The RTX 2060 scores 190 in Passmark DirectX 9, which is 58.3% higher than the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile's 120. The older API favors the desktop's higher pixel rate and texture rate.

Q: Is the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile close to any desktop GPU in the database?

A: Yes, its average score of 12940 puts it within 0.4% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, which scores 12986. It is also close to the AMD Radeon RX 580, which is 0.1% behind.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units, and does it matter?

A: The RTX 3050 Ti Mobile has 2560 shading units, while the RTX 2060 has 1920. However, the desktop part has 120 TMUs and 48 ROPs, versus 80 TMUs and 32 ROPs, and it delivers 6.451 TFLOPS versus 5.299 TFLOPS, so the higher shader count does not translate to a win.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX 2060 has 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth from a 192-bit bus with 6 GB GDDR6. The RTX 3050 Ti Mobile has 192.0 GB/s from a 128-bit bus with 4 GB GDDR6. The desktop part has 66.7% more bandwidth.

Q: Do both support the same modern features?

A: Yes, both are DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) with OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The main difference is the RTX 2060 has 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores, while the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile has 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores.

Specification Differences

• Process Node: 12 nm (TSMC) vs 8 nm (Samsung)
• Die Size: 445 mm² vs 276 mm²
• Transistors: 10,800 million vs 12,000 million
• Base Clock: 1365 MHz vs 735 MHz
• Boost Clock: 1680 MHz vs 1035 MHz
• Memory Clock: 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) vs 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective)
• Memory Size: 6 GB GDDR6 vs 4 GB GDDR6
• Memory Bus: 192-bit vs 128-bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 336.0 GB/s vs 192.0 GB/s
• Shading Units: 1920 vs 2560
• TMUs: 120 vs 80
• ROPs: 48 vs 32
• RT Cores: 30 vs 20
• Tensor Cores: 240 vs 80
• Pixel Rate: 80.64 GPixel/s vs 33.12 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 201.6 GTexel/s vs 82.80 GTexel/s
• FP32: 6.451 TFLOPS vs 5.299 TFLOPS
• FP16: 12.90 TFLOPS (2:1) vs 5.299 TFLOPS (1:1)
• TDP: 160 W vs 75 W
• Slot Width: Dual-slot vs IGP
• Power Connectors: 1x 8-pin vs None
• Bus Interface: PCIe 3.0 x16 vs PCIe 4.0 x16
• Display Outputs: 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x USB Type-C vs Portable Device Dependent
• Release Date: 2019-01-06 vs 2021-05-10
• Predecessor: GeForce 10 vs GeForce 20 Mobile