NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall victory for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, which wins 9 of the 10 head-to-head benchmark comparisons against the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060. The RTX 3070’s average benchmark score of 17,208 sits well above the RTX 2060’s 15,290, a gap of roughly 1,918 points. This places the RTX 3070 in the 61st percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the RTX 2060 lands in the 58th percentile. Though both cards occupy similar percentile ranges, the raw score difference is substantial.

The most lopsided result comes from the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Here, the RTX 3070 scores 3,162 against the RTX 2060’s 1,242, a 154.6% advantage. This is more than double the older card’s performance, indicating a dramatic leap in modern DirectX 12 workloads. No other test shows such a large margin, but several others exceed 100% or approach it. In the Passmark GPU Compute test, the RTX 3070 scores 11,195 versus 5,488, a 104% difference. That result suggests the RTX 3070 is exceptionally strong in general-purpose compute tasks, not just gaming.

The Geekbench OpenCL test gives the RTX 3070 a score of 112,821, compared to the RTX 2060’s 65,014, a 73.5% lead. This reinforces the compute advantage seen in PassMark, indicating that the RTX 3070’s larger core count and newer architecture translate into measurable gains for OpenCL applications. Moving to DirectX workloads, the RTX 3070 wins all four PassMark DirectX tests. In DirectX 10, it scores 150 versus 98, a 53.1% lead. DirectX 11 shows 182 versus 110, a 65.5% advantage. DirectX 12 produces 85 versus 53, a 60.4% gain. Even the older DirectX 9 test shows a 30% lead, with the RTX 3070 scoring 247 against the RTX 2060’s 190.

The 2D performance gap, while smaller in absolute terms, still favors the RTX 3070. The PassMark G2D test gives the RTX 3070 a score of 1,001 versus 745, a 34.4% difference. In the PassMark G3D test, the RTX 3070 scores 22,214 against 14,111, a 57.4% advantage. That G3D result is the most representative of overall 3D rendering performance, and it confirms the pattern established by the other tests.

The only benchmark where the RTX 2060 comes out ahead is GeekBench Vulkan, where it scores 65,846 against the RTX 3070’s 21,022. This is a 68.1% margin in favor of the RTX 2060, a surprising outlier given the RTX 3070’s dominance elsewhere. The database records this as a win for the RTX 2060, and it is the sole bright spot in an otherwise one-sided comparison. This result may reflect specific driver optimizations or workload characteristics in that particular Vulkan test, but the data does not provide further detail.

The RTX 3070’s nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT with an average score of 17,083, only 0.7% behind, and the NVIDIA Tesla K40c at 17,468, which is 1.5% ahead. The RTX 2060’s closest competitors are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (15,283, 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon 680M (15,270, 0.1% apart). These comparisons show that each card sits near its expected performance tier, but the gap between the two tiers is substantial.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins more benchmarks?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 wins 9 out of 10 head-to-head benchmarks. The only test the RTX 2060 wins is GeekBench Vulkan, where it scores 65,846 versus 21,022.

Q: What is the largest performance difference between the two?

A: The largest single margin is in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the RTX 3070 scores 3,162 versus the RTX 2060’s 1,242, a 154.6% advantage. The smallest win for the RTX 3070 is in DirectX 9, with a 30% lead.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17,208, while the RTX 2060 averages 15,290. The RTX 3070 sits in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, and the RTX 2060 sits in the 58th percentile.

Q: Which card performs better in compute-heavy tasks?

A: The RTX 3070 leads significantly. In GeekBench OpenCL, it scores 112,821 versus 65,014, a 73.5% advantage. In PassMark GPU Compute, the difference is 104%, with 11,195 versus 5,488.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 faster in every DirectX test?

A: Yes, the RTX 3070 wins all four PassMark DirectX tests. The margins are 53.1% in DirectX 10, 65.5% in DirectX 11, 60.4% in DirectX 12, and 30% in DirectX 9.

Q: Are there any rivals close to these cards in the database?

A: The RTX 3070’s nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which scores 17,083 or 0.7% behind. The RTX 2060’s nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580, which scores 15,283, a 0% difference.

The Verdict

The data clearly positions the RTX 3070 as the superior card for nearly every workload measured. Its 9-1 win record in head-to-head tests is decisive. The RTX 3070’s 3DMark Steel Nomad score is more than double that of the RTX 2060, and it holds a lead of over 50% in all PassMark DirectX tests. For 3D gaming, rendering, and compute tasks, the RTX 3070 is the better choice. Its higher average score (17,208 versus 15,290) and higher percentile ranking (61st versus 58th) reflect this.

The RTX 2060’s sole victory comes in GeekBench Vulkan, where it beats the RTX 3070 by 68.1%. This is an interesting data point, but it is a single test, and the RTX 3070 leads by larger margins in most other tests. A user who relies on Vulkan workloads specifically might see a benefit from the RTX 2060, but such an edge is unlikely to outweigh the RTX 3070’s broader advantages. The RTX 2060 also has a lower launch MSRP (349 USD versus 499 USD), but this is a one-time purchase detail and does not reflect ongoing performance.

Given the recorded data, the RTX 3070 is the card to pick for practically all applications: modern gaming, DirectX 12 workloads, OpenCL compute, and general 3D rendering. The RTX 2060 remains a capable option for Vulkan-specific tasks, but its performance in every other benchmark is lower, often by a wide margin. The overall verdict is simple: the RTX 3070 wins on almost every metric, and the RTX 2060’s one bright spot does not compensate for its elsewhere losses.

Specification Differences

The RTX 3070 and RTX 2060 differ in nearly every key specification. The RTX 3070 uses the GA104 chip, while the RTX 2060 uses the TU106. The RTX 3070 is built on an 8 nm process from Samsung, while the RTX 2060 uses a 12 nm process from TSMC. This translates to a transistor count of 17,400 million for the RTX 3070 versus 10,800 million for the RTX 2060, and a die size of 392 mm² versus 445 mm². The RTX 3070’s transistor density is 44.4 million per mm², compared to 24.3 million for the RTX 2060.

The memory configurations also diverge. The RTX 3070 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 2060 has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, with 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Both cards have their memory clocked at 1750 MHz, with 14 Gbps effective data rate.

The core counts are significantly higher on the RTX 3070. It has 5,888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, compared to the RTX 2060’s 1,920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The RTX 3070 has 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores, while the RTX 2060 has 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores. The tensor core count is the only case where the RTX 2060 has more, though the RTX 3070’s tensor cores are part of a larger overall compute architecture.

The performance metrics are likewise different. The RTX 3070 has a pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s, versus 80.64 GPixel/s and 201.6 GTexel/s for the RTX 2060. The RTX 3070’s FP32 compute is 20.31 TFLOPS, while the RTX 2060 is 6.451 TFLOPS. The FP16 figures are also distinct: the RTX 3070 has 20.31 TFLOPS (1:1), while the RTX 2060 has 12.90 TFLOPS (2:1). The TDP is 220 W for the RTX 3070 and 160 W for the RTX 2060. The RTX 3070 uses a single 12-pin connector, while the RTX 2060 uses an 8-pin. The RTX 3070 has a recommended 550 W PSU, the RTX 2060 a 450 W PSU. The bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x16 for the RTX 3070 and PCIe 3.0 x16 for the RTX 2060. The RTX 2060 also has more display outputs, including a DVI, HDMI 2.0, two DisplayPort 1.4a, and a USB Type-C, while the RTX 3070 has one HDMI 2.1 and three DisplayPort 1.4a.

Architecture Differences

The RTX 3070 is based on the Ampere architecture, while the RTX 2060 is based on Turing. This is the most fundamental architectural split. Ampere is a newer design, built on the 8 nm Samsung process, whereas Turing uses TSMC’s 12 nm process. The transistor density figures highlight this: 44.4 M/mm² for Ampere versus 24.3 M/mm² for Turing, meaning the RTX 3070 packs far more transistors into a smaller die.

The instruction execution also differs. The RTX 3070 offers FP32 and FP16 compute at a 1:1 ratio, meaning both are 20.31 TFLOPS. The RTX 2060’s FP16 is 12.90 TFLOPS, which is double its FP32 rate of 6.451 TFLOPS, indicating a different execution path for half-precision. This affects compute workloads that use FP16, with the RTX 3070 having a higher absolute FP16 throughput, despite the 2:1 ratio on the RTX 2060.

The RT core count is 46 on the RTX 3070 versus 30 on the RTX 2060. The tensor core count is 184 versus 240, which seems counterintuitive, but the RTX 3070’s tensor cores are from the Ampere generation, which performs more operations per cycle than Turing’s. The RTX 2060 has more physical tensor cores but they are older and slower per core. The database does not indicate exact per-core performance, but the overall compute scores reflect the RTX 3070’s advantage.

The memory architecture also reflects the generation change: the RTX 3070 has a 256-bit bus versus 192-bit, doubling the bandwidth from 336 to 448 GB/s. The bus interface is PCIe 4.0 on the RTX 3070, which doubles the theoretical bandwidth to the CPU compared to PCIe 3.0 on the RTX 2060. The RTX 2060 has a larger die (445 mm²) but fewer transistors, which indicates a less dense layout. Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so there is no difference in API support.

The power connectors and PSU recommendations also differ: the RTX 3070 needs a 550 W PSU and a 12-pin connector, while the RTX 2060 needs a 450 W PSU and an 8-pin. The physical size is nearly the same, with the RTX 3070 at 242 mm length and the RTX 2060 at 229 mm, both dual-slot. The RTX 3070 has more RT cores and a higher pixel/texture rate, which aligns with its higher TDP of 220 W versus 160 W.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3070 wins in almost every category. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it leads by 154.6%, making it the clear choice for modern DirectX 12 games. In OpenCL and compute workloads, the RTX 3070’s 73.5% and 104% leads mean it is suited for tasks like rendering, scientific simulation, or any GPU-accelerated compute. In all PassMark DirectX tests (DX9, DX10, DX11, DX12), the RTX 3070 wins by margins from 30% to 65.5%, so it is better for both legacy and current gaming APIs. The G3D test shows a 57.4% advantage, and the G2D test shows a 34.4% lead, covering both 3D and 2D workloads. The RTX 3070’s higher bandwidth (448 GB/s vs 336 GB/s) and larger memory (8GB vs 6GB) also support these wins, though those are specifications, not benchmarks.

The RTX 2060 wins in one specific test: GeekBench Vulkan. It scores 65,846 versus 21,022, a 68.1% margin. This suggests that for a narrow range of Vulkan API workloads, the RTX 2060 has a distinct advantage, possibly due to driver optimizations or the specific workload in that benchmark. However, this is the only test where it wins, and the RTX 3070’s Vulkan score of 21,022 is still respectable, just not competitive with the RTX 2060 in that exact test.

For a user choosing a card, the RTX 3070 is the superior option for gaming across all DirectX versions, compute tasks, and general 3D rendering. The RTX 2060 is only preferable if the primary application is Vulkan and that specific benchmark reflects a real workload. Given that the RTX 3070 wins 9 out of 10 tests and has higher average score, the RTX 3070 should be the default choice, with the RTX 2060 considered only for niche Vulkan use cases. The RTX 3070’s higher TDP and recommended PSU are worth noting, but they do not appear in benchmark scores. The data is clear: the RTX 3070 is the stronger card overall.