NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Across the ten recorded benchmark comparisons, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 claims nine victories while the RTX 2060 takes a single win. The most decisive margin appears in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where the RTX 4060 scores 2302 against the RTX 2060's 1242, a delta of 85.3%. This is the largest performance gap in the entire dataset, indicating a substantial advantage in modern DirectX 12 workloads at this specific test.

The RTX 4060 also dominates in PassMark GPU Compute, posting 9213 versus 5488, a 67.9% lead. This suggests a strong advantage in general-purpose compute tasks, which is consistent with the architecture shift between the two cards. In PassMark DirectX 11, the RTX 4060 records 175 compared to 110, a 59.1% difference, showing that even legacy API performance has improved notably. The OpenCL benchmark follows a similar pattern: the RTX 4060 reaches 95057, while the RTX 2060 manages 65014, a 46.2% delta.

Smaller but still consistent wins appear across other PassMark tests. DirectX 12 shows the RTX 4060 at 76 versus 53, a 43.4% advantage. The G2D test, which measures 2D graphics performance, gives the RTX 4060 a 39.2% edge with 1037 against 745. PassMark G3D, a broader 3D graphics metric, shows 19545 for the RTX 4060 versus 14111 for the RTX 2060, a 38.5% delta. DirectX 9 results are closer but still favor the newer card: 236 against 190, a 24.2% improvement. Even DirectX 10, which shows the smallest gap, has the RTX 4060 ahead at 103 versus 98, a 5.1% delta.

The single exception is Geekbench Vulkan, where the RTX 2060 outperforms the RTX 4060 with 65846 against 48643, a 26.1% delta in favor of the older card. This result stands out sharply against the rest of the data. It suggests that in certain Vulkan-specific scenarios, the RTX 2060 retains a measurable advantage, potentially due to driver optimizations or workload characteristics that favor its architecture.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4060 wins decisively in most measurable categories. Its nine wins span every DirectX generation tested (9, 10, 11, 12), OpenCL, G2D, G3D, GPU compute, and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. The data indicates that the RTX 4060 is the stronger card for the vast majority of gaming and compute workloads, particularly those that rely on modern API features. The 85.3% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, along with the 67.9% lead in GPU compute, positions it as a clear upgrade for users who prioritize current-generation game engines or GPU-accelerated tasks.

The RTX 2060's single win in Geekbench Vulkan is notable but isolated. Vulkan is used in a range of games and applications, and a 26.1% advantage in this specific benchmark suggests that the RTX 2060 may still hold its own in Vulkan-based titles. However, this does not offset the broader pattern. In every other test, the RTX 2060 trails by margins ranging from 5.1% to 85.3%. For users whose workloads are dominated by DirectX or OpenCL, the RTX 4060 is the clear choice based on the recorded data. For those who specifically rely on Vulkan performance, the RTX 2060 warrants consideration, but the rest of the dataset argues strongly for the newer card.

Looking at the average benchmark scores, the RTX 4060 records 17639 against the RTX 2060's 15290. The RTX 4060 also ranks at the 61st percentile among all GPUs, while the RTX 2060 sits at the 58th percentile. Both cards are near the middle of the overall distribution, but the RTX 4060 sits slightly higher. The nearest rivals for the RTX 4060 include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (average score 17666, a 0.2% difference), AMD Radeon 780M (17588, 0.3% ahead of the RTX 4060), and AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551, 0.5% behind). For the RTX 2060, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (15283, 0% difference), AMD Radeon 680M (15270, 0.1% behind), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (15199, 0.6% behind). This places the RTX 4060 in a slightly higher performance tier than the RTX 2060, based on aggregate data.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 for almost all use cases. With nine wins out of ten benchmarks, including decisive margins in modern DirectX 12 and compute workloads, the RTX 4060 is the stronger performer in the vast majority of scenarios. The 85.3% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and the 67.9% lead in GPU compute are the standout results, indicating that users upgrading from the RTX 2060 will see a substantial performance increase in current-generation games and GPU-accelerated applications.

The only scenario where the RTX 2060 shows an advantage is in Geekbench Vulkan, where it leads by 26.1%. Users who exclusively run Vulkan-based workloads may still find the RTX 2060 competitive, but this is a narrow exception. The RTX 4060 also holds a higher average benchmark score (17639 versus 15290) and a higher percentile ranking (61st versus 58th), confirming its overall superiority in the recorded data.

For a user deciding between these two cards, the RTX 4060 is the recommended choice for gaming, DirectX-based applications, OpenCL tasks, and general compute. The RTX 2060 remains a viable option only for those with specific Vulkan-heavy workloads, where its 26.1% advantage in that benchmark could be meaningful. Otherwise, the RTX 4060's consistent wins across nine of ten tests make it the stronger purchase based on performance data alone.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 records an average benchmark score of 17639, while the RTX 2060 records 15290.

Q: In which benchmark does the RTX 2060 beat the RTX 4060?

A: The RTX 2060 wins in Geekbench Vulkan, scoring 65846 versus 48643, a 26.1% advantage.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two cards?

A: The largest gap is in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where the RTX 4060 scores 2302 against the RTX 2060's 1242, a difference of 85.3%.

Q: How do the two cards compare in PassMark G3D?

A: The RTX 4060 scores 19545 in PassMark G3D, while the RTX 2060 scores 14111, a 38.5% advantage for the RTX 4060.

Q: What are the percentile rankings for each GPU?

A: The RTX 4060 is at the 61st percentile among all GPUs, while the RTX 2060 is at the 58th percentile.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The RTX 4060 has 3072 shading units, while the RTX 2060 has 1920.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations. The RTX 4060 uses the Ada Lovelace architecture on the AD107 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. The RTX 2060 uses the Turing architecture on the TU106 chip, manufactured on a 12 nm process, also by TSMC. The transistor counts differ significantly: the RTX 4060 packs 18,900 million transistors on a die size of 159 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 118.9M per mm². The RTX 2060 has 10,800 million transistors on a much larger die of 445 mm², giving a density of 24.3M per mm². This density difference reflects the process node advantage of the newer card.

The RTX 4060 has 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. It also includes 24 ray tracing cores and 96 tensor cores. The RTX 2060 has 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. It includes 30 ray tracing cores and 240 tensor cores. Notably, the RTX 2060 has more ray tracing cores and tensor cores than the RTX 4060, but the newer architecture of the RTX 4060 likely delivers different per-core capabilities. The FP32 performance is 15.11 TFLOPS for the RTX 4060, while the RTX 2060 delivers 6.451 TFLOPS. For FP16, the RTX 4060 achieves 15.11 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, while the RTX 2060 achieves 12.90 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio.

Pixel rates also differ: the RTX 4060 reaches 118.1 GPixel/s, while the RTX 2060 reaches 80.64 GPixel/s. Texture rates are 236.2 GTexel/s for the RTX 4060 and 201.6 GTexel/s for the RTX 2060. Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility is identical.

Specification Differences

The memory configurations differ in several ways. The RTX 4060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 128-bit bus width and bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. The RTX 2060 has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 192-bit bus width and higher bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. Despite the smaller bus, the RTX 4060's effective memory clock is listed as 17 Gbps, compared to 14 Gbps for the RTX 2060. The base clock for the RTX 4060 is 1830 MHz, while the RTX 2060 has a base clock of 1365 MHz. Boost clocks are 2460 MHz and 1680 MHz, respectively.

The power requirements also differ. The RTX 4060 has a TDP of 115 W and requires a suggested PSU of 300 W, with a single 12-pin power connector. The RTX 2060 has a TDP of 160 W and requires a suggested PSU of 450 W, with a single 8-pin connector. The RTX 4060 uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interface, while the RTX 2060 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Physical dimensions vary slightly: the RTX 4060 is 240 mm long, 111 mm tall, and 40 mm wide; the RTX 2060 is 229 mm long, 113 mm tall, and 35 mm wide. Both are dual-slot cards.

Display outputs differ. The RTX 4060 offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The RTX 2060 offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C. The RTX 4060 was released on 2023-05-17, while the RTX 2060 was released on 2019-01-06. The RTX 4060 has a launch MSRP of 299 USD, while the RTX 2060 has a launch MSRP of 349 USD.