NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear overall winner in the RTX 3060 Ti, which takes 8 of the 10 head-to-head benchmarks. The largest margin comes in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the RTX 3060 Ti scores 2626 against the RTX 2070's 1569, a 40.3% advantage. This is a substantial gap and indicates that the newer card handles modern DirectX 12 workloads far more efficiently.

The compute-oriented tests also favor the RTX 3060 Ti heavily. In PassMark GPU Compute, the RTX 3060 Ti scores 10006 versus 6411 for the RTX 2070, a 35.9% lead. This suggests that raw math throughput, which matters for rendering, physics, and some professional workloads, is significantly improved on the Ampere architecture.

The PassMark DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 tests show consistent wins for the RTX 3060 Ti, with 20.9% and 23.1% leads respectively. The older DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 tests show smaller but still positive margins for the RTX 3060 Ti, at 9.8% and 15.9%. The 2D graphics test also goes to the RTX 3060 Ti with a 17.2% advantage, indicating better overall desktop and compositing performance.

However, the RTX 2070 does not go down without a fight. It wins two benchmarks, and one of those wins is dramatic. In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 2070 scores 82521 against the RTX 3060 Ti's 47784, a massive 72.7% advantage. This is an outlier result that speaks to driver maturity or specific Vulkan API optimization paths in the older card. The RTX 2070 also edges out the RTX 3060 Ti in Geekbench OpenCL, scoring 79966 versus 78927, a slim 1.3% margin. These two wins show that in certain API-specific, compute-heavy scenarios, the older Turing architecture remains competitive or even superior.

In the overall PassMark G3D test, which aggregates many DirectX and OpenGL workloads, the RTX 3060 Ti scores 20349 versus 16094, a 20.9% lead. This is the most holistic gaming-oriented metric in the database, and it aligns with the DirectX 11 and 12 results. The average benchmark score tells a different story, though: the RTX 2070 has an average of 18789, while the RTX 3060 Ti sits at 16129. This discrepancy stems from the RTX 2070's huge Vulkan score pulling its average up, while the RTX 3060 Ti's lower Vulkan score drags its average down. The percentile rankings reflect this, with the RTX 2070 at the 63rd percentile and the RTX 3060 Ti at the 59th percentile, despite the newer card winning most individual tests.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent distinct generations and foundries. The RTX 2070 uses the TU106 chip on TSMC's 12 nm process, while the RTX 3060 Ti uses the GA104 chip on Samsung's 8 nm node. This process shrink allows the RTX 3060 Ti to pack 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 44.4M per mm². The RTX 2070 has 10,800 million transistors on a larger 445 mm² die, giving a density of only 24.3M per mm². The data shows the newer card is more than 80% denser in transistor packing.

Core counts differ substantially. The RTX 3060 Ti has 4864 shading units, while the RTX 2070 has 2304, meaning the newer card has more than double the shader count. TMUs also increase from 144 to 152, and ROPs go from 64 to 80. The RT core count rises slightly from 36 to 38, but the Tensor core count drops from 288 in the RTX 2070 to 152 in the RTX 3060 Ti. This reduction in Tensor cores is notable, though the newer architecture's Tensor cores are more efficient per unit.

The FP32 throughput reflects the shader count difference. The RTX 2070 delivers 7.465 TFLOPS, while the RTX 3060 Ti delivers 16.20 TFLOPS, a 117% increase. FP16 performance also differs: the RTX 2070 achieves 14.93 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, while the RTX 3060 Ti achieves 16.20 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio. This means the newer card does not rely on rate-limiting for half-precision work, which can benefit certain AI and compute tasks.

Memory configurations are identical in capacity, type, bus width, and bandwidth. Both cards have 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s. The memory clock is also the same at 1750 MHz, with 14 Gbps effective data rate. The key differences lie in the compute and rendering pipelines, not the memory subsystem.

The power delivery and connectivity also differ. The RTX 2070 has a 175 W TDP and uses a single 8-pin connector, while the RTX 3060 Ti has a 200 W TDP and uses a 12-pin connector. The suggested PSU rises from 450 W to 550 W. The bus interface moves from PCIe 3.0 x16 to PCIe 4.0 x16, doubling the potential bandwidth to the CPU. Display outputs shift from 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C on the RTX 2070, to 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a on the RTX 3060 Ti, dropping the DVI and USB-C ports.

FAQ

Q: Why does the RTX 2070 have a higher average benchmark score than the RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The average benchmark score is 18789 for the RTX 2070 and 16129 for the RTX 3060 Ti. This is driven by the RTX 2070's 72.7% lead in Geekbench Vulkan, which is a large outlier that inflates its average. The RTX 3060 Ti wins 8 of 10 individual tests, but its Vulkan deficit pulls the average down.

Q: Which card is better for DirectX 12 gaming?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti wins the PassMark DirectX 12 test with a score of 78 versus 60, a 23.1% lead. It also wins the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test by 40.3%. The data indicates the RTX 3060 Ti is substantially faster in modern DirectX 12 workloads.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 better at any API specifically?

A: Yes, the RTX 2070 wins Geekbench Vulkan by 72.7% (82521 vs 47784) and Geekbench OpenCL by 1.3% (79966 vs 78927). These are the only two benchmarks where it leads, suggesting a strong niche in Vulkan compute and some OpenCL scenarios.

Q: Do both cards have the same memory capacity?

A: Yes, both have 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The memory clock is identical at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective. There is no difference in the memory subsystem between the two cards.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti has 4864 shading units, which is more than double the RTX 2070's 2304. This explains the large FP32 throughput difference: 16.20 TFLOPS versus 7.465 TFLOPS.

Q: How do the cards compare in pixel and texture fill rates?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti leads with 133.2 GPixel/s versus 103.7 GPixel/s for the RTX 2070, and 253.1 GTexel/s versus 233.3 GTexel/s. The pixel rate gap is 28.4%, while the texture rate gap is only 8.5%.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | TU106 | GA104 |

| Architecture | Turing | Ampere |

| Process Node | 12 nm | 8 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Samsung |

| Transistors | 10,800 million | 17,400 million |

| Die Size | 445 mm² | 392 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 24.3M / mm² | 44.4M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1410 MHz | 1410 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1620 MHz | 1665 MHz |

| Shading Units | 2304 | 4864 |

| TMUs | 144 | 152 |

| ROPs | 64 | 80 |

| RT Cores | 36 | 38 |

| Tensor Cores | 288 | 152 |

| Pixel Rate | 103.7 GPixel/s | 133.2 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 233.3 GTexel/s | 253.1 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 7.465 TFLOPS | 16.20 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 14.93 TFLOPS (2:1) | 16.20 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 175 W | 200 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 12-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | 550 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x USB Type-C | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Length | 229 mm (9 inches) | 242 mm (9.5 inches) |

| Height | 113 mm (4.4 inches) | 112 mm (4.4 inches) |

| Width | 35 mm (1.4 inches) | Not specified |

| Release Date | 2018-10-16 | 2020-11-30 |

| Launch MSRP | 499 USD | 399 USD |

The Verdict

The benchmark data strongly favors the RTX 3060 Ti for most modern workloads. It wins 8 of 10 head-to-head tests, including all DirectX variants, the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, and the PassMark G3D and GPU Compute tests. The margins are often large, ranging from 9.8% to 40.3%. The newer card also offers more than double the FP32 throughput and shading units, which explains its dominance in compute-heavy and DirectX 12 scenarios.

However, the RTX 2070's wins are not trivial. The 72.7% lead in Geekbench Vulkan is the single largest margin in the entire comparison. This suggests that for Vulkan-based applications, particularly those that are compute-bound or use specific driver paths, the RTX 2070 may be the better choice. The OpenCL win, while narrow at 1.3%, also shows that the older card retains some competitive compute capability.

The RTX 2070 also holds a higher percentile ranking at 63 versus 59, and a higher average benchmark score at 18789 versus 16129. This is counterintuitive given the individual test results, but it highlights how a single outlier score can shift aggregate metrics. The data suggests that the RTX 3060 Ti is the more consistent performer across a wide range of workloads, while the RTX 2070 has specific strengths in Vulkan that should not be ignored.

For users prioritizing modern DirectX gaming and general compute, the RTX 3060 Ti is the clear choice based on the recorded data. For users heavily invested in Vulkan-based software, the RTX 2070's massive lead in that API makes it a viable option despite losing most other tests.

Where Each One Wins

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti:

• 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12: 2626 vs 1569, a 40.3% lead
• PassMark DirectX 12: 78 vs 60, a 23.1% lead
• PassMark DirectX 11: 163 vs 129, a 20.9% lead
• PassMark G3D: 20349 vs 16094, a 20.9% lead
• PassMark GPU Compute: 10006 vs 6411, a 35.9% lead
• PassMark DirectX 10: 132 vs 111, a 15.9% lead
• PassMark G2D: 989 vs 819, a 17.2% lead
• PassMark DirectX 9: 234 vs 211, a 9.8% lead

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070:

• Geekbench Vulkan: 82521 vs 47784, a 72.7% lead
• Geekbench OpenCL: 79966 vs 78927, a 1.3% lead

The RTX 3060 Ti is the winner in all DirectX-based tests and the aggregate G3D metric, making it the better choice for gaming under the most common Windows APIs. The RTX 2070's Vulkan dominance is striking, and its OpenCL edge, though small, shows it can still handle certain compute tasks competitively. The data suggests that the RTX 3060 Ti is the more versatile card overall, but the RTX 2070 has a specialized niche in Vulkan performance that gives it a reason to exist in the comparison.