NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two GPUs split their ten head-to-head benchmark wins exactly five apiece, but the margin distribution tells a more interesting story than the win count. The RTX 5060 Mobile's largest victory comes in the modern 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where it scores 3013.5 against the RTX 2080's 1752. That is a 41.9% advantage, the single biggest delta in either direction across all ten tests. This is a decisive lead in a DirectX 12 workload that stresses current-generation rendering features.

The RTX 2080's biggest win is in Geekbench Vulkan, where it posts 107797 versus 96451, a margin of 11.8%. It also takes Passmark DirectX 10 (136 vs 119, a 14.3% lead) and Passmark DirectX 9 (223 vs 203, a 9.9% lead). The older architecture retains a clear edge in legacy API tests, suggesting that its driver maturity and raw throughput characteristics still matter in older workloads.

In the remaining tests, the margins are tighter. The RTX 5060 Mobile wins Passmark DirectX 12 by 17.2% (87 vs 72), Passmark DirectX 11 by 6% (168 vs 158), and Passmark G3D by a narrow 0.7% (18852 vs 18720). The RTX 2080 counters with a 3.5% lead in Passmark G2D (907 vs 876) and a 3.5% lead in Passmark GPU Compute (7872 vs 7607). In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 5060 Mobile wins by 5.8% (96969 vs 91313), a solid but not overwhelming margin.

What stands out is the asymmetry of the victories. The RTX 5060 Mobile's wins tend to be large in the modern DX12 test and moderate elsewhere, while the RTX 2080's wins are concentrated in legacy APIs and compute-oriented workloads. The overall average benchmark scores reflect this: the RTX 2080 averages 22895, while the RTX 5060 Mobile averages 22435, a difference of roughly 2%. Both cards sit near the same percentile ranking, with the RTX 2080 at the 68th percentile and the RTX 5060 Mobile at the 67th percentile of all GPUs.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5060 Mobile is the clear choice for modern DirectX 12 gaming. Its 41.9% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is the headline result, and it also wins the Passmark DirectX 12 test by 17.2%. This pattern indicates that the newer architecture handles current-generation rendering features and API-level optimizations substantially better. The 5.8% lead in Geekbench OpenCL and the 6% lead in Passmark DirectX 11 further reinforce that the RTX 5060 Mobile is stronger in broadly used contemporary workloads.

The RTX 2080, by contrast, dominates in legacy APIs. Its 14.3% lead in Passmark DirectX 10 and 9.9% lead in Passmark DirectX 9 show that older games and applications that rely on these APIs will run noticeably better on the desktop card. The 11.8% lead in Geekbench Vulkan is also significant, as Vulkan remains relevant in many modern titles. The RTX 2080's 3.5% lead in Passmark GPU Compute suggests it handles general-purpose compute tasks slightly better, despite the RTX 5060 Mobile having more shading units.

For users who prioritize the latest DX12 titles, the RTX 5060 Mobile is the stronger pick. For those who play older titles or use Vulkan-based applications, the RTX 2080 holds the advantage. The Passmark G3D result is essentially a tie at 0.7%, indicating that overall rasterization performance is broadly comparable when averaged across the full suite.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and are built for different form factors. The RTX 2080 uses the TU104 chip on the Turing architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 12 nm process. It contains 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 25.0 million per mm². The RTX 5060 Mobile uses the GB206 chip on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process. It contains 21,900 million transistors on a much smaller 181 mm² die, yielding a density of 121.0 million per mm².

The core configurations differ significantly. The RTX 2080 has 2944 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The RTX 5060 Mobile has 3328 shading units, 104 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. Despite having more shading units, the RTX 5060 Mobile has fewer TMUs and ROPs, which explains its lower pixel rate (69.84 GPixel/s vs 109.4 GPixel/s) and texture rate (151.3 GTexel/s vs 314.6 GTexel/s). The RTX 2080 also has more ray tracing cores (46 vs 26) and more tensor cores (368 vs 104).

Memory configurations also diverge. Both have 8 GB of VRAM, but the RTX 2080 uses GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 5060 Mobile uses GDDR7 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 384.0 GB/s. The newer memory type partially compensates for the narrower bus, but the RTX 2080 still has a bandwidth advantage of 64 GB/s.

Clock speeds are notably different. The RTX 2080 has a base clock of 1515 MHz and a boost clock of 1710 MHz. The RTX 5060 Mobile has a base clock of 952 MHz and a boost clock of 1455 MHz. The desktop card runs substantially faster, which helps explain its stronger legacy API performance. Floating-point throughput tells a similar story: the RTX 2080 delivers 10.07 TFLOPS FP32 and 20.14 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1 ratio), while the RTX 5060 Mobile delivers 9.684 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16 (1:1 ratio).

The power envelopes are dramatically different. The RTX 2080 has a TDP of 215 W, requires a 550 W power supply, and uses a dual-slot cooler with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors. The RTX 5060 Mobile has a TDP of 45 W, requires no external power connectors, and is an IGP form factor. The RTX 2080 is 267 mm long, 116 mm tall, and 35 mm wide; the RTX 5060 Mobile has no listed dimensions. The RTX 2080 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the RTX 5060 Mobile uses PCIe 5.0 x16.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split: the RTX 5060 Mobile wins where it matters most for future-proofing, while the RTX 2080 wins where it matters for legacy compatibility. The 41.9% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is the single most important number in this comparison, as it indicates that the RTX 5060 Mobile is substantially better equipped for current and upcoming DirectX 12 titles. The 17.2% lead in Passmark DirectX 12 reinforces this conclusion.

However, the RTX 2080's 11.8% lead in Geekbench Vulkan and its wins in DirectX 9 and 10 mean that users with older game libraries will see better performance on the desktop card. The RTX 2080 also has a higher average benchmark score (22895 vs 22435) and sits at the 68th percentile versus the 67th, though these differences are small enough to be within normal variance.

For a laptop buyer looking at the RTX 5060 Mobile, the decision is straightforward: it delivers competitive average performance with a fraction of the power draw (45 W vs 215 W) and is the stronger choice for modern games. For someone with an existing desktop system considering the RTX 2080, the legacy API advantages and higher bandwidth (448.0 GB/s vs 384.0 GB/s) may justify the higher power consumption. The RTX 2080 is end-of-life, while the RTX 5060 Mobile is active production, which may matter for availability and driver support longevity.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU performs better in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12?

A: The RTX 5060 Mobile scores 3013.5 versus the RTX 2080's 1752, giving it a 41.9% lead in this modern DirectX 12 benchmark.

Q: Does the RTX 2080 win any benchmarks?

A: Yes, it wins five of ten head-to-head tests: Geekbench Vulkan (107797 vs 96451, 11.8% lead), Passmark DirectX 10 (136 vs 119, 14.3% lead), Passmark DirectX 9 (223 vs 203, 9.9% lead), Passmark G2D (907 vs 876, 3.5% lead), and Passmark GPU Compute (7872 vs 7607, 3.5% lead).

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The RTX 2080 averages 22895, while the RTX 5060 Mobile averages 22435, a difference of about 2%. The RTX 2080 sits at the 68th percentile and the RTX 5060 Mobile at the 67th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What are the memory specifications of each GPU?

A: Both have 8 GB of VRAM. The RTX 2080 uses GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5060 Mobile uses GDDR7 on a 128-bit bus with 384.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: How do their power requirements differ?

A: The RTX 2080 has a TDP of 215 W, requires a 550 W power supply, and uses 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors. The RTX 5060 Mobile has a TDP of 45 W, requires no external power connectors, and has no suggested PSU.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The RTX 5060 Mobile has 3328 shading units, compared to the RTX 2080's 2944. However, the RTX 2080 has more TMUs (184 vs 104), ROPs (64 vs 48), ray tracing cores (46 vs 26), and tensor cores (368 vs 104).

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile |

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

| Architecture | Turing | Blackwell 2.0 |

| Process Node | 12 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistors | 13,600 million | 21,900 million |

| Die Size | 545 mm² | 181 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 25.0M / mm² | 121.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1515 MHz | 952 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1710 MHz | 1455 MHz |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR7 |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 448.0 GB/s | 384.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2944 | 3328 |

| TMUs | 184 | 104 |

| ROPs | 64 | 48 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | 46 | 26 |

| Tensor Cores | 368 | 104 |

| Pixel Rate | 109.4 GPixel/s | 69.84 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 314.6 GTexel/s | 151.3 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 10.07 TFLOPS | 9.684 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 20.14 TFLOPS (2:1) | 9.684 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 215 W | 45 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | None |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 5.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x USB Type-C | Portable Device Dependent |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2018-09-19 | 2025-05-19 |

| Launch MSRP | 699 USD | None |