NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile Refresh

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile Refresh is a 12 nm Turing-based graphics solution for laptops, built on the TU106B chip. It occupies the median position in the GPU performance hierarchy, sitting at the 50th percentile against all GPUs in the database, and represents the end-of-life transition point between the GeForce 10 Mobile and GeForce 30 Mobile generations.

Benchmark Performance

The RTX 2060 Mobile Refresh delivers 5.990 TFLOPS of FP32 compute throughput, positioning it as a capable mid-range mobile solution. This raw compute figure translates into a 50th percentile ranking among all tracked GPUs, meaning it outperforms exactly half of the database entries while trailing the other half. The card's texture rate of 187.2 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 74.88 GPixel/s indicate balanced throughput for its class, with the 1920 shading units operating at a boost clock of 1560 MHz.

The FP16 performance of 11.98 TFLOPS (at a 2:1 ratio) provides a significant headroom for workloads that can leverage reduced precision, effectively doubling the FP32 throughput when the software supports it. This characteristic makes the card notably more responsive in compute-oriented tasks compared to its raw FP32 numbers alone would suggest. However, with no benchmark scores or nearest rivals listed in the data, direct percentage comparisons against specific competitor models cannot be quantified. The 6 GB GDDR6 memory operates at 11 Gbps effective speed across a 192-bit bus, yielding 264.0 GB/s of bandwidth — a figure that supports 1080p gaming with high texture quality settings without bottlenecking the shading units in most scenarios.

The average benchmark score of 0 in the database indicates that this particular SKU lacks aggregated performance samples, so the percentile ranking of 50 must be interpreted as a positional estimate rather than a measured average. The memory clock of 1375 MHz, combined with the 11 Gbps effective data rate, ensures that the memory subsystem does not starve the 120 TMUs and 48 ROPs during texture-heavy workloads. For a mobile part with a 65 W TDP, the 5.990 TFLOPS figure represents a strong efficiency point, delivering roughly 92 TFLOPS per kilowatt of thermal budget.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The RTX 2060 Mobile Refresh includes 30 dedicated RT cores, the first-generation Turing ray tracing hardware that accelerates bounding volume hierarchy traversal and ray-triangle intersection tests. This hardware enables real-time ray tracing effects, though the 30 RT cores in a mobile 65 W envelope will handle modest ray tracing workloads at reduced resolutions or with DLSS assistance. The presence of 240 tensor cores is equally significant, as these units drive the FP16 compute throughput of 11.98 TFLOPS and enable AI-accelerated features like DLSS, which can recover performance lost to ray tracing.

The API support is comprehensive for its generation: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) compliance ensures compatibility with the full DirectX 12 feature set, including variable rate shading and mesh shaders, while OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4 provide broad cross-platform coverage. The DirectX 12 Ultimate designation is notable, as it means the card supports the same core feature level as newer GPUs, even if the raw RT performance is lower. The card ships with PCIe 3.0 x16 bus interface, which provides adequate bandwidth for the 6 GB frame buffer in most mobile implementations.

The display outputs are portable device dependent, meaning laptops will expose different combinations of HDMI, DisplayPort, or Mini DisplayPort connections based on the manufacturer's design. The 12 nm process node (TU106B chip, fabricated by TSMC) packs 10,800 million transistors into a 445 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.3M per mm². This is a relatively large die for a mobile part, but the 65 W TDP keeps thermals manageable in thin-and-light chassis that can accommodate the MXM module form factor.

Who Should Consider It

The RTX 2060 Mobile Refresh is best suited for gamers targeting 1080p resolution with high settings in esports titles and medium-to-high settings in AAA releases. The 6 GB VRAM capacity is adequate for 1080p textures, but users who plan to install high-resolution texture packs or play at 1440p should be aware of the 192-bit memory bus limitation. The 264.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p gaming, where the 5.990 TFLOPS compute throughput can push high frame rates in less demanding titles.

Given the 50th percentile standing, this card sits in the middle of the laptop GPU landscape — it will handle 1080p gaming comfortably but will not excel at 1440p or 4K. The FP16 capability of 11.98 TFLOPS makes it a reasonable choice for users who dabble in GPU-accelerated content creation, as long as the software can utilize the 2:1 FP16 ratio. Users who demand ray tracing should temper expectations: the 30 RT cores will deliver playable frame rates only when combined with DLSS at 1080p, and even then, only in titles with lighter RT loads.

The 65 W TDP makes this a candidate for 15-inch laptops that balance performance and portability, but the MXM Module slot width means it is not a drop-in upgrade for every laptop. Gamers who prioritize battery life above all else should look elsewhere, while those who want a smooth 1080p experience in current titles will find the performance adequate. The card's end-of-life status means it will appear in older or refurbished laptops, so buyers should consider the age of the platform when evaluating its suitability for future game releases.

How It Compares

With no nearest rivals listed in the database, direct comparative percentages cannot be established. The card's position at the 50th percentile instead provides a general reference point: it sits above the lower half of all GPUs tracked in the database, including many integrated and entry-level discrete solutions. Against the previous GeForce 10 Mobile generation, the RTX 2060 Mobile Refresh brings architectural improvements in ray tracing and tensor processing that the older cards lack entirely.

Compared to the successor GeForce 30 Mobile series, this card will lag in both raw compute and RT performance, as the newer generation benefits from process node improvements and higher core counts. Within its own Turing family, the 1920 shading units place it below the higher-tier RTX 2070 and RTX 2080 mobile parts, but above the RTX 2050 and GTX 16-series cards that lack RT and tensor cores. The 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores are the defining differentiators against non-RT Turing cards, making this the entry point for hardware-accelerated ray tracing in the mobile space.

The 6 GB VRAM capacity matches the standard for its era, but the 264.0 GB/s bandwidth is modest compared to the 192-bit bus width might suggest. The 50th percentile ranking indicates that in a head-to-head against a hypothetical average GPU, this card would tie — meaning users should expect performance that is neither class-leading nor disappointing for its 65 W thermal class.

Power and Cooling

The RTX 2060 Mobile Refresh carries a 65 W TDP, which is the defining power characteristic for this mobile part. This thermal envelope allows for a range of laptop designs, from slim 15-inch notebooks to thicker gaming machines with more robust cooling solutions. The card requires no external power connectors, as it draws all power through the MXM Module interface, simplifying integration into laptop motherboards.

The absence of a suggested PSU rating in the database reflects the mobile nature of this product — end users do not select power supplies for MXM-based laptops, as the power delivery is handled by the laptop's internal power brick and voltage regulation modules. The 65 W TDP means the laptop's cooling system must dissipate this heat from the GPU die, in addition to the CPU's thermal output. The 12 nm process node, while mature, is not as efficient as newer 7 nm or 8 nm parts, so the 65 W budget produces the 5.990 TFLOPS figure that defines the card's performance ceiling.

For thermal management, the 445 mm² die size is substantial for a mobile GPU, which means effective heatsink contact and airflow are critical to maintaining boost clocks of 1560 MHz under sustained load. Laptops with dual-fan cooling designs or vapor chamber solutions will hold boost clocks more consistently than thinner designs with single-fan setups. The MXM Module form factor also means that thermal interface material quality and heatsink mounting pressure play a significant role in sustained performance. Users should expect the card to throttle if the laptop's cooling solution is inadequate for the 65 W TDP, particularly in hot ambient environments or when the GPU is stressed for extended gaming sessions.

FAQ

Q: What is the memory configuration of the RTX 2060 Mobile Refresh?

A: The card features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, running at 1375 MHz (11 Gbps effective), providing 264.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Does this GPU support DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: Yes, it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), along with OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring compatibility with modern game APIs.

Q: What is the power consumption and connector requirement?

A: The TDP is 65 W, and the card requires no external power connectors, drawing all power through the MXM Module interface.

Q: How many RT and tensor cores does it have?

A: It includes 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores, enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI features like DLSS.

Q: What is the FP32 and FP16 compute performance?

A: The card delivers 5.990 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 11.98 TFLOPS of FP16 performance (at a 2:1 ratio).

Q: Is this GPU still in production?

A: No, it is marked as end-of-life, with the GeForce 30 Mobile as its successor and GeForce 10 Mobile as its predecessor.