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Best RTX 2060 graphics card 2024 – GPU Buying Guide

A closer look at today's market to find only the best RTX 2060s the market has to offer

Updated: Jan 4, 2024 3:08 pm
Best RTX 2060 graphics card

The RTX 2060 was announced at a CES live conference back in Jan 2019 and since its release has yet to disappoint thanks to its excellent performance rating and fantastic pricing. The 2060 was released alongside the rest of the 20 series (2070, 2080) and is said to be the equivalent, if not better, upgrade to the ever-popular 1070 TI.

What separates the RTX range from the 10 series is its ability to efficiently perform real-time ray tracing, which in a nutshell is a better way to render light and shadow effects. The big problem with real-time ray tracing is how much computational power it actually required to pull off in real-time whilst still offering decent FPS. However, Nvidia seems to have provided a product that is both effective and affordable.

In the following article we are going to look at the best RTX 2060’s available in today’s market, how does the 2060 stand up to the RTX 2080 and which one is best suited to your needs. Underneath you will find a list of RTX 2060’s that are going to be looked at and a brief description of what we thought:

Our Top Picks

01
Best in Class
Best Performance RTX 2060
Asus ROG Strix Geforce RTX 2060 Advanced Gaming
Asus Rog Strix GeForce RTX 2060 6GB OC
02
A fantastic 2060 packed with features
EVGA Geforce RTX 2060 XC Ultra Gaming
EVGA Xc Ultra Gaming RTX 2060
03
A great card with a fantastic pricetag
Zotac Gaming geforce RTX 2060 AMP
Zotac RTX 2060 6GB Gaming AMP

How will these cards perform?

One of the questions you’re probably asking yourself at this stage is how well do these cards perform on both a gaming level and a work level. Well firstly, be aware that these graphics cards will be able to smash about every work task you throw at them. When referencing work you really need to be concentrating on the CPU and RAM and make sure they are up to scratch.

Having said that, when you’re referencing gaming, the GPU will have a massive impact on the overall performance. Nvidia boasts about the potential for up to 6x the performance levels of previous generations, which for now we’ll take with a pinch of salt but if claims are true is a huge step forward in technological advancements.

The great thing about these cards is their affordability. Now I know $400 dollars is a lot of money to fork out for one hardware component but we’re talking about TOP level high-end gaming rigs here and $400 is relatively affordable on the large scale of things. Just compare that to something like the RTX 2080Ti which retails at nearly $1300. You’re going to be able to push most games at 1440p with high settings and achieve 60fps or more. Most of the cards above perform similarly but there are subtle differences that we will discuss very shortly before giving our final verdict.

RTX 2060 vs GTX 1070

If you aren’t familiar with the 1070 TI then where have you been the last couple of years? At the time of release, it was Nvidia’s latest HD, VR gaming GPU and successor to the number one GPU by market share, the GTX 1070.

It featured 8GB of GDDR5 memory with a 256-bit interface producing a total memory bandwidth of 256GB/s and a clock speed of 1.68GHz as standard. Geforce has come out and said that the RTX 2060 is a direct competitor to the 1070 TI but with the latest AI-enhanced graphics and real-time ray tracing which will be touched on later.

So how do the new 20 series compare to the 1070 TI? Well on paper they’re extremely close in terms of performance but overall the 1070 TI just edges the RTX 2060. The 1070 TI boasts slightly better 3D speed, texture detail, and complex splatter whereas the 2060 possesses much faster multi-rendering and overall better FPS across a plethora of games.

All this coupled with the fact that the RTX 2060 is 20% cheaper than 1070 gives consumers a real tough decision to make when asking themselves which GPU to go for. However, with the new real-time ray tracing that will be more heavily implemented into games you are definitely future-proofing yourself by going for the 20 series.

Table Key and Terms

  • Clock Speed – Clock speed refers to the internal, “core” clock of the graphics processor. The higher the clock speed, the better your performance.
  • VRAM – VRAM refers to the “video RAM”, or memory available to the GPU. Discrete GPUs tend to come with their own VRAM– in the 1080’s case, this is GDDR5X VRAM, which is a bit faster than the industry standard GDDR5. The more VRAM you have, the better your card be at handling high resolutions and HD textures.
  • Overclock – Overclocking refers to pushing the clock speed of a component higher to get more performance. Usually, this is done by the user, but the cards we’re listing here today all boast “factory overclocks”, which is overclocking done by the manufacturer and proven stable.

How we choose

Since the RTX 2060 is such a powerful card, you really can’t go wrong concerning performance. However, as covered in the intro, there are a lot of companies making their own aftermarket 2060’s, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, so we decided to do the legwork for you and start our search for the best RTX 2060 model.

During this search, we established the following rules to help us narrow down our options:

  • The brand must be trustworthy and established
  • Reviews should indicate a low rate of failure
  • Cards should fit into one of the five categories below

For the categories just mentioned, we chose the most meaningful criteria for distinguishing GPUs, as well as a category balanced between all the others. We’ve listed these below:

  • Top Performance – The best out-of-box performance. This corresponds pretty closely to factory overclocks.
  • Top All-Rounder – The top all-rounder must do pretty much what it says on the tin. It mustn’t just excel in one area, it must excel across the board and beat out the other competition. The top all-rounder will be powerful, cool, quiet, and affordable.
  • Best Budget – The cheapest we could find that was still of respectable build quality from a trusted manufacturer. If you want to pinch pennies, but still get a high-end graphical experience, this is the choice for you.
  • Best Balanced – A “balanced” pick, balancing things like performance and cooling to make a good middle-road pick for those who want a well-balanced graphics card.
  • Best Small form  – Size isn’t everything, you know (but sometimes the lack of size can be). This is for the smallest cards, making them most-suited for installation into Mini ITX and Micro ATX PC builds.

The Best RTX 2060

01
Asus ROG Strix Geforce RTX 2060 Advanced Gaming
Asus Rog Strix GeForce RTX 2060 6GB OC
02
EVGA Geforce RTX 2060 XC Ultra Gaming
EVGA Xc Ultra Gaming RTX 2060
03
Zotac Gaming geforce RTX 2060 AMP
Zotac RTX 2060 6GB Gaming AMP
04
Gigabyte 2060 rtx 6 gb
MSI GAMING GeForce RTX 2060 Ventus 6GB
05
Gigabyte 2060 Rtx mini ITX
Gigabyte RTX 2060 6GB Mini ITX OC

In-depth Review

Best in Class
01
Best Performance RTX 2060
Asus Rog Strix GeForce RTX 2060 6GB OC
Asus ROG Strix Geforce RTX 2060 Advanced Gaming
Clock Speed 1860 MHz (OC Mode) 1365 MHz (Gaming Mode)
VRAM 6GB GDDR6
Memory Bus Width 192 bits
PROS
  • Very efficient triple fan configuration
  • Overclocked to 1860Mhz for rapid processing
  • Quality customer support from ASUS
CONS
  • One of the pricier models in this list

The Asus ROG STRIX range is always a little controversial for some people as many feel their money is being spent on a brand name and some fancy RGB that makes absolutely no difference to the performance of the GPU. However, with the RTX 2060 things are a little different, even though it does come equipped with a fancy design and lights that would put a trance gig to shame, it also has some fantastic performance stats that make you seriously put everything into consideration. When tested alongside some of the other mentions it boasts the greatest FPS (only marginally, however), the highest clock speed, the fantastic potential to overclock if paired with the correct MOBO, and overall the lowest temps across the board.

Now all this doesn’t come cheap, $412.99 is roughly what you’re looking at for the ROG which is at the high end of what RTX 2060’s go for. But for that, you get unmatched cooling, fantastic performance, and quality RGB/design. What more could you ask for?

02
A fantastic 2060 packed with features
EVGA Xc Ultra Gaming RTX 2060
EVGA Geforce RTX 2060 XC Ultra Gaming
Clock Speed 1365 MHz - 1830 MHz
VRAM 6GB GDDR6
Memory Bus Width 192 bits
PROS
  • Very attractive design
  • Powerful dual fan heatsink
  • One of the fastest clock speeds in this list
CONS
  • Can become warm if stressed

EVGA products are always high on our lists when it comes to performance, quality, and longevity, and their RTX iteration is absolutely no different. It gets our top all-rounder award for that exact reason and continues to impress us on all levels. It comes to the table with an excellent boost clock speed of 1830 MHz and the ability to overclock even further with minimal pressure on the card’s cooling system. It comes in at under $400 as well which is great value for money.

03
A great card with a fantastic pricetag
Zotac RTX 2060 6GB Gaming AMP
Zotac Gaming geforce RTX 2060 AMP
Clock Speed 1365 MHz - 1800 MHz
VRAM 6GB GDDR6
Memory Bus Width 192 Bit
PROS
  • Excellent Price to performance value
  • Very powerful boost clock speed
  • One of the cheapest on our list
CONS
  • Can get warm when under stress
  • Only has a dual fan setup

The AMP Gaming 2060 by Zotac was one of the first iterations to be released after the initial models hit the shelves and have stayed pretty steady in terms of value ever since. Like all AMP badged products in Zotac’s collection, the 2060 comes overclocked at 1800MHz and has one of the smallest forms in this 2060 article. It sits at 21cm long and 12cm tall meaning it becomes compatible with a huge variety of cases making it extremely versatile. It comes with a dual fan setup and Zotac’s Icestorm 2.0 cooling system which can become slightly noisy but nothing that would be considered annoying. Overall for the price and the performance, we would consider this the top budget model in the range.

04
Runner up 2060
MSI GAMING GeForce RTX 2060 Ventus 6GB
Gigabyte 2060 rtx 6 gb
Clock Speed 1710 MHz
VRAM 6GB GDDR6
Memory Clock 14 Gbps
Power Connectors 8-pin x 1
Power Draw 160 W
Outputs DisplayPort x 3 (v1.4) / HDMI 2.0b x 1
PROS
  • Aesthetically very pleasing
  • Excellent out of the box clock speed
  • 2 zones of RGB
CONS
  • Only 2 fans so can get warm under stress
  • Noise levels increase under pressure

Our first honorable mention goes to MSI’s Ventus edition of the 2060 and for good reason. Boasting 1800MHz boost clock speed, a dual fan setup with fantastic cooling, and a beautiful design all come together to create a brilliant overall GPU. Performance is fantastic across the spectrum of 2060’s and MSI’s is no different. Slightly smaller in profile than some of the more expensive models and $20 dollars cheaper secures its position in our honorable mentions.

05
Best Small form factor 2060
Gigabyte RTX 2060 6GB Mini ITX OC
Gigabyte 2060 Rtx mini ITX
Clock Speed 1365 MHz - 1695 MHz
VRAM 6GB GDDR6
Memory Bus Width 192 Bit
PROS
  • Small form factor helps keep build tidy
  • Power for the size
  • Cheapest in our list
CONS
  • The least powerful of all the cards
  • Can become quite noisey under pressure

An honorable mention has to go to the Gigabyte Mini ITX as it’s the only small-form card in this article. If you’re building a small form PC then this is surely the only model worth considering, built specifically with Mini ITX Motherboards in mind you will not get the same performance power, and size anywhere else. It comes in at a reasonable price, produces solid FPS across a wide spectrum, and is relatively quiet in the larger scheme of things.

Best RTX 2060 frequently asked questions

Is the RTX 2060 good for gaming?

Yes the RTX 2060 is still a powerful and good card for gaming. As it offers good performance even though its a more dated choice. So it might mean it is harder to find.

Is RTX 2060 a good buy?

Although it might be a bit dated now, the RTX 2060 is still a powerful card. Although it may be harder to find these days as it is an older card it does mean it may be harder to find.

What is the best RTX 2060?

For the best choice of 2060, the ASUS ROG Strix is a great choice. It offers great performance over the rest with its overclocked graphics. While it also is a good build quality and lasting choice of model. The Evga XC Ultra is also a good alternative choice.

Final Word

Modern technology is moving quicker than ever and to keep up with the high demand games are now putting on computers and graphics means developers are constantly battling to provide solid hardware components that are going to live up to the task. The 2060 is the latest arrival to the 20 series and is much more affordable than its neighbors the 2070 and 2080 respectively. You can see how it compares in our RTX 2060 vs RTX 2070 comparison.

Every card we’ve tested has performed extremely well across the range of games we use and has its own specific set of pros and cons. If you are seriously considering purchasing a 2060 it really boils down to the following categories:

  • Performance – If what you care about above all else is cutting-edge performance, and you don’t want to do your own overclocking, the ASUS ROG Strix OC is the GPU for you.
  • All round choice – If you’re for an all-round, well-balanced, high-end 2060 then look no further than the EVGA Xc ultra Gaming 2060. It knocks on the door of the ROG Strix but has a bunch of other attractive features that make it more balanced.
  • Budget – Want a 2060 but also want to save as much money as possible getting one? Get our budget pick: Zotac RTX Gaming AMP.
  • Balanced – Maybe you just want a well-balanced card and don’t want to lean too hard into one particular benefit. Snag the MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z…it’ll serve you well for years to come.
  • Low Profile – Last but not least, let’s say you’re building a small PC and don’t have room for big graphics cards. Just go ahead and get the Gigabyte RTX 2060 Mini ITX. It’s perfect for exactly this purpose.

So hopefully this gives you enough information to go out there and make an informed decision on which best suits your requirements and start reaping the rewards of the excellent RTX 2060.

Feel free to comment below and let us know which card you went with, or what you think of our picks. You can also just ask for help if you need it– we’re serious about monitoring our comments and making sure our community is being well-served.

You can check out our GPU Hierarchy right here.

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