Which Is Better in 2022 Between the RTX 2060 or 3060?

Graphics cards have come a long way in the last two decades, particularly since AMD entered the picture. Furthermore, the competition has only benefited consumers by providing better performance at lower costs. Furthermore, we have seen AMD and NVIDIA develop innovations across their entire product portfolios in recent years. Similarly, we see a 15% increase in NVIDIA graphics cards over each generation. As a result, let’s see if NVIDIA’s latest 3000 series GPUs can hold their own. As a result, let’s compare the RTX 2060 and 3060!

Recently, we’ve also had AMD and Intel graphics card options. However, NVIDIA currently dominates the GPU market by a wide margin. However, AMD has closed the gap with their RX 6000 series GPUs. NVIDIA, on the other hand, continues to dominate with superior cards and more creative innovations.

As a result, because NVIDIA was the first to demonstrate raytracing and Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), they have an advantage. AMD, on the other hand, released Fidelity FX Super Resolution, their version of raytracing and DLSS (FSR). While both serve similar functions, they operate in entirely different ways.

In fact, the NVIDIA RTX 2060 and RTX 3060 graphics cards are very similar. They are part of the RTX series, despite having their fair share of variations. To be more specific, all graphics cards beginning with “RTX” have “RT Cores,” which enable raytracing and DLSS. These are NVIDIA’s latest graphics card innovations, with the latter improving FPS and the former providing better graphics. In any case, let’s compare the specifications of the RTX 2060 and RTX 3060.

COMPARING THE SPECS
Similarly, let’s take a look at some of NVIDIA’s previous and current-gen graphics card specifications. These specs should help us better understand the RTX 2060 vs RTX 3060 battle.

Looking at the table, it’s clear that the RTX 3060 has superior overall specifications. However, the RTX 2060 has an advantage over the RTX 3060 in some situations, at least on paper. When it comes to tensor cores, the RTX 2060 has 240, while the 3060 has a total of 112.

Despite the fact that tensor cores aren’t the most accurate in terms of computation, we still use them for multiple calculations. Similarly, 2060 consumes less power and has a faster core clock speed.

However, when it comes to total VRAM, the RTX 3060 has double the VRAM of the RTX 2060, at 12GB. Furthermore, the 3060 uses a smaller node and has a higher transistor count than 2060, which uses a 12nm node.

In terms of price, there is currently a $50 difference between the two GPUs. Finally, whether the price difference affects your purchase is determined by whether it is worthwhile.

What is Raytracing?
For many years, raytracing has been at the forefront of the gaming community. Of course, the technology was introduced with the RTX 2000 series graphics cards, but it was already in use in cinematography. Similarly, raytracing is used in movies to combine real-life and computer graphics (CG).

So, how does this relate to games? Raytracing, in general, aids in the creation of lifelike shadows and reflections in CG. Consider this: lighting is the most important aspect of cinematography; similarly, life-like graphics are the new standard in gaming. If that’s the case, why hasn’t raytracing been made available sooner? To understand why knowing how to do raytracing is equally important.

To be more specific, we traditionally render games from 3D to 2D to speed up the process. We lose a lot of quality due to rasterization. However, thanks to raytracing, we see improved lighting and shadow quality in many games.

Furthermore, raytracing necessitates the use of hundreds of thousands of algorithms from the graphics card to create shadows in a frame. For the same reason, performance suffers significantly, rendering raytracing impossible. That has changed with the RTX 2000 series GPUs. Furthermore, with the RTX 3000 series GPUs, raytracing has only improved.

Despite being a young technology, raytracing has the potential to be the best thing since sliced bread for video games. Additionally, adopting RTX will result in a large decrease in FPS, which we combat by turning on DLSS. Only a small number of games use RTX overall because the technology isn’t very widespread.

What is DLSS?
One of the most important technological developments for low-cost gaming is Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS). That is to say, getting a high FPS is the only reason to get a high-end graphics card for gaming. What if there was another way to achieve a high frame rate with a cheap GPU while keeping the resolution and settings? Yes, DLSS aids in accomplishing such a feat.

To clarify, the DLSS rendering technology from NVIDIA increases FPS by producing frames at a reduced resolution. Additionally, we upscale these frames to a higher quality using AI so that they once again appear sharp. In order to increase FPS while maintaining 4K quality, you could, for example, render a frame at 1080P and then upscale it to 4K using DLSS. There are ifs and buts involved, of course.

For instance, the quality will be worse the lower the frame render resolution is. However, this issue has been resolved by NVIDIA with DLSS 2.2, the most recent DLSS version.

NVIDIA claims that DLSS 2.2 increases performance by 200–300% without sacrificing image quality. While not entirely accurate, DLSS does provide some incredible performance improvements. Additionally, AMD offers a DLSS product they call Fidelity FX Super Resolution (FSR).

Unlike DLSS, FSR employs an open-source upscaling technique to make the game appear to be running at native resolution after rendering frames at lower resolutions. In contrast, DLSS accomplishes the same using an AI system. However, DLSS only supports RTX cards because Tensor Cores are necessary for it to function. FSR, on the other hand, is compatible with practically every graphics card. The list consists of the RTX 2000 and 3000 series, RX 400, 500, 5000, and 6000, as well as the GTX 10 and 16 series.

As a result, you should employ DLSS and FSR in addition to raytracing to lessen the performance impact.

GAMING BENCHMARKS
Let’s compare the benchmarks of the RTX 2060 Vs. 3060 GPUs now that we are aware of the new technologies they employ. It’s best to benchmark two pieces of hardware when contrasting them to determine which is superior. So, using a few titles in both 1080P and 1440P, we are testing both graphics cards. These benchmarks were carried out by Benchmarks For Gamers.

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
• Motherboard: MSI MPG X570 Gaming Edge Wifi
• RAM: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 2 x 16 GB
• CPU Cooler: Enermax Liqmax III 360 AIO
• Graphics Card: KFA2 RTX 2060 Plus & Palit RTX 3060 Dual

First, when it comes to the processor, the Ryzen 7 5800X is an excellent match for the 2060 and 3060. We won’t experience any bottlenecks by combining a top-tier processor with top-tier GPUs. Additionally, the motherboard used by Benchmarks For Gamers is an MSI MPG X570. During testing, a good motherboard allows for more voltage transmission with no issues.

They are also using 32 GB of DDR4 RAM at a speed of 3200 MHz, according to the RAM. The Trident Z RAM from G.Skill is a fantastic pair with excellent heat dissipation and precise CL timings. Last but not least, the CPU Cooler used by Benchmarks For Gamers is the Enermax Liqmax III 360mm AIO. Therefore, it’s critical to keep your processor cool when doing benchmarks so that thermal throttling is prevented by your system. Now that we have examined the testing setup, let’s examine the benchmarks to determine which graphics card you ought to purchase.

Cyberpunk 2077

First up is CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077, a game that continues to gain popularity. Although we adore the game’s aesthetic appeal, it consumes a lot of processing power to function. Therefore, the more expensive RTX GPUs are more than welcome to use Cyberpunk to prove their capabilities.

As was already mentioned, RTX and DLSS are used in Cyberpunk 2077, which is why the FPS has decreased so significantly. Although the RTX 3060 was barely achieving 60 FPS on average even with RTX and DLSS off. So it’s clear that even with contemporary technology, Cyberpunk 2077 is a challenging game to play.

The RTX 3060 achieves 50 frames per second whereas the RTX 2060 only manages 36. The RTX 3060 outperforms the RTX 2060 by 38.8%, measured in percentage terms. Overall, the 3060 did well since both graphics cards cost roughly 15% less than one another. As a result, the RTX 3060 performs better and offers better value for the money. That is, at least for Cyberpunk 2077.

Assassins Creed Valhalla

The next game is Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Another well-liked game, particularly for the visual visuals and plot. Due to its demanding system requirements, Assassin’s Creed games have long been known for being notoriously tough to run. However, if you have a strong processor and GPU, running even the most taxing Assassin’s Creed game shouldn’t be an issue.

We can detect a significant difference in the wattage used in the preceding picture. The wattage used for the RTX 3060 is 136W, whereas the RTX 2060 uses 152W. The RTX 3060 is more power efficient since it uses less power and has greater FPS.

Additionally, the 3060 vs. 2060 disparity is still present when looking at FPS. The 3060 triumphs in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla as well, outperforming the RTX 2060 by about 28%. In conclusion, the RTX 3060 easily achieves a frame rate above 60 at the highest in-game settings, in contrast to the RTX 2060. Because costs are also falling, the 3060 is a better GPU to purchase right now.

Verdict for RTX 2060 Vs. 3060 1080P Gaming Benchmarks
Which card is more valuable now that we’ve compared all the 1080P tests for the 3060 and 2060? Most likely, you are considering the RTX 3060, which is the right response. It is not cost-effective, nevertheless, to go from an RTX 2060 to an RTX 3060 if you already have one.

We have just added up the average frame rates from both GPUs to demonstrate why it is not worthwhile. The RTX 2060 has 623 frames overall across nine games, whereas the RTX 3060 has 778. As a result, the RTX 3060 is about 25% quicker than the RTX 2060 while only costing 15% more. Although it is an incredible gain objectively speaking, you are actually only receiving around 10% of the improved performance.

Therefore, it would be wiser for you to spend a little more money and purchase an RTX 3060 Ti or perhaps an RTX 3070. However, choosing the RTX 3060 is worthwhile even if you already own a GTX 1060 or even a GTX 1080. Just to name a few, you get DLSS in addition to raytracing skills. You can use NVIDIA Reflex technology through the RTX 3060 in games that support it as well.

The RTX 3060 is a fantastic 1080P graphics card for budget gamers to start with 60 FPS gaming, assuming that. The RTX 3060 is the best option if you have an outdated AMD or NVIDIA graphics card.

RTX 3060 Vs RTX 2060 At 1440P Resolution
While it’s possible that 1080P is now the most popular resolution, 1440P is creeping up. Determining whether or not the graphics card you’re going to purchase can support 1440P is crucial in light of this. In their respective ranges, the RTX 2060 and 3060 GPUs are entry-level cards. We are unsure if these are decent 1440P GPUs, nevertheless, because modern technology has advanced so far.

As a result, we examined the 1440P-resolution 1080P games and added the average frames in each game. The RTX 2060 contains 425 frames, while the RTX 3060 has a total of 556 frames, to clarify. As a result, at 1440P resolution, the RTX 3060 is 31% quicker than the RTX 2060. That, however, represents a 6% improvement over the 1080P benchmarks.

At 1440P and above, the graphics card is the deciding element, in contrast to 1080P where the processor plays a significant impact. As a result, the FPS significantly decreases. As a result, the RTX 3060 was able to consistently achieve 30 frames per second in all games while the RTX 2060 was unable to. To get 30 frames per second with the RTX 2060, you would have to lower all settings. On the other hand, the RTX 3060 makes it possible to achieve 60 FPS.

Therefore, if you’re OK with 30 FPS, the RTX 3060 is an excellent entry-level graphics card for 1440P. Once more, if you already own an RTX 2060, buying an RTX 3060 Ti might be the wisest move.

RTX 2060 Super Vs. 3060
The RTX 2060 Super is one of the several graphics cards available from NVIDIA. It has a similar FPS to the RTX 3060 despite having been introduced in 2019, six months after the original RTX 2060. So let’s compare the two GPU specs to see which is superior.

At first appearance, the RTX 2060 Super appears to be superior to the other graphics card. In contrast, the performance of both graphics cards in games is essentially the same. The cost is something you need to be careful with.

Does the RTX 3060’s improved performance justify the increased price tag, despite it being more expensive than the RTX 2060 Super? No, based on benchmarks. Get this reason, if an RTX 2060 Super is available, go for it without hesitating. With the RTX 2060 Super, you can save some money and gain extra RT cores! In other words, everyone benefits.

RTX 3060 Ti Vs RTX 2060 Super
The RTX 3060 has a descendant, similar to the RTX 2060 Super Vs. 3060. The RTX 3060 Ti may be thought of as the RTX 3060’s super version. Thus, if you have the money, choosing a graphics card is crucial. Additionally, consider whether you ought to pursue it completely.

The RTX 2060 Super and RTX 3060 Ti’s specs may be seen in the chart above. The cost becomes the primary problem with a few little adjustments here and there. Going for the RTX 3060 Ti would be the obvious decision if global inflation weren’t now a problem. But right now, the RTX 3060 Ti costs 32% more than the RTX 2060 Super.

When comparing performance, the RTX 3060 Ti is approximately 24% quicker than the 2060 Super. Therefore, unless you don’t care about costs, the RTX 2060 Super is the superior GPU. Overall, the RTX 3060 Ti would be the clear option if pricing returned to normal.