GeForce GTX 1080 vs GeForce RTX 2060

Speed and memory

In our performance index the GeForce GTX 1080 scores 20 and the GeForce RTX 2060 scores 18, which makes the GeForce GTX 1080 about 11% faster. That is a small gap, below what most people notice without a frame counter.

The GeForce GTX 1080 has 8 GB of video memory and the GeForce RTX 2060 has 6 GB. That is a small difference and unlikely to decide anything.

In our estimates for popular games at 1080p on High, the biggest gap is in Call of Duty (51 against 46 fps), and the smallest is in Red Dead Redemption 2 (71 against 65 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The GeForce GTX 1080 is rated at 180 W and the GeForce RTX 2060 at 160 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 550 W for the first and 550 W for the second. The power draw is close enough that cooling and noise will be similar.

At launch the GeForce GTX 1080 cost $599 and the GeForce RTX 2060 $349. Per dollar, the GeForce RTX 2060 gave more performance (5.2 points per $100 against 3.3). Current prices differ, so run the same sum on what you can actually buy today.

Which one to buy

Choose the GeForce GTX 1080 if you want the faster card, and it also has at least as much memory. It makes the most sense at 1440p and above, or on a monitor with a high refresh rate.

Choose the GeForce RTX 2060 if the price gap matters more than the 11% speed difference, or if you want lower power draw and a quieter PC. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.