The RTX 2060 Stays Strong for 1080p/1440p Gaming in 2024
Even in its 5th year after release, the RTX 2060 continues to deliver excellent 1080p and 1440p gaming performance in 2024. If purchased used or on sale, it provides better price-to-performance ratio than lower-end current generation cards like the RTX 3050.
Released on January 7, 2019, the RTX 2060 delivered advanced Turing architectural features to the $349 price segment. With 1920 CUDA cores, 6GB GDDR6 memory and 1683MHz boost clock, it originally slotted right between the GTX 1070 Ti and RTX 2070.
Compared to Nvidia‘s 16-series contemporary the GTX 1660 Ti, the RTX 2060 enjoyed 25% more CUDA cores, faster memory and the addition of dedicated RT and tensor cores. This muscle showed in benchmarks, with the 2060 posting a 10-15% performance lead over the 1660 Ti in most titles.
Still Punching Above its Weight in Performance
Based on extensive testing from publications like Gamers Nexus and Hardware Unboxed, the RTX 2060 delivers around a 20% better gaming experience than Nvidia‘s latest RTX 3050, both at 1080p and 1440p:
| Game | Resolution | RTX 2060 FPS | RTX 3050 FPS | % Faster than 3050 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fortnite | 1080p Epic | 125 fps | 102 fps | 23% |
| COD Modern Warfare | 1440p High | 95 fps | 78 fps | 22% |
| Forza Horizon 5 | 1440p Ultra | 92 fps | 75 fps | 18% |
The 3050 falls behind despite benefiting from a newer Ampere architecture and DLSS support. While not hitting the peaks of high-end modern cards, the 2060 averages well over 60 fps across popular titles at 1080p and 1440p resolutions.
It achieves this through raw horsepower. At 1683Mhz boost, it enjoys 100MHz higher clocks than the 3050. 1920 CUDA cores also give it a 25% edge over the 1536 core 3050, with more texture units and ROPs as well. Architectural efficiency improvements in Ampere don’t fully close this gap.
Extended Viability with Discounted Pricing
The used market is now filled with second-hand RTX 2060s as gamers upgrade to higher-end cards. While risks around wear, tear and mining usage remain, buying from reputable sellers helps mitigate these concerns.
Availability of discounted 2060 cards greatly improves its price proposition. Lower-end 3000 series GPUs remain either unavailable or dramatically overpriced compared to MSRPs:
| Card | Release MSRP | Current Used Prices | % Above MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 2060 | $349 | $220 – $280 | 0% to 25% |
| RTX 3050 | $249 | $300+ | > 50% |
| RTX 3060 | $329 | $400+ | > 80% |
Given performance that still outpaces more modern entry-level offerings, grabbing a well cared for used RTX 2060 under $300 gives outstanding 1080p and smooth 1440p gaming. This strong value makes it likely to deliver 60+ fps gameplay at these resolutions for years to come.
While not future proof given memory limits, Nvidia moves the market ruthlessly forward with each new generation release. Taking advantage of residual value in the secondary market is one way to avoid the upgrade treadmill. Given rumors of a 4060 still 6-12 months away, there’s no need to jump at the latest GPU when last-gen deals like this remain.
Conclusion
Years after its launch, the RTX 2060 can still hit the spot as a high value 1080p/1440p gaming card in 2024. Strong residual performance combines with high secondary market availability below MSRP for an attractive, discounted proposition versus lower-end current generation offerings. For gamers comfortable buying used, it promises smooth 60+ fps gaming for years at preferred resolutions.
