Is the Nvidia RTX 2060 good for gaming in 2024?

The Nvidia RTX 2060 is a mid-range graphics card that was released in 2019. It offers decent performance on modern titles, thanks to its ray tracing and DLSS capabilities. However, with newer RTX 30 and 40 series cards in the market, the RTX 2060 finds itself competing against more powerful successors.

So, is the Nvidia RTX 2060 still good for gaming in 2024, or do you need to upgrade? Simply put, the card falls behind in raw performance and doesn’t have some of the latest features available on modern releases.

However, the real answer depends on your usage. The RTX 2060 is a compelling option if you are on a strict budget and want a graphics card for 1080p gaming.

In this article, we will test the RTX 2060’s performance by running demanding titles in 1080p, 1440p, and 2160p resolutions.

NOTE: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer’s opinions.

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Nvidia RTX 3080 in 2024: Hardware specifications

The Nvidia RTX 2060 is a mid-range graphics card built on a 12 nm Turing architecture. It features 1920 CUDA cores coupled with 6GB or 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM. Here are its specs:

Specification	Nvidia RTX 2060
Architecture	Turing
CUDA core count	1920
Process size	8 nm
Bus interface	PCIe 3.0 x16
Memory bandwidth	336.0 GB/s
Memory type	GDDR6
Memory bus width	192 bit
Base clock	1365 MHz
Boost clock	1680 MHz
Launch price	$349

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Gaming performance of Nvidia RTX 2060 in 2024

Performance test conditions for Nvidia RTX 2060

This performance test is simulated on a PC with a Ryzen 5 3600 processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and a Nvidia RTX 2060 6GB graphics card. The titles used for this performance test are Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Metro Exodus. The games are tested on high settings with ray tracing turned off at Full HD, 2K, and 4K resolutions.

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Performance in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Performance at 2K resolution dips below 60 FPS during combat in AC Odyssey (Image via Ubisoft || YouTube @Gentleman)

The Nvidia RTX 2060 delivers a smooth and impressive experience in Assassin's Creed Odyssey at 1080p max settings. Frame rates exceed 75 FPS with no noticeable lag during exploration.

Moving to 1440p, the RTX 2060 still holds its ground and delivers 55-60 FPS during exploration. However, this resolution results in minor frame drops during combat or while exploring crowded areas.

Pushing the resolution to 4K proves more challenging. The RTX 2060 struggles to maintain a consistent 30 FPS. Some graphic settings must be changed to maintain enjoyable framerate at 4K resolution.

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Performance in Red Dead Redemption

The RTX 2060 barely outputs 30 to 35 FPS on RDR 2 at 4K resolution (Image via Rockstar Games || YouTube @Gentleman)

The experience remains enjoyable in Red Dead Redemption 2 at 1080p resolution. The Nvidia RTX 2060 achieves framerates around 90 to 95 FPS to ensure a great experience.

At 1440p, the frame rate dips below 65 FPS, generally hovering around 50-55 FPS in populated areas. While still playable, you may need to tone down some settings for a consistent 60+ FPS at 2K resolution in this title.

Unfortunately, the 4K resolution proves too demanding for the RTX 2060 in Red Dead Redemption 2. The frame rate falls below 30 FPS, making the game feel sluggish and jittery in this setting.

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Performance in Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus framerates plummet below 40 FPS at 4K resolution (Image via Deep Silver || YouTube @Gentleman)

At 1080p resolution, the RTX 2060 delivers a solid experience in Metro Exodus. Frame rates hover around 95 FPS, allowing a smooth gameplay experience even at high settings. At 1440p, the RTX 2060 starts to feel the strain. Frame rates dip below 75 FPS. While still playable, a few frame drops are visible during combat encounters or in open landscapes.

Setting the resolution to 4K is not recommended in Metro Exodus on the RTX 2060. Frame rates plummet below 35 FPS, and there is significant lag during combat and exploration.

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Nvidia RTX 2060 in 2024: Verdict

Overall, the Nvidia RTX 2060 in 2024 is a capable but aging graphics card. While it can still handle many modern single-player games at 1080p and 1440p resolutions at high settings, it falls behind in 4K performance.

If you generally play at 1080p resolution and can find it at a price of under $200, the RTX 2060 can be a good budget option in 2024. However, it is recommended that you consider modern Nvidia's 4000 series cards for better longevity and performance.

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Should you upgrade to an RTX 4060 from RTX 2060? || Is RTX 4060 a good 1080p gaming graphics card? || 5 most popular graphics cards