NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER Review: The Sweet Spot

Introduction

The GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER represents NVIDIA's effort to strengthen its entry-level RTX offering, providing a significant upgrade over the standard RTX 2060 with more CUDA cores and increased VRAM.

Design and Build Quality

The Founders Edition maintains NVIDIA's premium build quality standards, featuring a dual-fan cooling solution that effectively manages thermals while keeping noise levels in check.

Gaming Performance

The RTX 2060 SUPER excels at 1080p gaming and provides decent 1440p performance in less demanding titles.

1080p Gaming Performance

• Cyberpunk 2077 (Ray Tracing Medium): 62 FPS
• Microsoft Flight Simulator: 75 FPS
• Red Dead Redemption 2: 88 FPS
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III: 105 FPS

Ray Tracing and DLSS

First-generation RT cores provide entry-level ray tracing capabilities, with DLSS support helping to maintain playable framerates in supported titles.

Content Creation

The RTX 2060 SUPER offers decent performance for content creation:

• Video Editing: Good performance with 1080p footage
• Streaming: Reliable NVENC encoding
• 3D Rendering: Entry-level performance in professional applications

Thermal and Power Performance

The cooling solution proves effective for the card's modest power requirements:

• Load Temperatures: 69°C average under full load
• Fan Noise: 33dB under typical gaming loads
• Power Draw: 175W typical gaming power draw

Memory Configuration

The 8GB GDDR6 memory provides:

• Memory Bandwidth: 448 GB/s
• Memory Interface: 256-bit
• Memory Type: GDDR6

Overclocking

The RTX 2060 SUPER shows decent overclocking potential:

• Core: +135 MHz boost clock typical
• Memory: +750 MHz effective typical
• Power Limit: 107% maximum

These overclocks typically result in a 5-7% performance improvement.

Value and Conclusion

The RTX 2060 SUPER represented a significant improvement over the base RTX 2060, offering better performance and more VRAM at a modest price premium. While newer generations have surpassed it, the card remains capable of solid 1080p gaming.

Long-term Considerations

The 8GB VRAM buffer and DLSS support help maintain the card's relevance for 1080p gaming, though ray tracing performance in modern titles is limited. Driver maturity provides a stable gaming experience.