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GeForce RTX 2060 vs Radeon RX Vega 56

Quick Verdict

Performance-wise the GeForce RTX 2060 is out front, noticeably faster, roughly 8% up on the Radeon RX Vega 56. Value tips toward the Radeon RX Vega 56, though: $50 USD cheaper for what you get.

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GeForce RTX 2060 vs Radeon RX Vega 56: In-Depth Breakdown

Performance: GeForce RTX 2060 vs Radeon RX Vega 56

The GeForce RTX 2060 is noticeably faster, around 8% ahead of the Radeon RX Vega 56. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.

Price & Value

Right now the Radeon RX Vega 56 starts at $150 USD against $200 USD for the GeForce RTX 2060. Despite being slower, the Radeon RX Vega 56 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~23% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon RX Vega 56 is trading below its $399 USD MSRP β€” a genuine deal. The GeForce RTX 2060 is trading below its $349 USD MSRP β€” a genuine deal.

Power & Efficiency

The GeForce RTX 2060 sips power at 160W next to the Radeon RX Vega 56's 210W, and still leads on performance-per-watt β€” quieter, cooler, and gentler on your PSU. Its more modern Turing architecture on a TSMC 12nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.

VRAM & Future-Proofing

The Radeon RX Vega 56's 8GB (vs 6GB on the GeForce RTX 2060) gives it more room for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative or AI workloads.

Generation & Longevity

The GeForce RTX 2060 is roughly 2 years newer than the Radeon RX Vega 56 (Turing vs GCN 5.0 (Vega)), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.

Features & Ecosystem

Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce RTX 2060 brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon RX Vega 56 offers AMD FSR upscaling and strong rasterization value. If you lean on upscaling or ray tracing, that ecosystem difference can matter as much as the frame-rate gap.

Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 2060 or Radeon RX Vega 56?

Choose the GeForce RTX 2060 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon RX Vega 56 stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the GeForce RTX 2060 better than the Radeon RX Vega 56?

The GeForce RTX 2060 is noticeably faster, roughly 8% ahead. The Radeon RX Vega 56 is still worth it if value matters more than top-end frames.

Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 2060 or the Radeon RX Vega 56?

Neither is a dedicated 4K card; both are best at entry-level 1080p. For 4K you'd want a faster GPU, or lean on upscaling.

Is the GeForce RTX 2060 worth the extra $50 USD over the Radeon RX Vega 56?

Only if you need the extra performance or features; on pure value the Radeon RX Vega 56 comes out ahead.

Does the Radeon RX Vega 56 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?

Its 8GB (vs 6GB) gives real headroom for 4K, heavy texture mods, and creative/AI work. At 1080p the gap matters less.

Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 2060 or Radeon RX Vega 56?

Choose the GeForce RTX 2060 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon RX Vega 56 stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.

Technical Specifications Comparison

Architecture & Cores

Architecture & Cores specifications comparison between GeForce RTX 2060 and Radeon RX Vega 56
SpecificationGeForce RTX 2060Radeon RX Vega 56
ArchitectureTuringGCN 5.0 (Vega)
Process NodeTSMC 12nmGloFo 14nm
CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors)1,9203,584βœ“
Ray Tracing Cores30β€”
Tensor / AI Cores240β€”

Clock Speeds

Clock Speeds specifications comparison between GeForce RTX 2060 and Radeon RX Vega 56
SpecificationGeForce RTX 2060Radeon RX Vega 56
Base Clock1,365 MHzβœ“1,156 MHz
Boost Clock1,680 MHzβœ“1,471 MHz

Memory

Memory specifications comparison between GeForce RTX 2060 and Radeon RX Vega 56
SpecificationGeForce RTX 2060Radeon RX Vega 56
VRAM Capacity6 GB8 GBβœ“
Memory TypeGDDR6HBM2
Memory Bus192-bit2048-bitβœ“
Memory Speed14 Gbpsβœ“1.6 Gbps
Bandwidth336 GB/s409.6 GB/sβœ“

Connectivity & Power

Connectivity & Power specifications comparison between GeForce RTX 2060 and Radeon RX Vega 56
SpecificationGeForce RTX 2060Radeon RX Vega 56
InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
TDP160 Wβœ“210 W
Power Connectors1x 8-pin2x 8-pin
ReleasedJan 2019Aug 2017