NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop) vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 for desktops (also known as RTX 2060S) is a fast mid range graphics card in the GeForce Turing line-up. Compared to the older GeForce RTX 2060 (that still remains in the line-up), the Super version adds 256 shaders and a wider memory bus with more memory (now 8 GB GDDR6). It is still based on the same TU106 chip (now fully utilized) and currently has no mobile counterpart (opposed to the mobile RTX 2060). The mobile RTX 2060 refresh only got slightly revised clock speeds but no new name.

Features

NVIDIA manufacturers the TU106 chip on a 12 nm FinFET process and includes features like Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) and Real-Time Ray Tracing (RTRT), which should combine to create more realistic lighting effects than older GPUs based on the company's Pascal architecture (if the games supports it). The RTX 2060 is also DisplayPort 1.4 ready, while there is also support for HDMI 2.0b, HDR, Simultaneous Multi-Projection (SMP) and H.265 video en/decoding (PlayReady 3.0).

Performance

The average RTX 2060S performs slightly better than the old GeForce GTX 1080 and shows a clear improvement over the older RTX 2060. Therefore, the 2060 Super is positioned in the mid range and well suited for most games of 2018 in 1080p and 1440p. Compared to AMD, the RTX 2060 Super is positioned to run against the AMD RX 5700.

Power Requirements

NVIDIA specifies that the RTX 2060 Super should consume a maximum of 175 W and therefore 15 Watt more than the RTX 2060. In our tests the power consumption of the RTX 2060S was slightly lower than the old GTX 1080.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q design is the power saving variant of the mobile GeForce RTX 2060. Therefore it is a high end gaming graphics card for thin laptops. It is based on the same chip as the RTX 2060 but with reduced clock speeds and a lower power consumption. It was released in 2020 with the Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop.

With the refresh, Nvidia also reworked the Max-Q technologies for more efficiency. Low Voltage GDDR6 (lower clocked but more headroom for the GPU) and improved regulator efficiency should improve the performance per Watt. Two new optional features can also be implemented by the OEM. Max-Q Dynamic Boost is able to shift power from the CPU to the GPU on a per frame basis to increase overall performance. Furthermore, the laptop manufacturer can also implement Advanced Optimus with a dynamic display switch (hardware) to enable Optimus, G-SYNC and high refresh rate displays (up to 4K 120 Hz).

The clock is not the only difference compared to the regular GTX 2060 though. The drivers for the Max-Q version were optimized for efficiency (and not performance; only for Max-Q models), there are optimized voltage converters for 1V operation, high-end cooling methods, and a 40 dB limit for the fan noise (with clock adjustments to ensure this at all times).

The performance should be only slightly below the normal RTX 2060 due to the decreased clock rates. It should be most suited for 1080p gaming at maximum detail level. Raytracing features however may reduce framerates a lot, so using raytracing will be limited to some games.

The chip is specified at a TGP of around 65 Watt and therefore clearly lower than the 80 - 90 Watt of the regular RTX 2060 Mobile.