The GeForce RTX 2060, which used to be one of the best graphics cards, rides again. Two years after the graphics card's, Nvidia decided to fire up the Turing stove once more to release the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB, which brings some significant upgrades to the table.
The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB still leverages the same TU106 silicon that's fabricated on TSMC's 12nm FinFET manufacturing process. While the original had 30 enabled SMs out of the 36, the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB comes with four additional SMs, same as the GeForce RTX 2060 Super and just two shy of the GeForce RTX 2070. This means that the revamped graphics card has 2,176 CUDA cores, 272 Tensor cores, and 34 RT cores at its disposal. In other words, the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB comes with 13.3% more CUDA cores than the regular 6GB model.
The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB comes with a 1,470 MHz base clock and 1,650 MHz boost clock, identical to the GeForce RTX 2060 Super. This new version has a 7.7% higher base clock than the GeForce RTX 2060, but the latter's boost clock is slightly faster (1.8%). Nonetheless, the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB does offer higher FP32 performance. The regular version is rated for 6.5 TFLOPs, and this 12GB variant offers 7.2 TFLOPs, a 10.8% uplift.
GeForce RTX 2060 12GB Specifications
| Header Cell - Column 0 | GeForce RTX 2060 Super | GeForce RTX 2060 12GB | GeForce RTX 2060 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | TU106 | TU106 | TU106 |
| Process Technology | TSMC 12FFN | TSMC 12FFN | TSMC 12FFN |
| Transistors (Billion) | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 |
| Die size (mm^2) | 445 | 445 | 445 |
| SMs / CUs | 34 | 34 | 30 |
| GPU Cores | 2,176 | 2,176 | 1,920 |
| Tensor Cores | 272 | 272 | 240 |
| RT Cores | 34 | 34 | 30 |
| Base Clock (MHz) | 1,470 | 1,470 | 1,365 |
| Boost Clock (MHz) | 1,650 | 1,650 | 1,680 |
| VRAM Speed (Gbps) | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| VRAM (GB) | 8 | 12 | 6 |
| VRAM Bus Width | 256 | 192 | 192 |
| ROPs | 64 | 64 | 48 |
| TMUs | 136 | 136 | 120 |
| TFLOPS FP32 (Boost) | 7.2 | 7.2 | 6.5 |
| TFLOPS FP16 (Tensor) | 57 | 57 | 52 |
| RT TFLOPS | ? | ? | 25.2 |
| Bandwidth (GBps) | 448 | 336 | 336 |
| TDP (Watts) | 175 | 185 | 160 |
| Launch Date | Jul 19 | ? | Jan 19 |
| Launch Price | $399 | ? | $349 |
As the model name implies, the biggest upgrade on the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB resides in its memory system. Nvidia has doubled the GDDR6 memory from 6GB to 12GB. The generous amount of memory won't magically enable the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB to deliver an exceptional 60 FPS gaming experience, but it will help in modern titles that are pushing the memory envelope beyond 8GB even at 1080p.
Nvidia just upgraded the capacity of the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB, though. The memory still runs at 14 Gbps across a 192-bit memory interface. Therefore, the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB provides the same level of memory bandwidth as the 6GB version, which is 336 GBps. This is where the GeForce RTX 2060 Super wins, as its wider 256-bit memory bus allows it to offer 448 GBps.
The CUDA core and memory bump didn't come free, though. Obviously, the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB comes with a higher TDP rating. The Turing-powered graphics card is rated for 185W, 15.6% higher than the GeForce RTX 2060 and interestingly 5.7% higher than the GeForce RTX 2060 Super. Nevertheless, the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB still only uses a single 8-pin PCIe connector.
One of the smaller but visible changes is the design of the display layouts. Apparently, Nvidia has dumped the USB Type-C port on the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB. It's not a port that most users will miss, and Nvidia's partners have often disposed of the USB Type-C port in their custom offerings. Sadly, Nvidia didn't make any changes to the other ports. The DisplayPort outputs and HDMI port are still 1.4a and 2.0b, respectively. It's a shame but not surprising since it's using old silicon, which is another reason the GeForce RTX 3060 would still be a better pick (if you could find one).
Now that Nvidia has finally released the specifications for the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB, we no longer have to rely on hearsay or speculation. Nvidia didn't disclose the pricing for this new Turing graphics card. Not like it's important since MSRP means little these days, but it would have been nice to see the premium that Nvidia has slapped on the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB.
For what it's worth, the GeForce RTX 2060 debuted at $349 whereas the GeForce RTX 2060 Super and GeForce 2070 came in at $399 and $499, respectively. Certain models of the RTX 2060 later dropped to $299, before Covid hit and the GPU shortages messed up all the pricing. In theory, the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB should slot in between the 2060 and 2060 Super, and certainly its MSRP ought to be less than the RTX 3060's $329 price point. In the real world, however, GPU prices on the RTX 2060 6GB are around $570, so the 12GB model will likely land north of that mark.
