The Best RTX 2060 Graphics Cards (2023 Reviews)

The RTX 2060 is definitely your card choice if you’re looking for uncompromising graphics at an affordable price. The 2060’s ray tracing capabilities put this card a cut above its competitors, and it brings some high-tech AI capabilities to the table, too.

When compared to the GTX 1080, a fan-favorite powerhouse, the RTX 2060 usually comes in at similar FPS, but at a fraction of the price. While the RTX 2060 isn’t the newest model available, this still makes it a real contender if you’re thinking about upgrading your rig.

In this buying guide, you will be presented to the best RTX 2060 cards available in 2023 that can bring your game to the next level.

About The Graphics Card

Our first entry in this list of hard-hitters is the ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 2060. The card comes in two versions: a standard twin-fan version, and an AMP Edition that’s factory overclocked. The AMP edition will squeeze a bit extra out of this card, and it has a white LED logo where the standard version does not.

If overclocking is your cup of tea, the AMP Edition will be worth the slight price upgrade. However, the standard version is a decent card on its own, though in terms of raw numbers, it’s the weakest card in our lineup.  If you’re looking to save a little money, the standard edition will most likely perform for you just fine.

ZOTAC boasts its own Ice Storm 2.0 cooling hardware, which works surprisingly well. The card is excellent at staying cool, and it’s compact on top of that, meaning it will fit well into most cases. In fact, ZOTAC itself boasts that this card will “fit 99% of cases.”

The card itself runs on the quieter side of normal. It’s not the loudest card we’ve heard by a long shot, but it’s not silent, either. For most rigs, though, the sound of this card shouldn’t be noticeable.

Specifications:

Base Clock	1365 MHz
Boost Clock	1680 MHz
Connectivity	3x DisplayPort 1.4 1x HDMI 2.0B
TDP	160W
Recommended PSU	500W

Our Thoughts

The standard twin fan ZOTAC is our cheapest card included in this guide, but it’s still a valuable competitor. If you’re willing to shell out a little bit more for the AMP version, you’ll see an impressive clocking increase – the AMP version comes factory overclocked at 1680 MHz, and it can be boosted to 1800MHz on top of that, putting it in competition with cards that cost quite a bit more.

While the design of this card can leave something to be desired if you’re not a fan of the angular, spiky, silver-on-black look, it holds its own, and with such a low price, so you can’t go wrong with it. However, those looking for anything LED should look elsewhere.

If you’re looking for a space-saving graphics card, this card is also an excellent contender.

Additionally, if you’re looking for a real hard-hitter, the ZOTAC RTX 2060 does come in a triple-fan Extreme version. However, we wouldn’t recommend it.

Extra bells and whistles aside, this card is a generously-priced little piece of machinery, and if aesthetics aren’t particularly important to you, this may be the card for you.

About The Graphics Card

You’re probably familiar with ASUS’s ROG STRIX line of graphics cards – they’ve been a familiar contender on the scene for a long time. The ROG STRIX is a higher-end, more expensive RTX 2060 than our previous entry, and it has a little extra cooling power with its triple-fan setup.

This card has the highest native boost capabilities of any other in our lineup. Even without these specs, though, users will appreciate the attractive design of the ROG STRIX.

Even with three fans, this card runs quietly, and predictably, it runs cool, too. If you’re a fan of light shows, the ROG STRIX absolutely delivers on this. The card features fully customizable RGB lighting that can sync with Aura Sync software, meaning it can complement just about any color build, even a rainbow one!

Since the ROG STRIX’s fans don’t run when the card is below 55 Celsius, The card stays rather quiet despite its size. However, when you do need that extra performance, those three fans will kick on and keep your build running cool.

Specifications:

Base Clock	1365 MHz
Boost Clock	1860 MHz
Connectivity	2x DisplayPort 1.4 2x HDMI 2.0B
TDP	160W
Recommended PSU	500W

Our Thoughts

If you’re looking for an RTX 2060 that maximizes on its technology, then you’ve found it with this card. Everything about it screams over-the-top, including the price. However, we’ve witnessed several rebates and sales on this card, so if you can snag it while it’s on sale, you may be in for a treat.

With this card, you get all the bells and whistles, but you pay for them, too. While this is our most expensive card in the lineup, the expense shows in the card’s quality and design. This card looks expensive, and many people fall for that look. We’ll admit, we have a few times, too.

There is one elephant in the room when it comes to this card, though. More precisely, it’s the size of the elephant that’s the problem. Some builders will be prevented from buying this card on size alone, so make sure to take careful inventory of how much space you have before committing!

Overall, this card delivers on its promises, and it has a price to match, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If you can snag this card when it’s on sale or offering a rebate, you’re good to go!

About The Graphics Card

If you’re familiar with EVGA, you know they consistently put out well-performing cards at a reasonable price. The SC Ultra Gaming is no exception. This is a standard size, dual-fan model card, and it hits about mid-range on our list in terms of performance and price.

The little brother to this card, the SC Gaming, is a 2.75-slot, single-fan model that is an excellent solution for builds short on space. While the single fan on this model can get a bit loud and the card can run hot – this is only logical for a single-fan card with this much power – it’s a little powerhouse that’s perfect for small-form-factor builds.

Both models are decently affordable, though the SC Gaming, of course, is a bit cheaper. This card is also the only entry on our list with a DVI port, though that likely won’t be a selling point for too many people.

This card does seem to be lacking a bit in bells and whistles. However, that’s not uncommon for a mid-level card. If you’re looking for a light show, though, this is not your card.

Specifications:

Base Clock	1365 MHz
Boost Clock	1830 MHz
Connectivity	1x DisplayPort 1.4 1x HDMI 2.0B 1x Dual-Link DVI
TDP	160W
Recommended PSU	500W

Our Thoughts

The EVGA GeForce RTX 2060 Ultra Gaming is a thoroughly boring mid-range card. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Because it’s gimmick-free, the card packs a bit of a punch at a reasonable price, and it makes an excellent complement to no-nonsense, minimalist PC builds.

There’s nothing wrong with the way the card runs. It’s reliable and, well, like we said, boring. It doesn’t really stand out, but that might be what’s best about it, in a strange way. It’s a solid, reliable choice that you can’t go wrong with.

We do like that this card comes from a large family. The SC Gaming isn’t the only sibling of the SC Ultra Gaming – it also comes in XC models and a plain Gaming model. While the single-fan models in this family tend to run hot and loud, which we don’t like, it’s still versatile and adaptable to just about anyone’s needs.

About The Graphics Card

MSI’s done it again: they’ve created a high-quality, gorgeously stunning graphics card at a decent price point. The GAMING Z card comes with all the extra goodies on top of its solid performance. You can have your cake and eat it, too, with this card.

This card does have a surprisingly small form factor on top of its other benefits, and that doesn’t seem to affect its cooling ability adversely. That means this card will be an option for smaller cases or cases that are a bit full already.

This card does tend to be on the high end of our list in terms of price – right up there with triple-fan models – but if you’re okay with that, this card has a lot going for it. Aside from that, we really can’t find anything bad to say about this card.

Specifications:

Base Clock	1365 MHz
Boost Clock	1830 MHz
Connectivity	3x DisplayPort 1.4 1x HDMI 2.0B
TDP	160W
Recommended PSU	500W

Our Thoughts

In short, this card is a masterpiece. There’s not much bad to say about it except that it doesn’t come with three fans. Since not every PC builder is looking for three fans anyway, this can’t really even be considered much of a detriment. The price of this model isn’t exceptional, but it’s acceptable for the quality you get.

We should note that the portions of the card that appear silver on the packaging are actually more of a steel grey color in person. The video below shows that in action. While this is a bit of an advertising flop, it doesn’t impact the attractiveness of the card, in our opinion. It matches the color of the backplate much more than the pictures show.

The silver accents on the GAMING Z are done stylishly, and the RBG LEDs are placed strategically. It’s easy to tell that some good design time went into the artistic creation of this card. The brushed metal backplate adds a nice industrial touch.

Forgetting about the design for a minute – this card pushes for just about everything you could get out of a twin-fan RTX 2060 card in terms of performance. While it won’t be able to beat triple-fan models, of course, it comes pretty darned close.

About The Graphics Card

The GIGABYTE Gaming OC Pro is an excellent budget-friendly triple-fan card in terms of pricing. Unfortunately, the fans are a bit loud when the card is put through its paces, but that’s the price you pay for a less expensive card. Fortunately, the fans and other cooling bits keep the card very cool even when it’s working hard.

The design of the black version of this card is a bit basic, but there’s a hidden game-changer with this card: it comes in white, too. This is the only white graphics card in our current lineup, and it’s certainly not very common among graphics cards in general, either. This color option could be the tie-breaker for someone stuck on the fence.

This card, both in black and in white, only has one LED area – the GIGABYTE text on the front of the card. While this could be considered a detriment for the black card, it actually works quite well for the white version, since you’ll want to be showing off the white anyway.

Specifications:

Base Clock	1680 MHz
Boost Clock	1830 MHz
Connectivity	3x DisplayPort 1.4 1x HDMI 2.0B
TDP	160W
Recommended PSU	500W

Our Thoughts

If you absolutely must have a triple-fan card, but you’re not willing to break the bank to do it, the GIGABYTE Gaming OC Pro should definitely be on your radar. The card works well overall, despite the fans becoming a bit loud on occasion. The extra color choice is appreciated, too.

Truth be told, the unique thing about this card is the option to order it in white. While the white card is stunning, the black card leaves a little something to be desired. Like we said above, unless you absolutely must have a cheap, black, triple-fan card, you might want to avoid the Gaming OC Pro.

We’re not saying there’s any particular reason to avoid this card – that is unless quiet is a big deal for you. However, there’s nothing that stands out about it, either (aside from the white color option). The ASUS ROG STRIX, when it’s on sale, is far superior to this card at the same price point.

That being said, this card is pretty solid. We just believe it lacks a little something in the black design, and the white version isn’t for everyone, either. Functionally and fundamentally, it’s an excellent card – it’s just that nothing stands out about it to push it over the edge.

About The Graphics Card

Another card made by MSI, the VENTUS OC, tops off our list of RTX 2060 cards. You could consider the VENTUS OC to be like the GAMING Z’s little brother in many respects. The card is a tad more affordable and a tad less attractive, but that will save you a couple of bucks, too.

This card doesn’t come with any LEDs, which can be a deal-breaker for some. However, this is a budget card, so they’re not strictly necessary, either. We found the bright silver-on-black to be a bit of a tacky color scheme, but the card has a pleasing symmetrical shape despite that. For a budget card, the design is admirable.

An interesting downside of this card actually lies in its programming. Due to its low fan curve out of the box, this card can run rather hot. However, this is easily fixable by adjusting the fan curve in the settings. This shouldn’t pose a problem for anyone who knows how to build their own PC!

Specifications:

Base Clock	1365 MHz
Boost Clock	1710 MHz
Connectivity	3x DisplayPort 1.4 1x HDMI 2.0B
TDP	160W
Recommended PSU	500W

Our Thoughts

The MSI VENTUS OC is another good budget RTX 2060. However, in terms of raw numbers, it’s pretty average. The ZOTAC Gaming RTX 2060 AMP we mentioned earlier puts up better clocking numbers at the same price, and it even has some LED action, to boot.

However, we do agree that the aesthetic design of the VENTUS OC is slightly better than the ZOTAC AMP. The choice is really up to a personal preference for this one.

The software issue with the fan curve is something to consider – one software issue means more could crop up at any time – but since it’s an easy fix, it’s not much of a speed bump.

Really, this one just comes down to personal choice. It’s a very solid RTX 2060 on a budget, and even if it’s missing a few bells and whistles, that’s what budget cards are all about, right?

The Best RTX 2060 Graphics Card For 2023

Ever since they were released at the beginning of 2019, many RTX 2060 cards have hit the market. Even though it’s not the newest card anymore, it’s definitely still relevant in terms of performance, and this means you have a lot of choices at reasonable prices.

What, then, should you pick? There are a lot of excellent contenders here, after all, and even more that we didn’t list.

Well, we think that the best overall card choice from this list is the MSI GeForce RTX 2060 GAMING Z. This card brings everything to the table – it has design, performance, and all the bells and whistles for a decent price.

It’s not the cheapest option we listed – if you’re looking for quality on the cheap, we recommend the ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 2060 instead – but we think what it brings to the table is worth a little bit extra.

That wraps up this buying guide, but don’t let your research end here! We have many other buying guides, tips, and walkthroughs available here for your perusal. We wish you the best of luck on your rig, and we hope that, with a little research, you find the best possible graphics card for you!