Home Reviews Graphics Card Gigabyte RTX 2060 Gaming Pro OC 6G Graphics Card Review

Gigabyte RTX 2060 Gaming Pro OC 6G Graphics Card Review

March 16, 2023

NVIDIA extends its Turing architecture with the budget-friendly RTX 2060, leveraging a modified TU106 chip. Boasting 1920 CUDA Cores, 240 Tensor Cores, and 30 RT Cores, it targets 1080p gaming while performing well at 1440p.

Priced at $349, it competes favorably with the RTX 2070, offering a balance of affordability and performance. Gigabyte’s RTX 2060 Pro, an overclocked variant, achieves a boost clock of 1830MHz, featuring WINDFORCE 3X cooling, RGB illumination, and silent operation under load. Despite lacking USB C and NVLink support, it stands out as a compelling option for its price point.

Key Takeaways

The GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming Pro OC 6G combines budget-friendly pricing with high-performance features, featuring 6GB GDDR6 VRAM and factory overclocking.
The ASRock’s B650E PG-ITX WIFI motherboard is perfect for Gamers and content creators seeking an optimal balance between performance and affordability.
Users on a strict budget or solely focused on top-tier 4K gaming and those demanding the latest cutting-edge technology might opt for higher-end models than the GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming Pro OC 6G

Why you can trust Tech4Gamers: Our reviews are based on dedicated hands-on testing by our team of experienced hardware experts. Find out more about how we test. [/su_list]

Starting the review, let’s look at the specifications:

Graphics Processing	GeForce RTX™ 2060
Core Clock	1830 MHz (Reference Card: 1680 MHz)
RTX-OPS	39
CUDA® Cores	1920
Memory Clock	14000 MHz
Memory Size	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6
Memory Bus	192 bit
Card Bus	PCI-E 3.0 x 16
Digital max resolution	7680x4320
Multi-view	4
Card size	L=280.35 W=116.45 H=40.24 mm
DirectX	12
PCB Form	ATX
OpenGL	4.6
Recommended PSU	500W
Power Connectors	8 Pin*1
Output	DisplayPort 1.4 3 HDMI 2.0b 1
SLI Support	No
Accessories	1. Quick guide 2. Driver CD

Packaging and Unboxing

Front Box

The graphics card is shipped inside a cardboard box which is encapsulated inside a paperboard packing. The front side of the outer packing box has a Gigabyte brand name printed on the top left. The Eagle Eye brand logo is printed on the main section. GeForce RTX 2060 is printed on the bottom right side. The model of the card, which is Gaming OC Pro 6G, is printed on the left side. This is an OC edition card featuring Windforce 3X cooling using RGB Fusion 2.0.

Back View

The backside of the packing box shows the salient features of the graphics card. A Windforce cooling solution is featured on this graphics card. 3X here means that this card has 3 fans in the cooling solution. The copper plate is making contact with GPU and VRAM, and there is a dedicated copper plate for MOSFETs. RGB Fusion 2.0 is employed for RGB illumination, and a solid metal backplate adds to the rigidness and overall sturdiness of the card.

Inside The Box

Opening the cardboard box reveals another black-colored box of lighter cardboard.

GPU Packing

Opening the box would reveal an accessory box placed inside it. Taking it out would show the graphics card wrapped inside the anti-static sheet. The GPU is packed inside a plastic wrapping, surrounded by safety packing of black color to contain the fragility of the GPU.

Accessories

A User manual/guide and an Installation disk are also included in the box.

Closer Look

The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming Pro OC is among the top-tier graphics solutions in this category from the Gigabyte (Non-Aorus). This card features 6GB GDDR6 VRAM from Micron. This is the first time I have seen a Micron chip overclocking that well, in my experience.

More on it later in the section. This card packs 1920 shader units using 87.8 GPixel/s pixel fill rate and 219.6 GT/s texture fill rate. The card’s base clock is 1365MHz, whereas the boost clock is 1830MHz, making this card factory an overclocked one; hence, the term OC is used in the model. Memory is clocked at 7001MHz.

Above is the picture of GPU-Z showing the basic information of the graphics card and its sensor’s telemetry. Gigabyte has provided a maximum power limit or target of 113% with a maximum thermal limit of 87°C.

It is time to take a closer look at the design of the graphics card, and then I will discuss the results of the gaming and synthetic benchmarks. Above is a symbolic picture of the graphics card showing its main components.

The black PCB is sandwiched between the metal back plate, heatsink, and shroud. I looked at the graphics card, and let me tell you. It’s got this bold black and gray plastic shroud with cool grooves and sharp edges that give it such a stylish vibe.

The gray textures on the top and bottom add to the whole aesthetic. It’s compact, measuring 280.35×116.45×40.24mm (LxHxW) with a sleek 2-slot design.

Pic-front

Front View -Black and gray colored plastic made shroud

Pic-top

The top side of the GPU

On the top side, there’s this gray area with RGB LEDs, and using RGB Fusion 2.0, you can light up the GIGABYTE text and GeForce RTX logo. They didn’t cover the entire card on one side, I guess, for heat dissipation. Oh, this black power connector is juicing up those vibrant RGB LEDs. It’s a real eye-catcher!

PRO TIP: Maintain the graphics card’s cooling fans to ensure optimal cooling efficiency over time.

The PCIe connector can be seen at the base of the graphics card. One can spot white color thermal pads being used between the copper cold plate and the heatsink.

A black fan power connector is located towards the rightmost side of the PCB. The heatsink portion towards the rear IO section is making no contact with the PCB as there is a gap between both, which is understandable as the critical areas are already well covered.

Pic-PCIe

The base of the GPU

Pic-back

Metallic backplate

Gigabyte uses a solid metallic backplate on the back side of the PCB to add more strength to the overall design and also to serve to improve the aesthetics of the card. GIGABYTE in white text is printed in the center of the plate.

There is no warranty void sticker pasted on any of the four GPU spring-loaded screws. A serial no sticker is pasted towards the power connector side. There is no NVLink connector on the PCB.

Pic-power

8-pin power connector

Pic-1

Ventilation cutouts

The graphics card employs a single 8-pin power connector, although the PCB suggests support for two connectors. This design choice hints at potential use in higher-end RTX 2070 models requiring dual 8-pin connections.

The shroud features carbon fiber-like finishing at both ends, creating a sleek appearance, while large cutouts ensure efficient heat dissipation. The shroud extends over the PCB, enhancing the card’s overall design coherence.

Pic-2

4 composite heat pipes

Pic-IO-1

Connectivity

The above picture better shows what I have stated above, that the shroud has extended over the PCB. One can see the 4 composite heat pipes coming out of the heat sink and terminating here.

The following connectivity options are available at the user’s disposal:

1x HDMI port 2.0 b
3x DP ports 1.4

No USB-C option is provided in the RTX 2060, NVIDIA’s imposed limitation. Due to limitations from the source, I did not open the card to look at the PCB and the power delivery system.

Testing

Following is the information regarding the test system and drivers that I have used to test this graphics card:

Intel i7 8700k @ 5.0GHz
Asus Strix Z390-E Gaming Motherboard
Ballistix Elite 16GB kit @ 3000MHz
Alphacool Hurrican Eiisturm 360 Cooling Kit
HyperX 120GB SSD
Seagate Barracuda 3.5” 2 TB HDD
Thermaltake TP RGB 750W Gold PSU

Drivers:

NVIDIA driver 417.71 for Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060
NVIDIA driver 411. For other RTX graphics cards
NVIDIA driver 398.35 for GTX graphics cards
NVIDIA driver 417.71 for GTX 1080 [Required for Battlefield V]

Monitoring Software:

MSI Afterburner 4.60 was used to monitor and record the FPS for the games without in-built benchmarks. Three runs per game per API per resolution were made, and the average is shown on the graphs. The tough ordeal for the tester!

Our testing includes Ray Tracing and DLSS as well. I will be covering the RT and DLSS in a separate section.

Synthetic Benchmarks

UniSP

In all three Fire Strike benchmarks, the RTX 2060 sits between the GTX 1070 and the GTX 1070 Ti.

3DMark-T

In 3DMark Time Spy and Time Spy Extreme benchmarks, the RTX 2060 has taken the lead over the GTX 1080.

3DMark-1

The graph of Unigine Superposition is sorted on the 1080p Extreme preset. On 1080p Extreme presets, the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming Pro OC has beaten the GTX 1080, but on 4k optimized and 8k optimized presets, it is behind the GTX 1080. On the 8k optimized preset, it is behind the GTX 1070Ti.

Gaming Benchmarks

BFVD11

This is a new title in our test suite; hence, only the available graphics cards could be tested. On 1080p and 1440p, the RTX 2060 sits behind the GTX 1080 by a 6.0% margin, whereas this margin is 7% on 4k. This is still a very comparable performance, and by no means RTX 2060 offer low performance on its destined resolutions, which are 1080p and 1440p.

BFVD12

In DX12, the overall score is improved, and RTX 2060 further reduces the gap. On 1080p, there is a performance margin of 5%, whereas, on 1440p, this margin is 3.45%. On 4k, this margin was at 8%.

SOTRD11

Shadow of the Tomb Raider was tested using the game’s in-built benchmark at the highest quality settings. DX11 has always been strange to me in this game, and this time’s testing was no exception, as, on 1080p, the GTX 1080 and RTX 2060 were just one FPS behind the RTX 2070. The performance gap only increased at higher resolutions, but there was a tie between the RTX 2060 and the GTX 1080 on those resolutions.

SOTRD12

In DX12, the RTX 2060 was behind the GTX 1080 by just 2 FPs on all resolutions.

MetroExodusD11

This is a new title in our test suite; hence, only the available graphics cards could be tested. The game’s in-built benchmark utility was used to measure the performance across three graphics cards. Again, the RTX 2060 is touching the base of GTX 1080 here and almost going neck-to-neck with the Pascal card.

MetroExodusD12

DX12 was no exception to the results from DX11 of this game, and RTX 2060 again fought with the GTX 1080 hands full.

BF1D12

In DX12, the scenario is changed significantly as the RTX 2060 managed to reduce the gap and was almost neck-to-neck against the GTX 1080 as it was behind by 1.2 FPS only at 1080p and took a lead by 2.4 FPS on 1440p. It was again trailing behind the GTX 1080 on 2160p by 2.4 FPS. This is marginal gain or loss; hence I have used the term neck-to-neck.

BFVDXR

Enabling Ray Tracing resulted in a significant performance hit, with a 49.89% decrease at 1080p, 51.57% at 1440p, and 51.46% at 2160p. However, enabling DLSS showed improvements, with a nearly 10% improvement at 1080p, 13.56% at 1440p, and 33.22% at 2160p. Despite these gains, there’s still a notable performance gap with and without Ray Tracing, suggesting potential for improvement with future driver optimizations.

MetroExodusDXR

The graph is self-explanatory, to be honest, as it is obvious that gaming with Ray Tracing has a performance hit, though less than what we have seen in Battlefield V. DLSS is making up for the gap that is coming due to the performance hit. For comparison of our readers, I have included the results of the RTX 2080 in the graph.

FFXVDLSS

With DLSS, we are seeing approximately 27.24% performance improvement.

AOSD11

The Ashes of the Singularity was the very first title with the DX12, and I have tested the game with DX11 and DX12 using the game’s built benchmark. This is the first time the RTX 2060 has gone down and is sitting between the GTX 1070 and the GTX 1070Ti, though it was neck-to-neck with the GTX 1070Ti. It could not come close to the might of the GTX 1080 in this game.

AOSD12

In DX12, the toll was even higher as the gap has increased between the RTX 2060 and the GTX 1070Ti. The GTX 1070 was fighting neck-to-neck with the RTX 2060.

Witcher3

The Witcher 3 is the last title on our graphs. Here, we have mixed results. On 1080p, the GTX 1080 was leading by a mere 1.2 FPS. On 1440p, the GTX 1080 led by 8 FPS (6.95%); on 2160p, the RTX 2060 took the lead by 5.32%. In terms of overall performance, the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming Pro OC has performed exceptionally well, though, in a few titles, it was lurking between the GTX 1070 and the GTX 1070 Ti. Most of the time, it was much closer to the GTX 1080, and the performance margin was low. We have a new champion from NVIDIA for the 1080p and 1440p gaming.

Middle

This game was tested using the in-built benchmark using Ultra settings. In this game, the RTX 2060 took the lead over the GTX 1080 on the 1440p and 2160p resolutions, whereas both cards were tied at 1080p.

GTAV-1

Grand Theft Auto – V does not have any graphics quality Presets. I have used maximum settings where and what is available with 4x MSAA. The game was tested using the in-built benchmark. In this game, the RTX 2060 is neck-to-neck with the GTX 1070Ti, with a marginal lead over the GTX 1070Ti.

FFXVBench

The Final Fantasy XV benchmark outputs the result in terms of the score instead of the FPS. The graph shows tight competition between the GTX 1080 and the RTX 2060, with the GTX 1080 taking a marginal lead.

FC5-1

This game was tested using the game’s in-built benchmark. Here, we can see the RTX 2060 sitting comfortably between the GTX 1080 and the GTX 1070Ti. There is a 5 FPS difference between the RTX 2060 and the GTX 1080 on the 1080p, 4 FPS difference on the 1440p, and 3 FPs on the 2160p.

DOOM

The first Vulkan-based game that I used was DOOM. As the graph is sorted on 1080p gaming results, you see GTX 1080 sitting above the RTX 2070. 1080p testing is pointless in this game for the high-end graphics cards, and the RTX 2060 – surprisingly – is no exception to that. After all, it is a cut-down version of the RTX 2070. [su_note note_color="#2568e1" text_color="#ffffff" radius="0"]PRO TIP: Keep graphics drivers up to date for improved compatibility and performance with the latest games and applications. [/su_note] On the higher resolutions, the RTX 2060 sits between the GTX 1070 and the GTX 1070Ti. There is a performance margin of 6.74% between the GTX 1070Ti and the RTX 2060 on 1440p; this margin is reduced to 2160p as it was just 2.84%.

ACO-1

In this game, the RTX 2060 is again sitting between the GTX 1070Ti and the GTX 1080, but the performance gap is much narrower concerning the GTX 1080 with just 3 FPS difference on the 1080p, 2 FPS difference on the 1440p, and 1 FPS difference on 2160p. Is this schematic reduction a coincidence?

MLLR

Again, we are seeing the RTX 2060 sitting comfortably between the GTX 1070Ti and GTX 1080 only on 1080p with a performance margin of approximately 4%, whereas it is just 1 FPS behind the GTX 1080 on 1440p and is at par with the GTX 1080 on 4k. This is quite a stunning performance from the Gigabyte RTX 2060 Gaming OC Pro.

Ray Tracing and DLSS Benchmarks

Synthetic Benchmarks

Let’s start with the synthetic benchmarks.

PortRoyal

The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming Pro OC has secured a 3967 overall score. Since there is no other RTX 2060 in the graph at the moment, no comparison can be made.

DLSSFT

On 1080p, there is a 44.99% improvement using the DLSS. The improvement in 1440p is 49.72%. 4k seems pointless for this graphics card, though the improvement is over 100%.

Gaming Benchmarks

Let’s take a look at the gaming benchmarks.

BFVDXR

MetroExodusDXR

FFXVDLSS

With DLSS, we are seeing approximately 27.24% performance improvement.

VRAM Usage Analysis

The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming Pro OC, equipped with 6GB GDDR6 Micron memory running at 7001MHz, was tested to assess its performance across different resolutions.

With games becoming more demanding, the 6GB VRAM was evaluated for its adequacy at 1080p, 1440p, and 2160p resolutions, using maximum graphics settings for comprehensive analysis.

In testing, only three games—Battlefield V, Shadow of the Tomb Raider DX11, and Final Fantasy XV—exceeded the 6GB VRAM limit at 4k.

Generally, the card handles maxed-out games up to 1440p, but some titles show 5GB VRAM usage at 1080p, suggesting potential for improvement through game optimization. Detailed VRAM utilization results are provided for each resolution during testing.

Boost Clocks

Now that we have looked at the gaming and synthetic benchmark results and the VRAM analysis, it is time to look at the maximum boost clocks.

The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming Pro OC has been boosted to 1980MHz out of the box without any tweaking. The sustained clocks were, on average, 1950MHz, which is quite impressive.

Overclocking and Thermals

For overclocking, the MSI Afterburner was used. I started overclocking the VRAM only without touching the voltage slider and core clock.

I could push the memory clock by another +1100MHz (1.1GHz), which is impressive as this was done without setting the voltage at 100%. However, at 1100MHz, the Unigine Superposition 1080p Extreme score gets lowered, indicating that any further overclocking attempt would be futile.

To ensure the case, the voltage was then set at 100%, and the test was repeated, but it met with the result indicating that we had reached the limit on the memory overclocking.

Overclocking, Power Consumption and Thermals (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Next, I started with the core clock overclocking. I had no luck with the silicon as I could only push the core clock to +110MHz, so I had to tune down the memory overclock. +110MHz on the Core clock and +750MHz on the memory clock gave me the best score.

Overclocked Unigine Score (Image By Tech4Gamers)

The chip did reach 2100MHz, but unfortunately, it was a failed attempt. 2070MHz is what was achieved with stable overclock.

Power Consumption

To measure the power draw, I am taking a different route as HWInfo64 shows the GPU Power, and this is exactly what I have been showing on my graphs instead of the overall system power draw.

WARNING: Ensure your power supply unit meets the recommended wattage for the RTX 2060 to avoid performance issues.

The system was left idle for 30 minutes to monitor the idle power draw, closing as many background apps as possible.

To monitor the maximum power draw, I use The Witcher 3 4k run of 30 minutes and then record the reported power draw from the HWInfo64. This way, any user can easily check their graphics card for power consumption.

Like the other RTX graphics cards I tested, this card constantly hit the power target. Even increasing the slider to 113% saw no effect. A little more headroom in terms of power target could have been beneficial.

Thermal Performance

I am not using Furmark or any other stress app for thermal performance checking. Instead, the reported temperatures are from the gaming session using The Witcher 3 at 4k resolution for a minimum of 30 minutes.

MSI Afterburner is used to record the temperatures during the gaming session. The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming Pro OC was idling at 38°C. It maxed to 66°C on stock clocks, and with overclocking, it maxed to 69°C.

This is impressive thermal performance as the graphics card was tested inside a chassis, not on an open-air test bench.

Aorus Engine – RGB Fusion

Gigabyte has provided RGB LED lighting on their RTX 2060 Gaming Pro OC. The lighting effects could be controlled using their RGB Fusion 2.0 app. The following lighting modes are available on this graphics card:

Cycle
Static Color
Flash
Double Flash
Breathing

Aorus Engine is the name of the utility app that can be used to monitor and manipulate the control settings of the Gigabyte graphics cards. The application has a user-friendly interface.

Aorus-1

Upon launching the application, available profiles are displayed for one-click selection of corresponding settings, featuring the graphics card model on the top left. GPU Boost and Memory clocks, although not specific to Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming Pro OC, are presented below the profiles. Selecting Semi-Passive loads the corresponding fan speed profile, and clicking the home button restores the default or main screen.

Aorus-2

Clicking on Professional mode on the main screen will load the settings like voltage control, power limit control, core clock, memory clock, fan speed control, etc, which the user can manipulate manually. Settings are self-explanatory.

Aorus-3

Clicking on the Monitoring button will load another screen with the graph plots showing variables like Core Clock, Memory Clock, GPU Temperature, etc. Clicking on Edit will load the options window from where the user can select or choose which parameter to monitor.

Aorus-4

Clicking on the settings icon on the top right side will load another window with the utility-related setting options like setting to start the utility app when windows start automatically and to start is minimized, etc.

Should You Buy It?

I bet you’re thinking whether you should buy this GPU or not. Let me ease it up for you.

Buy It If:

✅ You seek high performance on a budget: The GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming Pro OC 6G delivers impressive gaming capabilities at an affordable price point.

✅ You are looking for a balance between cost and performance: With its 6GB GDDR6 VRAM and overclocking potential, this card suits those who want decent rendering power without breaking the bank.

✅ You value effective cooling and RGB aesthetics: The WINDFORCE 3X cooling system and RGB LEDs on the Gigabyte model ensure efficient heat dissipation and a visually appealing setup.

Don’t Buy It If

❌ You require top-tier 4k gaming: A more powerful GPU with greater VRAM might be better if your primary focus is on 4k gaming at the highest settings.

❌ You seek entry-level options with a tight budget: If you’re on a strict budget and don’t require the features and performance of the RTX 2060, there are more affordable alternatives in the market.

❌ You prefer the latest cutting-edge technology: If you are looking for the most advanced and latest GPU features, you might consider higher-end models from the RTX series for a more future-proof investment.

Conclusion

Recently got my hands on NVIDIA’s RTX 2060, specifically the Gigabyte Gaming Pro OC model – and let me tell you, it’s a budget-friendly beast. Built on the modified TU106 chip, this card packs 6GB GDDR6 VRAM and comes factory overclocked, hitting a stable 2070MHz core clock during my testing.

Gigabyte’s WINDFORCE 3X cooling and RGB LEDs add flair, keeping temperatures impressively low at 64°C in most games, even pushing the card in The Witcher 3 at 4k. It went up to 66°C, still quite impressive. Overclocking results were mixed, with a steady 2070MHz but some instability at 2100MHz.

Despite constant power limit hits, the VRAM analysis proved the 6GB on this RTX 2060 is solid for 1080p and 1440p gaming. Regarding performance, it held its own against the GTX 1080, and the gap is narrowing. I think it’s a solid choice, especially considering the pricing. Big shoutout to Gigabyte for letting me put their GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming Pro OC 6G through its paces.

Recent Updates

January 8, 2024: A few text changes to improve readability. Also added image galleries.

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Sajjad Hussain

[How-To Guides Expert]

Laiba, our tech guru at HI Digital, simplifies and crafts How-To Guides with a Google IT Support Certificate. Beyond tech, she captures the city’s aesthetics through her lens. Join her journey where tech meets creativity!

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