NVIDIA announced the GeForce RTX 2060 at CES on January 6, 2019, with global availability scheduled to start January 15 and a launch price of $349. That is a historical launch price—not a current price. Whether $349 was “high” depends on the comparison: TechCrunch described it as a bargain relative to the more expensive RTX 20-series cards then available.
When did the RTX 2060 come out, and how much did it cost?
NVIDIA announced the GeForce RTX 2060 on January 6, 2019, at CES. The company said global availability would begin January 15, 2019, and listed a launch price of $349. These dates and price describe the 2019 launch; they do not establish present-day stock or pricing.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
GPVHOSO RTX 2060 8GB Super Graphics Card 256Bit GDDR6, | $239.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 3050 6GB GDDR6 OC Edition Gaming Graphics Card | $229.99 | Buy on Amazon |
NVIDIA said buyers would be able to choose its Founders Edition, stock-clocked or factory-overclocked partner cards, and systems from OEMs and system builders. The announcement did not verify any particular retailer’s inventory or later street prices.
What did NVIDIA say the $349 card offered?
The launch release specified 6GB of GDDR6 memory and 240 Tensor Cores. NVIDIA promoted support for real-time ray tracing and Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), technologies intended to bring ray-traced effects and AI-assisted image reconstruction to games.
#1 Best Overall
- Enhanced Performance: The RTX 2060 Super delivers exceptional gaming performance with 8GB of GDDR6 memory and a boost clock speed of up to 1650 MHz. It efficiently handles modern gaming titles at high settings, making it ideal for gamers seeking an immersive experience.
- Real-Time Ray Tracing: Equipped with Turing architecture, the RTX 2060 Super supports real-time ray tracing technology. This feature allows for realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections, enhancing visual fidelity in supported games and applications.
- VR Ready: The RTX 2060 Super is optimized for virtual reality (VR) experiences, providing low-latency and high-performance rendering. Gamers can enjoy an immersive VR environment with smooth graphics and responsive gameplay.
- DLSS Support: The graphics card supports Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), which utilizes AI rendering to produce sharp images and increase frame rates without compromising quality. This technology ensures smoother gameplay, particularly at higher resolutions.
- Multiple Display Outputs**: With support for up to three displays, the RTX 2060 Super offers versatile connectivity options. It includes DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0b outputs, enabling multi-monitor setups for enhanced productivity or gaming immersion.
NVIDIA reported that the RTX 2060 averaged 60% faster than the original GTX 1060 across 23 benchmarks and games at 2560×1440. That figure is NVIDIA’s own reported comparison, not an independently reproduced result established here; it applies to the named resolution and test set, not every game or workload.
Was $349 a high launch price?
“High” is a judgment, not a description established by the launch price alone. In TechCrunch’s January 6, 2019 coverage, Frederic Lardinois called $349 “quite a bargain compared to the existing 20xx cards.” That is a contemporary comparison with the RTX 20-series cards then on the market, not a broad price survey or a claim about value against every competing GPU.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang described the card as offering “an unbeatable price” and “extraordinary performance.” Those phrases were promotional claims. A buyer’s assessment of value would also depend on the games played, settings, desired features, and alternatives available at the time.
Rank #2
- NVIDIA Ampere Streaming Multiprocessors: The all-new Ampere SM brings 2X the FP32 throughput and improved power efficiency.
- 2nd Generation RT Cores: Experience 2X the throughput of 1st gen RT Cores, plus concurrent RT and shading for a whole new level of ray-tracing performance.
- 3rd Generation Tensor Cores: Get up to 2X the throughput with structural sparsity and advanced AI algorithms such as DLSS. These cores deliver a massive boost in game performance and all-new AI capabilities.
- Axial-tech fan design features a smaller fan hub that facilitates longer blades and a barrier ring that increases downward air pressure.
- OC Mode : 1500 MHz (Boost Clock)/Default Mode : 1470 MHz (Boost Clock)
How did the RTX 2060 fit into the later lineup?
In July 2019, NVIDIA announced the RTX 2060 SUPER with a starting price of $399, while describing the original RTX 2060 as starting at $349. This is useful historical lineup context, not evidence of either model’s price today.
| Card and announcement | Announced starting price | Memory stated in cited launch material | Performance evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GeForce RTX 2060, January 2019 | $349 (NVIDIA launch price) | 6GB GDDR6 | NVIDIA reported an average 60% advantage over the original GTX 1060 across 23 benchmarks and games at 2560×1440. |
| GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, July 2019 | $399 (NVIDIA announced starting price) | Not stated in the cited July 2019 source. | Not stated in the cited July 2019 source. |
The available launch information does not provide a common independent test suite for comparing the original 2060, GTX 1060, and 2060 SUPER. The NVIDIA-reported 60% figure should therefore remain attached to its specific GTX 1060 comparison rather than being used to infer a general cross-generation ranking.
Quick Recap
What the launch record does—and does not—tell you
- It establishes NVIDIA’s announced 2019 launch price, availability date, selected specifications, and the company’s attributed performance claim.
- It does not establish the RTX 2060’s current price or availability as of October 2026.
- It does not show that every game benefited equally from ray tracing, DLSS, or the reported benchmark advantage.
- It does not independently determine whether $349 was good value across the full GPU market at launch.
Sources
- NVIDIA’s January 2019 RTX 2060 launch announcement
- TechCrunch’s January 6, 2019 coverage
- NVIDIA’s July 2019 RTX SUPER announcement
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
