GeForce 6800 vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

NVIDIA

GeForce 6800

2014Core: 1082 MHzBoost: 1150 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz

GeForce 6800 vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce 6800 vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce 6800 vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce 6800

2014

Why buy it

  • Draws 33W instead of 70W, a 37W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 6GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 256 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2014 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 76.9% HIGHER MSRP
    $299 MSRPvs$169 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

  • 2985.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $130 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • Delivers 16729.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 0.4 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 2300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 256 MB).

Trade-offs

  • 112.1% higher power demand at 70W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 2985.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 9412.4% in PassMark G3D (10,749 vs 113), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 256 MB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, and 18 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $130 cheaper on MSRP at $169 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 16729.6% (63.6 vs 0.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 6800 vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce 6800

The GeForce 6800 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 22 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1150 MHz. It has 256 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 113 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 2 2024. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1042 MHz to 1470 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 18 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,749 points. Launch price was $179.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce 6800 scores 113 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 10,749 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 9412.4%. The GeForce 6800 is built on Maxwell while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 256 (GeForce 6800) vs 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Raw compute: 0.5888 TFLOPS (GeForce 6800) vs 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Boost clocks: 1150 MHz vs 1470 MHz.

FeatureGeForce 6800GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
G3D Mark Score
113
10,749+9412%
Architecture
Maxwell
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
256
2304+800%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.5888 TFLOPS
6.774 TFLOPS+1050%
Boost Clock
1150 MHz
1470 MHz+28%
ROPs
8
32+300%
TMUs
16
72+350%
L1 Cache
0.13 MB
2.3 MB+1669%
L2 Cache
1 MB
2 MB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce 6800 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce 6800GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 6800 has 256 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB carries 6 GB. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gives you 2300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 6800 and 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 6800) vs 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 6800GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
VRAM Capacity
0.25 GB
6 GB+2300%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
168 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit+33%
96-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB
2 MB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0c (GeForce 6800) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 2.1 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce 6800GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
DirectX
9.0c
12 Ultimate+33%
Vulkan
N/A
1.3
OpenGL
2.1
4.6+119%
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce 6800) vs NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Decoder: PureVideo (VP1) vs NVDEC (7th Gen). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,WMV (GeForce 6800) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB).

FeatureGeForce 6800GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Encoder
None
NVENC (5th Gen)
Decoder
PureVideo (VP1)
NVDEC (7th Gen)
Codecs
MPEG-2,WMV
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 6800 draws 33W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 70W — a 71.8% difference. The GeForce 6800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 6800) vs 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Power connectors: Legacy vs None. Card length: 198mm vs 160mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce 6800GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
TDP
33W-53%
70W
Recommended PSU
350W
300W-14%
Power Connector
Legacy
None
Length
198mm
160mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
80
75°C-6%
Perf/Watt
3.4
153.6+4418%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 6800 came in at $299, while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB launched at $169. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB was 43.5% cheaper ($130 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.4 (GeForce 6800) vs 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 15800% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce 6800GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
MSRP
$299
$169-43%
Performance per Dollar
0.4
63.6+15800%
Codename
GM108
GA107
Release
July 22 2014
February 2 2024
Ranking
#832
#252

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