GeForce 9400M G vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

NVIDIA

GeForce 9400M G

2015Core: 1072 MHzBoost: 1176 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce 9400M G 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 9400M G 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 9400M G 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 9400M G

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $119 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).
  • Draws 33W instead of 70W, a 37W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 6GB across 45 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.
  • 2015 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.9 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

  • 4443.2% more average FPS across 45 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 3283.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 1.9 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 2300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 256 MB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

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 4443.2% in average FPS across 45 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 11335.1% in PassMark G3D (10,749 vs 94), 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 $119 more expensive on MSRP at $169 vs $50, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 3283.2% (63.6 vs 1.9), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 9400M G vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 9400M G

The GeForce 9400M G is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1072 MHz to 1176 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 94 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 9400M G scores 94 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 10,749 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 11335.1%. The GeForce 9400M G is built on Maxwell while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 9400M G) vs 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Raw compute: 0.9032 TFLOPS (GeForce 9400M G) vs 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Boost clocks: 1176 MHz vs 1470 MHz.

FeatureGeForce 9400M GGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
G3D Mark Score
94
10,749+11335%
Architecture
Maxwell
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
384
2304+500%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.9032 TFLOPS
6.774 TFLOPS+650%
Boost Clock
1176 MHz
1470 MHz+25%
ROPs
8
32+300%
TMUs
24
72+200%
L1 Cache
0.19 MB
2.3 MB+1111%
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 9400M G is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce 9400M GGeForce 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 9400M G 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 9400M G and 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 9400M G) vs 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 9400M GGeForce 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: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce 9400M G) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce 9400M GGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
DirectX
11.1 (10_0)
12 Ultimate+8%
Vulkan
N/A
1.3
OpenGL
3.3
4.6+39%
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce 9400M G) vs NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP3) vs NVDEC (7th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce 9400M G) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB).

FeatureGeForce 9400M GGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Encoder
None
NVENC (5th Gen)
Decoder
PureVideo HD (VP3)
NVDEC (7th Gen)
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9400M G draws 33W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 70W — a 71.8% difference. The GeForce 9400M G is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9400M G) vs 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Power connectors: Legacy vs None. Card length: 0mm vs 160mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce 9400M GGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
TDP
33W-53%
70W
Recommended PSU
350W
300W-14%
Power Connector
Legacy
None
Length
0mm
160mm
Height
0mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
75
75°C
Perf/Watt
2.8
153.6+5386%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9400M G came in at $50, while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB launched at $169. On MSRP, GeForce 9400M G was 70.4% cheaper ($119 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.9 (GeForce 9400M G) vs 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 3247.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce 9400M GGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
MSRP
$50-70%
$169
Performance per Dollar
1.9
63.6+3247%
Codename
GM108
GA107
Release
March 13 2015
February 2 2024
Ranking
#847
#252

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