GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB

2018Core: 1392 MHzBoost: 1518 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020Core: 1410 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 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 GTX 1050 3GB vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 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 GTX 1050 3GB vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti: 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 GTX 1050 3GB

2018

Why buy it

  • Costs $270 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • Draws 75W instead of 200W, a 125W reduction.
  • Measures 145mm instead of 242mm, a 97mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2018 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 39.7 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

  • 321.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 28.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 39.7 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 3 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 166.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 75W.
  • 66.9% longer card at 242mm vs 145mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 321.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 297% in PassMark G3D (20,312 vs 5,116), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 3 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 14nm, and 38 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 3060 Ti makes the most sense to buy today. It is $270 more expensive on MSRP at $399 vs $129, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 28.4% (50.9 vs 39.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB

The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 21 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1392 MHz to 1518 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,116 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB scores 5,116 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 297%. The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 14 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 2.332 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Boost clocks: 1518 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score
5,116
20,312+297%
Architecture
Pascal
Ampere
Process Node
14 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
768
4864+533%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.332 TFLOPS
16.2 TFLOPS+595%
Boost Clock
1518 MHz
1665 MHz+10%
ROPs
24
80+233%
TMUs
48
152+217%
L1 Cache
0.28 MB
4.8 MB+1614%
L2 Cache
0.75 MB
4 MB+433%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
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 GTX 1050 3GB has 3 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gives you 166.7% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 84 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — a 433.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity
3 GB
8 GB+167%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
84 GB/s
448 GB/s+433%
Bus Width
96-bit
256-bit+167%
L2 Cache
0.75 MB
4 MB+433%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX
12 (12_1)
12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
3
4+33%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6.0 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: NVDEC 3.0 vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder
NVENC 6.0
NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder
NVDEC 3.0
NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB draws 75W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 90.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: None vs 8-pin. Card length: 145mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 65 vs 75.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP
75W-63%
200W
Recommended PSU
300W-50%
600W
Power Connector
None
8-pin
Length
145mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
65-13%
75
Perf/Watt
68.2
101.6+49%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB came in at $129, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1050 3GB was 67.7% cheaper ($270 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 39.7 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 28.2% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (2020 vs 2018).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
MSRP
$129-68%
$399
Performance per Dollar
39.7
50.9+28%
Codename
GP107
GA104
Release
May 21 2018
December 1 2020
Ranking
#440
#73

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