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 Max-Q 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 Max-Q 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 Max-Q

2018

Why buy it

✅Draws 75W instead of 200W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2018 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 50.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅371.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 2 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.

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 371.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 417.5% in PassMark G3D (20,312 vs 3,925), 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 2 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q

The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 3 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1190 MHz to 1328 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,925 points.

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.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q scores 3,925 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 417.5%. The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 14 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 1.7 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Boost clocks: 1328 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score	3,925	20,312+418%
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	14 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	640	4864+660%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.7 TFLOPS	16.2 TFLOPS+853%
Boost Clock	1328 MHz	1665 MHz+25%
ROPs	16	80+400%
TMUs	40	152+280%
L1 Cache	0.23 MB	4.8 MB+1987%
L2 Cache	1 MB	4 MB+300%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	GeForce 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 Max-Q has 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 112.1 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — a 299.6% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	8 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	112.1 GB/s	448 GB/s+300%
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB	4 MB+300%

🖥️

Display & API Support

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (6th Gen) (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9 (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder	NVENC (6th Gen)	NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder	NVDEC (3rd Gen)	NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs	H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q draws 75W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 90.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP	75W-63%	200W
Recommended PSU	350W-42%	600W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	8-pin
Length	—	242mm
Height	—	112mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	75
Perf/Watt	52.3	101.6+94%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (2020 vs 2018).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
MSRP	—	$399
Codename	GP107	GA104
Release	January 3 2018	December 1 2020
Ranking	#498	#73

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