GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

2017Core: 1215 MHzBoost: 1379 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU 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 1070 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU 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 1070 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU: 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 1070 with Max-Q Design

2017

Why buy it

  • 10.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2017 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 64.3% higher power demand at 115W vs 70W.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU

2024

Why buy it

  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 70W instead of 115W, a 45W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 10.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU instead at 10,143 vs 9,842, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 16nm, 18 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2017. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 27 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1215 MHz to 1379 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,842 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU 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: 10,143 points. Launch price was $179.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design scores 9,842 and the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU reaches 10,143 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) vs 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 5.648 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) vs 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1379 MHz vs 1470 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score
9,842
10,143+3%
Architecture
Pascal
Ampere
Process Node
16 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
2048
2304+13%
Compute (TFLOPS)
5.648 TFLOPS
6.774 TFLOPS+20%
Boost Clock
1379 MHz
1470 MHz+7%
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
128+78%
72
L1 Cache
0.75 MB
2.3 MB+207%
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU
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 1070 with Max-Q Design has 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU carries 6 GB. GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 256 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) vs 168 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU) — a 52.4% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design and 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+33%
6 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
256 GB/s+52%
168 GB/s
Bus Width
256-bit+167%
96-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU
DirectX
12.1
12.2
Vulkan
1.1
1.3+18%
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) vs 7th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU
Encoder
NVENC 4.0
7th Gen NVENC
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP6
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design draws 115W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU's 70W — a 48.6% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU
TDP
115W
70W-39%
Recommended PSU
500W
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
Mobile
Length
0mm
0mm
Height
0mm
0mm
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
85°C
80°C-6%
Perf/Watt
85.6
144.9+69%