GeForce GTX 1650 vs GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1650

2019Core: 1485 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz
GTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

2022Core: 1515 MHzBoost: 1755 MHz
RTX family
·······

GeForce GTX 1650 vs GeForce RTX 3050 OEM 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 1650 vs GeForce RTX 3050 OEM 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 1650 vs GeForce RTX 3050 OEM: 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 1650

2019

Why buy it

  • Costs $100 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • Delivers 10.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 47.8 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • Draws 75W instead of 130W, a 55W reduction.
  • Measures 229mm instead of 235mm, a 6mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 OEM across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • Older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

2022

Why buy it

  • 56.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 67.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $249 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 47.8 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
  • 73.3% higher power demand at 130W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 56.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 51.1% in PassMark G3D (11,892 vs 7,869), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 12nm, and 20 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 GTX 1650 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $100 cheaper on MSRP at $149 vs $249, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 10.6% (52.8 vs 47.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1650 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3050 OEM has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1650 vs GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1650

The GeForce GTX 1650 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 23 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1485 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,869 points. Launch price was $149.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1515 MHz to 1755 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 20 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,892 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1650 scores 7,869 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM's 11,892 — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM leads by 51.1%. The GeForce GTX 1650 is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 896 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 2,560 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Raw compute: 2.984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 8.986 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1755 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
G3D Mark Score
7,869
11,892+51%
Architecture
Turing
Ampere
Process Node
12 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
896
2560+186%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.984 TFLOPS
8.986 TFLOPS+201%
Boost Clock
1665 MHz
1755 MHz+5%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
56
80+43%
L1 Cache
0.88 MB
2.5 MB+184%
L2 Cache
1 MB
2 MB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1650 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
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 1650 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 128 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 224 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) — a 75% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1650 and 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
8 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
128 GB/s
224 GB/s+75%
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB
2 MB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
DirectX
12
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.4+8%
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
3
4+33%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5th gen (Volta) (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Decoder: NVDEC 4th gen vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
Encoder
NVENC 5th gen (Volta)
8th Gen NVENC
Decoder
NVDEC 4th gen
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1650 draws 75W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM's 130W — a 53.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 1650 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 450W (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Power connectors: None vs 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 235mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
TDP
75W-42%
130W
Recommended PSU
300W-33%
450W
Power Connector
None
8-pin
Length
229mm
235mm
Height
111mm
124mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
70°C-7%
75°C
Perf/Watt
104.9+15%
91.5
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1650 came in at $149, while the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM launched at $249. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1650 was 40.2% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 52.8 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 47.8 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) — the GeForce GTX 1650 offers 10.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (2022 vs 2019).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
MSRP
$149-40%
$249
Performance per Dollar
52.8+10%
47.8
Codename
TU117
GA106
Release
April 23 2019
January 4 2022
Ranking
#323
#224

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