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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 580

2010

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 6GB across 35 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
195.3% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$169 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

✅75.1% more average FPS across 35 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $330 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 584.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 9.3 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 3 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

GeForce GTX 580

2010

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅75.1% more average FPS across 35 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $330 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 584.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 9.3 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 3 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 6GB across 35 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
195.3% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$169 MSRP

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB better than GeForce GTX 580?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB averages 75.1% more FPS across 35 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 10,749 vs 4,634 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is a 2024 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 580 is a 2010 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2024 generation instead of 2010, 132.0% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 3 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is about $330 cheaper on MSRP at $169 MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and you are getting 75.1% more estimated average FPS across 35 tracked games in our benchmark data and 132.0% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 584.9%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce GTX 580 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce GTX 580 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $499 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 580 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low	80 FPS	85 FPS
medium	65 FPS	72 FPS
high	52 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	40 FPS
1440p
low	67 FPS	74 FPS
medium	55 FPS	64 FPS
high	39 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	25 FPS	30 FPS
4K
low	24 FPS	27 FPS
medium	23 FPS	25 FPS
high	15 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	13 FPS	15 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 580 Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low	132 FPS	174 FPS
medium	103 FPS	149 FPS
high	81 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	87 FPS
1440p
low	91 FPS	129 FPS
medium	65 FPS	106 FPS
high	52 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	62 FPS
4K
low	42 FPS	74 FPS
medium	32 FPS	62 FPS
high	29 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	23 FPS	34 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 580 Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low	209 FPS	484 FPS
medium	167 FPS	387 FPS
high	139 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	242 FPS
1440p
low	156 FPS	363 FPS
medium	125 FPS	290 FPS
high	104 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	181 FPS
4K
low	104 FPS	242 FPS
medium	83 FPS	193 FPS
high	70 FPS	161 FPS
ultra	52 FPS	121 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 580 Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low	157 FPS	243 FPS
medium	116 FPS	210 FPS
high	100 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	144 FPS
1440p
low	118 FPS	185 FPS
medium	89 FPS	166 FPS
high	76 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	109 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	104 FPS
medium	50 FPS	87 FPS
high	39 FPS	69 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	55 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 580 Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 580 and GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

GeForce GTX 580

The GeForce GTX 580 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 9 2010. It features the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 772 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 244W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,634 points. Launch price was $499.

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 GTX 580 scores 4,634 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 10,749 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 132%. The GeForce GTX 580 is built on Fermi 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB uses Ampere, both on 40 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 512 (GeForce GTX 580) vs 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Raw compute: 1.581 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 580) vs 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB).

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
G3D Mark Score	4,634	10,749+132%
Architecture	Fermi 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	40 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	512	2304+350%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.581 TFLOPS	6.774 TFLOPS+328%
ROPs	48+50%	32
TMUs	64	72+13%
L1 Cache	1 MB	2.3 MB+130%
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	2 MB+167%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 580 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce 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 GTX 580 comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has 6 GB. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 580) vs 168 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — a 14.3% advantage for the GeForce GTX 580. Bus width: 384-bit vs 96-bit. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (GeForce GTX 580) vs 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	6 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s+14%	168 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+300%	96-bit
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	2 MB+167%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 580) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	N/A	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	2	4+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce GTX 580) vs NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs NVDEC (7th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 580) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB).

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Encoder	None	NVENC (5th Gen)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	NVDEC (7th Gen)
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 580 draws 244W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 70W — a 110.8% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 580) vs 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs None. Card length: 267mm vs 160mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85 C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
TDP	244W	70W-71%
Recommended PSU	550W	300W-45%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	None
Length	267mm	160mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85 C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	19.0	153.6+708%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 580 launched at $499 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB launched at $169. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB costs 66.1% less ($330 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 9.3 (GeForce GTX 580) vs 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 583.9% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the newer GPU (2024 vs 2010).