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 870M vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB 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 870M vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB: 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 870M

2014

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 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2014 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 63.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $169 MSRP).
❌42.9% higher power demand at 100W vs 70W.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

✅115.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅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 100W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 115.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 204% in PassMark G3D (10,749 vs 3,536), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB 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 28nm, 18 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2014. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 870M vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 870M

The GeForce GTX 870M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 12 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 941 MHz to 967 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,536 points.

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 870M scores 3,536 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 10,749 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 204%. The GeForce GTX 870M is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,344 (GeForce GTX 870M) vs 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Raw compute: 2.599 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 870M) vs 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Boost clocks: 967 MHz vs 1470 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 870M	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
G3D Mark Score	3,536	10,749+204%
Architecture	Kepler	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1344	2304+71%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.599 TFLOPS	6.774 TFLOPS+161%
Boost Clock	967 MHz	1470 MHz+52%
ROPs	24	32+33%
TMUs	112+56%	72
L1 Cache	0.11 MB	2.3 MB+1991%
L2 Cache	0.38 MB	2 MB+426%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 870M is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 870M	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)

Both cards ship with 6 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 870M and 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB. L2 Cache: 0.38 MB (GeForce GTX 870M) 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 870M	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	168 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit+33%	96-bit
L2 Cache	0.38 MB	2 MB+426%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 870M) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 870M	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.2	1.3+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 1st Gen NVENC (Kepler) (GeForce GTX 870M) vs NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP5 vs NVDEC (7th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 870M) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB).

Feature	GeForce GTX 870M	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Encoder	1st Gen NVENC (Kepler)	NVENC (5th Gen)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP5	NVDEC (7th Gen)
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 870M draws 100W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 70W — a 35.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 870M) vs 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs None. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 870M	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
TDP	100W	70W-30%
Recommended PSU	350W	300W-14%
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	None
Length	—	160mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	35.4	153.6+334%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GTX 870M	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
MSRP	—	$169
Codename	GK104	GA107
Release	March 12 2014	February 2 2024
Ranking	#538	#252

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