GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Radeon HD 2900 GT
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon HD 2900 GT 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 RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon HD 2900 GT 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon HD 2900 GT: 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 RTX 3050 6GB
2024Why buy it
- ✅1738.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Costs $1 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $170 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 3602.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 1.7 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $170 MSRP).
- ✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
- ✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 512 MB).
Trade-offs
- ❌180% higher power demand at 70W vs 25W.
Radeon HD 2900 GT
2013Why buy it
- ✅Draws 25W instead of 70W, a 45W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 6GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
- ❌2013 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
- ❌0.6% HIGHER MSRP$170 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
Quick Answers
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Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
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GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon HD 2900 GT Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
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.
Radeon HD 2900 GT
The Radeon HD 2900 GT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2013. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 292 points.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the Radeon HD 2900 GT's 292 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 3581.2%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon HD 2900 GT uses TeraScale 2, both on 8 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 480 (Radeon HD 2900 GT). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 0.696 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 2900 GT).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon HD 2900 GT |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 10,749+3581% | 292 |
| Architecture | Ampere | TeraScale 2 |
| Process Node | 8 nm | 40 nm |
| Shading Units | 2304+380% | 480 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 6.774 TFLOPS+873% | 0.696 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 32+300% | 8 |
| TMUs | 72+200% | 24 |
| L1 Cache | 2.3 MB+4500% | 0.05 MB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+700% | 0.25 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 2900 GT leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon HD 2900 GT |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | DLSS 2 Super Resolution | FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | NVIDIA Reflex | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 2900 GT carries 512 MB. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gives you 1100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 2900 GT. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 2900 GT) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon HD 2900 GT |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 6 GB+1100% | 0.5 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 168 GB/s | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 96-bit | 128-bit+33% |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+700% | 0.25 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 10 (Radeon HD 2900 GT). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon HD 2900 GT |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate+20% | 10 |
| Max Displays | 4+100% | 2 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs UVD (Radeon HD 2900 GT). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs UVD.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon HD 2900 GT |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC (5th Gen) | UVD |
| Decoder | NVDEC (7th Gen) | UVD |
| Codecs | H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) | — |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Radeon HD 2900 GT's 25W — a 94.7% difference. The Radeon HD 2900 GT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 350W (Radeon HD 2900 GT). Power connectors: None vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 160mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon HD 2900 GT |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 70W | 25W-64% |
| Recommended PSU | 300W-14% | 350W |
| Power Connector | None | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | 160mm | 241mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 75°C | — |
| Perf/Watt | 153.6+1213% | 11.7 |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB came in at $169, while the Radeon HD 2900 GT launched at $170. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB was 0.6% cheaper ($1 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 1.7 (Radeon HD 2900 GT) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 3641.2% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2013).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon HD 2900 GT |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $169 | $170 |
| Performance per Dollar | 63.6+3641% | 1.7 |
| Codename | GA107 | Thames |
| Release | February 2 2024 | January 7 2013 |
| Ranking | #252 | #883 |
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