GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Radeon HD 7870 XT
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon HD 7870 XT 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 7870 XT 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 7870 XT: 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
- ✅71.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Costs $101 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $270 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 284.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 16.6 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $270 MSRP).
- ✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
- ✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
Trade-offs
- ❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.
Radeon HD 7870 XT
2012Why 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.
- ❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
- ❌2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
- ❌59.8% HIGHER MSRP$270 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 7870 XT 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 7870 XT
The Radeon HD 7870 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 19 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 925 MHz to 975 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 185W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,470 points. Launch price was $270.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the Radeon HD 7870 XT's 4,470 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 140.5%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon HD 7870 XT uses GCN 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 1,536 (Radeon HD 7870 XT). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 2.995 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870 XT). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 975 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon HD 7870 XT |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 10,749+140% | 4,470 |
| Architecture | Ampere | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 8 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 2304+50% | 1536 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 6.774 TFLOPS+126% | 2.995 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 1470 MHz+51% | 975 MHz |
| ROPs | 32 | 32 |
| TMUs | 72 | 96+33% |
| L1 Cache | 2.3 MB+505% | 0.38 MB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+300% | 0.5 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7870 XT 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 7870 XT |
|---|---|---|
| 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 7870 XT carries 2 GB. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gives you 200% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 168 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 192 GB/s (Radeon HD 7870 XT) — a 14.3% advantage for the Radeon HD 7870 XT. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and 256-bit on the Radeon HD 7870 XT. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7870 XT) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon HD 7870 XT |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 6 GB+200% | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 168 GB/s | 192 GB/s+14% |
| Bus Width | 96-bit | 256-bit+167% |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+300% | 0.5 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7870 XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon HD 7870 XT |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate | 12 (11_1) |
| Vulkan | 1.3+8% | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7870 XT). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs UVD 3.2. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 7870 XT).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon HD 7870 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC (5th Gen) | VCE 1.0 |
| Decoder | NVDEC (7th Gen) | UVD 3.2 |
| Codecs | H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) | H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Radeon HD 7870 XT's 185W — a 90.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7870 XT). Power connectors: None vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 160mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon HD 7870 XT |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 70W-62% | 185W |
| Recommended PSU | 300W-40% | 500W |
| Power Connector | None | 2x 6-pin |
| Length | 160mm | 267mm |
| Height | — | 111mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 75°C-6% | 80 |
| Perf/Watt | 153.6+535% | 24.2 |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB came in at $169, while the Radeon HD 7870 XT launched at $270. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB was 37.4% cheaper ($101 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 16.6 (Radeon HD 7870 XT) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 283.1% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2012).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon HD 7870 XT |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $169-37% | $270 |
| Performance per Dollar | 63.6+283% | 16.6 |
| Codename | GA107 | Tahiti |
| Release | February 2 2024 | November 19 2012 |
| Ranking | #252 | #469 |
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