GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon HD 7990

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz
RTX family
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 7990

2013Core: 950 MHzBoost: 1000 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon HD 7990 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 7990 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 RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon HD 7990: 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

2024

Why buy it

  • 41.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $830 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Delivers 1041.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 5.6 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $999 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.

Radeon HD 7990

2013

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.
  • Less VRAM, with 3 GB 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 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 491.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $999 MSRPvs$169 MSRP

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 41.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 93.1% in PassMark G3D (10,749 vs 5,566), 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: 6 GB vs 3 GB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 18 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2013. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $830 cheaper on MSRP at $169 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1041.6% (63.6 vs 5.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon HD 7990 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

AMD

Radeon HD 7990

The Radeon HD 7990 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 950 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 2048 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,566 points. Launch price was $999.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the Radeon HD 7990's 5,566 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 93.1%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon HD 7990 uses GCN 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7990). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 7990). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 7990
G3D Mark Score
10,749+93%
5,566
Architecture
Ampere
GCN 1.0
Process Node
8 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
2304+13%
2048 ×2
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.774 TFLOPS+65%
4.096 TFLOPS ×2
Boost Clock
1470 MHz+47%
1000 MHz
ROPs
32
32 ×2
TMUs
72
128 ×2+78%
L1 Cache
2.3 MB+360%
0.5 MB
L2 Cache
2 MB+167%
0.75 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7990 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 7990
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 7990 carries 3 GB. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gives you 100% 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 288 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 7990) — a 1615.5% advantage for the Radeon HD 7990. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and 384-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 7990. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7990) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 7990
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+100%
3 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
168 GB/s
288 GB/s x2+71%
Bus Width
96-bit
384-bit x2+300%
L2 Cache
2 MB+167%
0.75 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7990). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 5.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 7990
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 (11_1)
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
5+25%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7990). 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 7990).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 7990
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 7990's 375W — a 137.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 750W (Radeon HD 7990). Power connectors: None vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 160mm vs 305mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 7990
TDP
70W-81%
375W
Recommended PSU
300W-60%
750W
Power Connector
None
2x 8-pin
Length
160mm
305mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C-12%
85
Perf/Watt
153.6+938%
14.8
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB came in at $169, while the Radeon HD 7990 launched at $999. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB was 83.1% cheaper ($830 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 5.6 (Radeon HD 7990) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 1035.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 7990
MSRP
$169-83%
$999
Performance per Dollar
63.6+1036%
5.6
Codename
GA107
Malta
Release
February 2 2024
April 24 2013
Ranking
#252
#412

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