GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon R9 360

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

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

Radeon R9 360

2015Core: 900 MHzBoost: 925 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon R9 360 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 R9 360 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 R9 360: 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

  • 410.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 107.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 30.6 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 133.3% higher power demand at 70W vs 30W.

Radeon R9 360

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $70 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).
  • Draws 30W instead of 70W, a 40W reduction.

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.
  • 2015 hardware with 2 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 30.6 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $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 410.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 254.5% in PassMark G3D (10,749 vs 3,032), 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 2 GB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 18 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2015. 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 $70 more expensive on MSRP at $169 vs $99, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 107.7% (63.6 vs 30.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon R9 360 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 R9 360

The Radeon R9 360 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 5 2015. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 900 MHz to 925 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,032 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the Radeon R9 360's 3,032 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 254.5%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 360 uses GCN 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 512 (Radeon R9 360). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 0.9472 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 360). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 925 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon R9 360
G3D Mark Score
10,749+255%
3,032
Architecture
Ampere
GCN 1.0
Process Node
8 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
2304+350%
512
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.774 TFLOPS+615%
0.9472 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1470 MHz+59%
925 MHz
ROPs
32+100%
16
TMUs
72+125%
32
L1 Cache
2.3 MB+1669%
0.13 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 R9 360 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon R9 360
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 R9 360 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 bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 360. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon R9 360) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon R9 360
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+200%
2 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 12 (12_0) (Radeon R9 360). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon R9 360
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 (12_0)
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 2.0 (Radeon R9 360). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon R9 360).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon R9 360
Encoder
NVENC (5th Gen)
VCE 2.0
Decoder
NVDEC (7th Gen)
UVD 4.2
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Radeon R9 360's 30W — a 80% difference. The Radeon R9 360 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 350W (Radeon R9 360). Power connectors: None vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 160mm vs 165mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon R9 360
TDP
70W
30W-57%
Recommended PSU
300W-14%
350W
Power Connector
None
PCIe-powered
Length
160mm
165mm
Height
110mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
75
Perf/Watt
153.6+52%
101.1
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB came in at $169, while the Radeon R9 360 launched at $99. On MSRP, Radeon R9 360 was 41.4% cheaper ($70 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 30.6 (Radeon R9 360) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 107.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon R9 360
MSRP
$169
$99-41%
Performance per Dollar
63.6+108%
30.6
Codename
GA107
Tropo
Release
February 2 2024
May 5 2015
Ranking
#252
#711

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