GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX 5500 XT

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

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

Radeon RX 5500 XT

2019Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1845 MHz
RX family
·······

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX 5500 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 RX 5500 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.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX 5500 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

2024

Why buy it

  • 10.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $30 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • Delivers 39.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 45.6 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $199 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.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).

Radeon RX 5500 XT

2019

Why buy it

  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
  • More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 6GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • 17.8% HIGHER MSRP
    $199 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 45.6 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($199 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 10.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 18.4% in PassMark G3D (10,749 vs 9,080), 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: 18 vs 0 ray-tracing units and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2019. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $30 cheaper on MSRP at $169 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 39.4% (63.6 vs 45.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX 5500 XT 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 RX 5500 XT

The Radeon RX 5500 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 12 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1845 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,080 points. Launch price was $169.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the Radeon RX 5500 XT's 9,080 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 18.4%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 5500 XT uses RDNA 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 5.196 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 1845 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 5500 XT
G3D Mark Score
10,749+18%
9,080
Architecture
Ampere
RDNA 1.0
Process Node
8 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
2304+64%
1408
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.774 TFLOPS+30%
5.196 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1470 MHz
1845 MHz+26%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
72
88+22%
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 5500 XT is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 5500 XT leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 5500 XT
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation
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 RX 5500 XT carries 8 GB. Radeon RX 5500 XT gives you 33.3% 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 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500 XT) — a 33.3% advantage for the Radeon RX 5500 XT. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 5500 XT.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 5500 XT
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
168 GB/s
224 GB/s+33%
Bus Width
96-bit
128-bit+33%
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 5500 XT
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.1
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 VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500 XT).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 5500 XT
Encoder
NVENC (5th Gen)
VCN 2.0
Decoder
NVDEC (7th Gen)
VCN 2.0
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Radeon RX 5500 XT's 130W — a 60% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 450W (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Power connectors: None vs 8-pin. Card length: 160mm vs 180mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 5500 XT
TDP
70W-46%
130W
Recommended PSU
300W-33%
450W
Power Connector
None
8-pin
Length
160mm
180mm
Height
110mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
75°C
Perf/Watt
153.6+120%
69.8
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB came in at $169, while the Radeon RX 5500 XT launched at $199. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB was 15.1% cheaper ($30 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 45.6 (Radeon RX 5500 XT) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 39.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2019).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 5500 XT
MSRP
$169-15%
$199
Performance per Dollar
63.6+39%
45.6
Codename
GA107
Navi 14
Release
February 2 2024
December 12 2019
Ranking
#252
#291

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