GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX 590

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon RX 590

2018Core: 1469 MHzBoost: 1545 MHz

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX 590 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 590 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 590: 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

  • +15.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $110 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
  • Delivers 90.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 33.4 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $279 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

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 590 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 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 590

2018

Why buy it

  • 13.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 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).

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (9,315 vs 10,749).
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • Older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
  • 65.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $279 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.4 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon RX 590 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 13.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce RTX 3050 6GB instead at 10,749 vs 9,315, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
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: a 8nm process instead of 12nm, 18 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2018. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $110 cheaper on MSRP at $169 vs $279, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 90.5% (63.6 vs 33.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon RX 590 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX 590 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 590

The Radeon RX 590 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 15 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1469 MHz to 1545 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 175W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,315 points. Launch price was $279.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the Radeon RX 590's 9,315 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 15.4%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 590 uses GCN 4.0, both on 8 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 590). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 7.119 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 590). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 1545 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 590
G3D Mark Score
10,749+15%
9,315
Architecture
Ampere
GCN 4.0
Process Node
8 nm
12 nm
Shading Units
2304
2304
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.774 TFLOPS
7.119 TFLOPS+5%
Boost Clock
1470 MHz
1545 MHz+5%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
72
144+100%
L1 Cache
2.3 MB+311%
0.56 MB
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 590 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 590 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 590
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 590 carries 8 GB. Radeon RX 590 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 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 590) — a 52.4% advantage for the Radeon RX 590. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 590.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 590
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
168 GB/s
256 GB/s+52%
Bus Width
96-bit
256-bit+167%
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 12.0 (Radeon RX 590). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 590
DirectX
12 Ultimate
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 3.4 (Radeon RX 590). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 590).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 590
Encoder
NVENC (5th Gen)
VCE 3.4
Decoder
NVDEC (7th Gen)
UVD 6.3
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Radeon RX 590's 175W — a 85.7% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 500W (Radeon RX 590). Power connectors: None vs 8-pin. Card length: 160mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 590
TDP
70W-60%
175W
Recommended PSU
300W-40%
500W
Power Connector
None
8-pin
Length
160mm
241mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C-6%
80°C
Perf/Watt
153.6+189%
53.2
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB came in at $169, while the Radeon RX 590 launched at $279. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB was 39.4% cheaper ($110 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 33.4 (Radeon RX 590) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 90.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2018).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 590
MSRP
$169-39%
$279
Performance per Dollar
63.6+90%
33.4
Codename
GA107
Polaris 30
Release
February 2 2024
November 15 2018
Ranking
#252
#285

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