GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX 6950 XT

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

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

Radeon RX 6950 XT

2022Core: 1925 MHzBoost: 2324 MHz
RX family
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GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX 6950 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 6950 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 6950 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

  • Costs $930 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $1,099 MSRP).
  • Delivers 149% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 25.5 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $1,099 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • Draws 70W instead of 335W, a 265W reduction.
  • Measures 160mm instead of 267mm, a 107mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 6950 XT across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • Radeon RX 6950 XT is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

Radeon RX 6950 XT

2022

Why buy it

  • 134.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • 166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR 3 (2023) instead.
  • 550.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,099 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 25.5 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($1,099 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).
  • 378.6% higher power demand at 335W vs 70W.
  • 66.9% longer card at 267mm vs 160mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon RX 6950 XT is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 134.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 161.2% in PassMark G3D (28,076 vs 10,749), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon RX 6950 XT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 16 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with FSR 3 (2023) and FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023), while GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is limited to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and no comparable frame-generation support, a 7nm process instead of 8nm, and 80 vs 18 ray-tracing units. 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 $930 cheaper on MSRP at $169 vs $1,099, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 149% (63.6 vs 25.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1440p and 4K headroom, Radeon RX 6950 XT has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX 6950 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 6950 XT

The Radeon RX 6950 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 10 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1925 MHz to 2324 MHz. It has 5120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 335W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 80 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 28,076 points. Launch price was $1,099.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the Radeon RX 6950 XT's 28,076 — the Radeon RX 6950 XT leads by 161.2%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 6950 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 5,120 (Radeon RX 6950 XT). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 23.8 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6950 XT). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 2324 MHz. Ray tracing: 18 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 80 (Radeon RX 6950 XT) with 72 Tensor cores.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 6950 XT
G3D Mark Score
10,749
28,076+161%
Architecture
Ampere
RDNA 2.0
Process Node
8 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
2304
5120+122%
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.774 TFLOPS
23.8 TFLOPS+251%
Boost Clock
1470 MHz
2324 MHz+58%
ROPs
32
128+300%
TMUs
72
320+344%
L1 Cache
2.3 MB+130%
1 MB
L2 Cache
2 MB
4 MB+100%
Ray Tracing Cores
18
80+344%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 6950 XT is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. 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 6950 XT leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 6950 XT
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
FSR 3
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
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 6950 XT carries 16 GB. Radeon RX 6950 XT gives you 166.7% 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 576 GB/s (Radeon RX 6950 XT) — a 242.9% advantage for the Radeon RX 6950 XT. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 6950 XT. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX 6950 XT) — the Radeon RX 6950 XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 6950 XT
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
16 GB+167%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
168 GB/s
576 GB/s+243%
Bus Width
96-bit
256-bit+167%
L2 Cache
2 MB
4 MB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 12 Ultimate (Radeon RX 6950 XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 6950 XT
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs RDNA 2 (Radeon RX 6950 XT). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs RDNA 2. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 decode (Radeon RX 6950 XT).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 6950 XT
Encoder
NVENC (5th Gen)
RDNA 2
Decoder
NVDEC (7th Gen)
RDNA 2
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 decode
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Radeon RX 6950 XT's 335W — a 130.9% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 850W (Radeon RX 6950 XT). Power connectors: None vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 160mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 3 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 83°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 6950 XT
TDP
70W-79%
335W
Recommended PSU
300W-65%
850W
Power Connector
None
2x 8-pin
Length
160mm
267mm
Height
120mm
Slots
2-33%
3
Temp (Load)
75°C-10%
83°C
Perf/Watt
153.6+83%
83.8
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB came in at $169, while the Radeon RX 6950 XT launched at $1099. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB was 84.6% cheaper ($930 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 25.5 (Radeon RX 6950 XT) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 149.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2022).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 6950 XT
MSRP
$169-85%
$1099
Performance per Dollar
63.6+149%
25.5
Codename
GA107
Navi 21
Release
February 2 2024
May 10 2022
Ranking
#252
#25

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