GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

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

Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870

2018Core: 931 MHzBoost: 1011 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 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 Vega M GL / 870 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 Vega M GL / 870: 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

  • 106.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 143.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 26.1 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs Unknown).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870

2018

Why buy it

  • Costs $19 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 6GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • 2018 hardware with Unknown 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 26.1 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($150 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 106.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 174.1% in PassMark G3D (10,749 vs 3,922), 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 Unknown of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 14nm, 18 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2018. 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 $19 more expensive on MSRP at $169 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 143.3% (63.6 vs 26.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 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 Vega M GL / 870

The Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2018. It features the Vega architecture. The core clock ranges from 931 MHz to 1011 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,922 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870's 3,922 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 174.1%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 uses Vega, both on 8 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 1,280 (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 1011 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX Vega M GL / 870
G3D Mark Score
10,749+174%
3,922
Architecture
Ampere
Vega
Process Node
8 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
2304+80%
1280
Boost Clock
1470 MHz+45%
1011 MHz

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX Vega M GL / 870
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 RX Vega M GL / 870 carries 0 MB. 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 179.2 GB/s (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870) — a 6.7% advantage for the Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and 1024-bit on the Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX Vega M GL / 870
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR6
HBM2
Memory Bandwidth
168 GB/s
179.2 GB/s+7%
Bus Width
96-bit
1024-bit+967%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 12 (12_1) (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX Vega M GL / 870
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 (12_1)
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
6+50%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX Vega M GL / 870
Encoder
NVENC (5th Gen)
VCE 3.0
Decoder
NVDEC (7th Gen)
UVD 6.3
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
H.264,H.265,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870's 65W — a 7.4% difference. The Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 1W (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870). Power connectors: None vs Integrated. Card length: 160mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX Vega M GL / 870
TDP
70W
65W-7%
Recommended PSU
300W
1W-100%
Power Connector
None
Integrated
Length
160mm
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75°C-6%
80
Perf/Watt
153.6+155%
60.3
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB came in at $169, while the Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 launched at $150. On MSRP, Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 was 11.2% cheaper ($19 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 26.1 (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 143.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2018).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX Vega M GL / 870
MSRP
$169
$150-11%
Performance per Dollar
63.6+144%
26.1
Codename
GA107
Vega Kaby Lake-G
Release
February 2 2024
January 7 2018
Ranking
#252
#427

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.