GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

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

GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile

2023Core: 1455 MHzBoost: 1755 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile 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 GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile 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 GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile: 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 $131 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
  • Delivers 33.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 47.8 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile 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 DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • 40% higher power demand at 70W vs 50W.

GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile

2023

Why buy it

  • 37.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 50W instead of 70W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 77.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $300 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 47.8 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 37.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 33.3% in PassMark G3D (14,332 vs 10,749), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is limited to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 8nm, and 20 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 $131 cheaper on MSRP at $169 vs $300, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 33.1% (63.6 vs 47.8), 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 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile 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.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile

The GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 3 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1455 MHz to 1755 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 20 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 14,332 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile's 14,332 — the GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile leads by 33.3%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 2,560 (GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 8.986 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 1755 MHz. Ray tracing: 18 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 20 (GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile) with 72 Tensor cores vs 80.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBGeForce RTX 4050 Mobile
G3D Mark Score
10,749
14,332+33%
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
2304
2560+11%
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.774 TFLOPS
8.986 TFLOPS+33%
Boost Clock
1470 MHz
1755 MHz+19%
ROPs
32
48+50%
TMUs
72
80+11%
L1 Cache
2.3 MB
2.5 MB+9%
L2 Cache
2 MB
12 MB+500%
Ray Tracing Cores
18
20+11%
Tensor Cores
72
80+11%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile is support for DLSS 3.5 + 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 4050 Mobile supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBGeForce RTX 4050 Mobile
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile 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 192 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile) — a 14.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 12 MB (GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile) — the GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBGeForce RTX 4050 Mobile
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
168 GB/s
192 GB/s+14%
Bus Width
96-bit
96-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
12 MB+500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBGeForce RTX 4050 Mobile
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.2+2%
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 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBGeForce RTX 4050 Mobile
Encoder
NVENC (5th Gen)
8th Gen NVENC
Decoder
NVDEC (7th Gen)
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile's 50W — a 33.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile). Power connectors: None vs Mobile. Card length: 160mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBGeForce RTX 4050 Mobile
TDP
70W
50W-29%
Recommended PSU
300W-40%
500W
Power Connector
None
Mobile
Length
160mm
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75°C-6%
80°C
Perf/Watt
153.6
286.6+87%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB came in at $169, while the GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile launched at $300. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB was 43.7% cheaper ($131 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 47.8 (GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 33.1% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2023).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBGeForce RTX 4050 Mobile
MSRP
$169-44%
$300
Performance per Dollar
63.6+33%
47.8
Codename
GA107
AD107
Release
February 2 2024
January 3 2023
Ranking
#252
#166

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