GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

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

GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile

2023Core: 1335 MHzBoost: 1695 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs GeForce RTX 4090 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 4090 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 4090 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

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Draws 70W instead of 120W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile 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 DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile

2023

Why buy it

  • 160.6% 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).
  • 166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 4nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 63.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $169 MSRP).
  • 71.4% higher power demand at 120W vs 70W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 160.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 151.6% in PassMark G3D (27,048 vs 10,749), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile 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 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 4nm process instead of 8nm, and 76 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. 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 strong 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs GeForce RTX 4090 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 4090 Mobile

The GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 3 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1335 MHz to 1695 MHz. It has 9728 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 76 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 27,048 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile's 27,048 — the GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile leads by 151.6%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 9,728 (GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 32.98 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 1695 MHz. Ray tracing: 18 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 76 (GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile) with 72 Tensor cores vs 304.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBGeForce RTX 4090 Mobile
G3D Mark Score
10,749
27,048+152%
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
4 nm
Shading Units
2304
9728+322%
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.774 TFLOPS
32.98 TFLOPS+387%
Boost Clock
1470 MHz
1695 MHz+15%
ROPs
32
112+250%
TMUs
72
304+322%
L1 Cache
2.3 MB
9.5 MB+313%
L2 Cache
2 MB
64 MB+3100%
Ray Tracing Cores
18
76+322%
Tensor Cores
72
304+322%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4090 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 4090 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 4090 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 4090 Mobile carries 16 GB. GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile 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 (GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile) — a 242.9% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 64 MB (GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile) — the GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBGeForce RTX 4090 Mobile
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
64 MB+3100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 1.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBGeForce RTX 4090 Mobile
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4+300%
1
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 4090 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 4090 Mobile).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBGeForce RTX 4090 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 4090 Mobile's 120W — a 52.6% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4090 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 4090 Mobile
TDP
70W-42%
120W
Recommended PSU
300W-54%
650W
Power Connector
None
Mobile
Length
160mm
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75°C-6%
80°C
Perf/Watt
153.6
225.4+47%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2023).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBGeForce RTX 4090 Mobile
MSRP
$169
Codename
GA107
AD103
Release
February 2 2024
January 3 2023
Ranking
#252
#30

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