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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,031 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $1,200 MSRP).
✅Delivers 635.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 8.6 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $1,200 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 70W instead of 100W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Quadro P4200 across 28 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌52.4% longer card at 160mm vs 105mm.

Quadro P4200

2018

Why buy it

✅15.3% more average FPS across 28 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
✅Measures 105mm instead of 160mm, a 55mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌
610.1% HIGHER MSRP
$1,200 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.6 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($1,200 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).
❌42.9% higher power demand at 100W vs 70W.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Quadro P4200

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,031 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $1,200 MSRP).
✅Delivers 635.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 8.6 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $1,200 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 70W instead of 100W, a 30W reduction.

Why buy it

✅15.3% more average FPS across 28 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
✅Measures 105mm instead of 160mm, a 55mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Quadro P4200 across 28 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌52.4% longer card at 160mm vs 105mm.

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌
610.1% HIGHER MSRP
$1,200 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.6 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($1,200 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).
❌42.9% higher power demand at 100W vs 70W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB better than Quadro P4200?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is clearly the better overall GPU here. Quadro P4200 averages 15.3% more FPS across 28 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 10,749 vs 10,376 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is a 2024 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Quadro P4200 is a 2018 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2024 generation instead of 2018, better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 8nm process instead of 16nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is about $1,031 cheaper on MSRP at $169 MSRP versus $1,200 MSRP, and you are getting lower estimated average FPS across 28 tracked games in our benchmark data and 3.6% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 635.6%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Quadro P4200 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Quadro P4200 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $1,200 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Benchmark Check

Quadro P4200 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Quadro P4200
1080p
low	109 FPS	127 FPS
medium	92 FPS	108 FPS
high	77 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	64 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	103 FPS
medium	81 FPS	85 FPS
high	59 FPS	67 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	47 FPS
4K
low	30 FPS	44 FPS
medium	28 FPS	38 FPS
high	19 FPS	28 FPS
ultra	16 FPS	24 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Open Quadro P4200

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Quadro P4200
1080p
low	174 FPS	230 FPS
medium	149 FPS	196 FPS
high	118 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	121 FPS
1440p
low	129 FPS	165 FPS
medium	106 FPS	139 FPS
high	83 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	62 FPS	89 FPS
4K
low	74 FPS	97 FPS
medium	62 FPS	80 FPS
high	48 FPS	67 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	51 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Open Quadro P4200

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Quadro P4200
1080p
low	484 FPS	467 FPS
medium	387 FPS	374 FPS
high	322 FPS	311 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	233 FPS
1440p
low	363 FPS	350 FPS
medium	290 FPS	280 FPS
high	242 FPS	233 FPS
ultra	181 FPS	175 FPS
4K
low	242 FPS	233 FPS
medium	193 FPS	187 FPS
high	161 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	121 FPS	117 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Open Quadro P4200

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Quadro P4200
1080p
low	284 FPS	257 FPS
medium	244 FPS	226 FPS
high	204 FPS	182 FPS
ultra	160 FPS	152 FPS
1440p
low	208 FPS	193 FPS
medium	188 FPS	169 FPS
high	153 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	108 FPS
4K
low	118 FPS	105 FPS
medium	99 FPS	87 FPS
high	83 FPS	69 FPS
ultra	63 FPS	55 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Open Quadro P4200

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and Quadro P4200

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.

Quadro P4200

The Quadro P4200 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 21 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1227 MHz to 1647 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,376 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 and the Quadro P4200 reaches 10,376 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Quadro P4200 uses Pascal, both on 8 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 2,304 (Quadro P4200). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 7.589 TFLOPS (Quadro P4200). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 1647 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Quadro P4200
G3D Mark Score	10,749+4%	10,376
Architecture	Ampere	Pascal
Process Node	8 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	2304	2304
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.774 TFLOPS	7.589 TFLOPS+12%
Boost Clock	1470 MHz	1647 MHz+12%
ROPs	32	64+100%
TMUs	72	144+100%
L1 Cache	2.3 MB+174%	0.84 MB
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Quadro P4200 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Quadro P4200
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro P4200 has 8 GB. The Quadro P4200 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 96-bit vs 256-bit.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Quadro P4200
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	8 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
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 (Quadro P4200). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Quadro P4200
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12
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 NVENC 6th Gen (Quadro P4200). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs NVDEC 3rd Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs H.265,H.264,VP9 (Quadro P4200).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Quadro P4200
Encoder	NVENC (5th Gen)	NVENC 6th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC (7th Gen)	NVDEC 3rd Gen
Codecs	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)	H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Quadro P4200's 100W — a 35.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 500W (Quadro P4200). Power connectors: None vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 160mm vs 105mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Quadro P4200
TDP	70W-30%	100W
Recommended PSU	300W-40%	500W
Power Connector	None	PCIe-powered
Length	160mm	105mm
Height	—	82mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75°C-6%	80
Perf/Watt	153.6+48%	103.8

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB launched at $169 MSRP, while the Quadro P4200 launched at $1200. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB costs 85.9% less ($1031 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 8.6 (Quadro P4200) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 639.5% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the newer GPU (2024 vs 2018).