GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon HD 5850

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 HD 5850 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 HD 5850: 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

✅172.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $130 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 872.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 6.5 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

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

Radeon HD 5850

2009

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 6GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌2009 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
76.9% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$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 172.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 449.8% in PassMark G3D (10,749 vs 1,955), 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 2 GB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 40nm, 18 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2009. 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 $130 cheaper on MSRP at $169 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 872.8% (63.6 vs 6.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon HD 5850 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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.

Radeon HD 5850

The Radeon HD 5850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 30 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 1440 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 151W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,955 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the Radeon HD 5850's 1,955 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 449.8%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon HD 5850 uses TeraScale 2, both on 8 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 1,440 (Radeon HD 5850). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 2.088 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5850).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Radeon HD 5850
G3D Mark Score	10,749+450%	1,955
Architecture	Ampere	TeraScale 2
Process Node	8 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	2304+60%	1440
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.774 TFLOPS+224%	2.088 TFLOPS
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	72	72
L1 Cache	2.3 MB+1543%	0.14 MB
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 5850 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Radeon HD 5850
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 HD 5850 carries 2 GB. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gives you 200% 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 128 GB/s (Radeon HD 5850) — a 31.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and 256-bit on the Radeon HD 5850. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 5850) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Radeon HD 5850
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+200%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	168 GB/s+31%	128 GB/s
Bus Width	96-bit	256-bit+167%
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 5850).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Radeon HD 5850
Encoder	NVENC (5th Gen)	—
Decoder	NVDEC (7th Gen)	—
Codecs	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)	H.264

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Radeon HD 5850's 151W — a 73.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 500W (Radeon HD 5850). Power connectors: None vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Radeon HD 5850
TDP	70W-54%	151W
Recommended PSU	300W-40%	500W
Power Connector	None	2x 6-pin
Length	160mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	153.6+1091%	12.9

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB came in at $169, while the Radeon HD 5850 launched at $299. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB was 43.5% cheaper ($130 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 6.5 (Radeon HD 5850) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 878.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2009).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Radeon HD 5850
MSRP	$169-43%	$299
Performance per Dollar	63.6+878%	6.5
Codename	GA107	Cypress
Release	February 2 2024	September 30 2009
Ranking	#252	#682

Search GeForce RTX 3050 6GB on Amazon

Search Radeon HD 5850 on Amazon

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.