GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire

2011Core: 715 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

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.

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

  • +207.1% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $530 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
  • Delivers 1170.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 5.0 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $699 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

  • 40% higher power demand at 70W vs 50W.

Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire

2011

Why buy it

  • Draws 50W instead of 70W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,500 vs 10,749).
  • 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.
  • Very weak future-proofing: 2011-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • 313.6% HIGHER MSRP
    $699 MSRPvs$169 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB better than Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,749 vs 3,500 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is a 2024 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire is a 2011 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. 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 2011, 207.1% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 2 GB, and the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.
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 $530 cheaper on MSRP at $169 MSRP versus $699 MSRP, and you are getting 207.1% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 1170.3%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire 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 $699 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 6990M Crossfire
1080p
low85 FPS37 FPS
medium72 FPS30 FPS
high60 FPS21 FPS
ultra40 FPS13 FPS
1440p
low74 FPS29 FPS
medium64 FPS21 FPS
high47 FPS13 FPS
ultra30 FPS8 FPS
4K
low27 FPS11 FPS
medium25 FPS9 FPS
high17 FPS6 FPS
ultra15 FPS5 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 6990M Crossfire
1080p
low174 FPS70 FPS
medium149 FPS46 FPS
high118 FPS34 FPS
ultra87 FPS22 FPS
1440p
low129 FPS39 FPS
medium106 FPS22 FPS
high83 FPS15 FPS
ultra62 FPS11 FPS
4K
low74 FPS13 FPS
medium62 FPS8 FPS
high48 FPS6 FPS
ultra34 FPS5 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 6990M Crossfire
1080p
low484 FPS158 FPS
medium387 FPS126 FPS
high322 FPS105 FPS
ultra242 FPS79 FPS
1440p
low363 FPS118 FPS
medium290 FPS94 FPS
high242 FPS79 FPS
ultra181 FPS59 FPS
4K
low242 FPS79 FPS
medium193 FPS63 FPS
high161 FPS52 FPS
ultra121 FPS39 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 6990M Crossfire
1080p
low243 FPS141 FPS
medium210 FPS111 FPS
high171 FPS77 FPS
ultra144 FPS48 FPS
1440p
low185 FPS82 FPS
medium166 FPS61 FPS
high131 FPS45 FPS
ultra109 FPS30 FPS
4K
low104 FPS43 FPS
medium87 FPS31 FPS
high69 FPS23 FPS
ultra55 FPS15 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire

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 HD 6990M Crossfire

The Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 12 2011. It features the Terascale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 715 MHz. It has 2240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,500 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire's 3,500 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 207.1%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire uses Terascale 2, both on 8 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 2,240 (Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 6990M Crossfire
G3D Mark Score
10,749+207%
3,500
Architecture
Ampere
Terascale 2
Process Node
8 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
2304+3%
2240

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 Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 6990M Crossfire
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 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire has 2 GB. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 96-bit vs 128-bit.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 6990M Crossfire
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+200%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
168 GB/s
Unknown
Bus Width
96-bit
128-bit+33%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 11.0 (Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire). Vulkan: 1.3 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 6990M Crossfire
DirectX
12 Ultimate+9%
11.0
Vulkan
1.3
N/A
OpenGL
4.6+5%
4.4
Max Displays
4
6+50%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs None (Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs UVD 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC (Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 6990M Crossfire
Encoder
NVENC (5th Gen)
None
Decoder
NVDEC (7th Gen)
UVD 3.0
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire's 50W — a 33.3% difference. The Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire). Power connectors: None vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 160mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 90.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 6990M Crossfire
TDP
70W
50W-29%
Recommended PSU
300W-14%
350W
Power Connector
None
1x 6-pin
Length
160mm
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75°C-17%
90
Perf/Watt
153.6+119%
70.0
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB launched at $169 MSRP, while the Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire launched at $699. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB costs 75.8% less ($530 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 5.0 (Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 1172% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the newer GPU (2024 vs 2011).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon HD 6990M Crossfire
MSRP
$169-76%
$699
Performance per Dollar
63.6+1172%
5.0
Codename
GA107
Blackcomb XTX
Release
February 2 2024
July 12 2011
Ranking
#252
#517