GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Radeon R9 290X
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon R9 290X 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 Radeon R9 290X 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon R9 290X: 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
2024Why buy it
- ✅15.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Costs $380 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 314.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 15.3 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
- ✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
- ✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
Trade-offs
- ❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.
Radeon R9 290X
2013Why 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 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
- ❌2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
- ❌224.9% HIGHER MSRP$549 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
Quick Answers
Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon R9 290X 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 R9 290X
The Radeon R9 290X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 24 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 947 MHz. It has 2816 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,426 points. Launch price was $549.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the Radeon R9 290X's 8,426 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 27.6%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 290X uses GCN 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 2,816 (Radeon R9 290X). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 5.632 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290X). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 947 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon R9 290X |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 10,749+28% | 8,426 |
| Architecture | Ampere | GCN 2.0 |
| Process Node | 8 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 2304 | 2816+22% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 6.774 TFLOPS+20% | 5.632 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 1470 MHz+55% | 947 MHz |
| ROPs | 32 | 64+100% |
| TMUs | 72 | 176+144% |
| L1 Cache | 2.3 MB+233% | 0.69 MB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+100% | 1 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 290X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon R9 290X |
|---|---|---|
| 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 R9 290X carries 4 GB. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gives you 50% 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 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290X) — a 90.5% advantage for the Radeon R9 290X. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and 512-bit on the Radeon R9 290X. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 290X) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon R9 290X |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 6 GB+50% | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 168 GB/s | 320 GB/s+90% |
| Bus Width | 96-bit | 512-bit+433% |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+100% | 1 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 290X). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon R9 290X |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate | 12.0 |
| Vulkan | 1.3+18% | 1.1 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 6+50% |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290X). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290X).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon R9 290X |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC (5th Gen) | VCE 2.0 |
| Decoder | NVDEC (7th Gen) | UVD 4.2 |
| Codecs | H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) | MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Radeon R9 290X's 350W — a 133.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 750W (Radeon R9 290X). Power connectors: None vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 160mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 95°C.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon R9 290X |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 70W-80% | 350W |
| Recommended PSU | 300W-60% | 750W |
| Power Connector | None | 6-pin + 8-pin |
| Length | 160mm | 275mm |
| Height | — | 109mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 75°C-21% | 95°C |
| Perf/Watt | 153.6+537% | 24.1 |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB came in at $169, while the Radeon R9 290X launched at $549. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB was 69.2% cheaper ($380 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 15.3 (Radeon R9 290X) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 315.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2013).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Radeon R9 290X |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $169-69% | $549 |
| Performance per Dollar | 63.6+316% | 15.3 |
| Codename | GA107 | Hawaii |
| Release | February 2 2024 | October 24 2013 |
| Ranking | #252 | #342 |
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.
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar GPU comparisons based on GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and Radeon R9 290X
