GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon R9 M390X

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M390X

2015Core: 723 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

  • +176% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $381 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $550 MSRP).
  • Delivers 798.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 7.1 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $550 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 M390X

2015

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,895 vs 10,749).
  • 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.
  • Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • 225.4% HIGHER MSRP
    $550 MSRPvs$169 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB better than Radeon R9 M390X?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,749 vs 3,895 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is a 2024 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon R9 M390X is a 2015 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 2015, 176.0% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 4 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 $381 cheaper on MSRP at $169 MSRP versus $550 MSRP, and you are getting 176.0% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 798.1%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is Radeon R9 M390X still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Radeon R9 M390X 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 $550 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 R9 M390X
1080p
low85 FPS81 FPS
medium72 FPS69 FPS
high60 FPS57 FPS
ultra40 FPS37 FPS
1440p
low74 FPS71 FPS
medium64 FPS62 FPS
high47 FPS45 FPS
ultra30 FPS29 FPS
4K
low27 FPS26 FPS
medium25 FPS24 FPS
high17 FPS16 FPS
ultra15 FPS14 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon R9 M390X
1080p
low174 FPS91 FPS
medium149 FPS69 FPS
high118 FPS57 FPS
ultra87 FPS40 FPS
1440p
low129 FPS54 FPS
medium106 FPS38 FPS
high83 FPS29 FPS
ultra62 FPS21 FPS
4K
low74 FPS22 FPS
medium62 FPS16 FPS
high48 FPS12 FPS
ultra34 FPS9 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon R9 M390X
1080p
low484 FPS175 FPS
medium387 FPS140 FPS
high322 FPS117 FPS
ultra242 FPS88 FPS
1440p
low363 FPS131 FPS
medium290 FPS105 FPS
high242 FPS88 FPS
ultra181 FPS66 FPS
4K
low242 FPS88 FPS
medium193 FPS70 FPS
high161 FPS58 FPS
ultra121 FPS44 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon R9 M390X
1080p
low243 FPS139 FPS
medium210 FPS113 FPS
high171 FPS97 FPS
ultra144 FPS80 FPS
1440p
low185 FPS103 FPS
medium166 FPS85 FPS
high131 FPS73 FPS
ultra109 FPS56 FPS
4K
low104 FPS61 FPS
medium87 FPS47 FPS
high69 FPS37 FPS
ultra55 FPS26 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and Radeon R9 M390X

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 R9 M390X

The Radeon R9 M390X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 5 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 723 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,895 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the Radeon R9 M390X's 3,895 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 176%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 M390X uses GCN 3.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M390X). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 2.961 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M390X).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon R9 M390X
G3D Mark Score
10,749+176%
3,895
Architecture
Ampere
GCN 3.0
Process Node
8 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
2304+13%
2048
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.774 TFLOPS+129%
2.961 TFLOPS
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
72
128+78%
L1 Cache
2.3 MB+360%
0.5 MB
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 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 Radeon R9 M390X relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon R9 M390X
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 R9 M390X has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 168 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 160 GB/s (Radeon R9 M390X) — a 5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB. Bus width: 96-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 M390X) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon R9 M390X
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+50%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
168 GB/s+5%
160 GB/s
Bus Width
96-bit
256-bit+167%
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Radeon R9 M390X's 75W — a 6.9% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M390X). Power connectors: None vs Mobile.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon R9 M390X
TDP
70W-7%
75W
Recommended PSU
300W-14%
350W
Power Connector
None
Mobile
Length
160mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
153.6+196%
51.9
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB launched at $169 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 M390X launched at $550. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB costs 69.3% less ($381 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 7.1 (Radeon R9 M390X) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 795.8% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the newer GPU (2024 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon R9 M390X
MSRP
$169-69%
$550
Performance per Dollar
63.6+796%
7.1
Codename
GA107
Amethyst
Release
February 2 2024
May 5 2015
Ranking
#252
#504