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

✅+25.8% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $60 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Delivers 70.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 37.3 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Radeon RX 480

2016

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (8,546 vs 10,749).
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
35.5% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 37.3 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Radeon RX 480

2016

Why buy it

✅+25.8% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $60 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Delivers 70.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 37.3 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (8,546 vs 10,749).
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
35.5% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 37.3 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB better than Radeon RX 480?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,749 vs 8,546 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is a 2024 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon RX 480 is a 2016 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 2016, 25.8% more raw performance headroom, the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling, and a 8nm process instead of 14nm. 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 $60 cheaper on MSRP at $169 MSRP versus $229 MSRP, and you are getting 25.8% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 70.4%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Radeon RX 480 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon RX 480 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 $229 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

Radeon RX 480 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Radeon RX 480
1080p
low	109 FPS	134 FPS
medium	92 FPS	113 FPS
high	77 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	58 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	114 FPS
medium	81 FPS	96 FPS
high	59 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	42 FPS
4K
low	30 FPS	39 FPS
medium	28 FPS	36 FPS
high	19 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	16 FPS	19 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Open Radeon RX 480

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Radeon RX 480
1080p
low	174 FPS	156 FPS
medium	149 FPS	135 FPS
high	118 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	129 FPS	91 FPS
medium	106 FPS	71 FPS
high	83 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	62 FPS	44 FPS
4K
low	74 FPS	37 FPS
medium	62 FPS	29 FPS
high	48 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	18 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Open Radeon RX 480

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Radeon RX 480
1080p
low	484 FPS	385 FPS
medium	387 FPS	308 FPS
high	322 FPS	256 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	192 FPS
1440p
low	363 FPS	288 FPS
medium	290 FPS	231 FPS
high	242 FPS	192 FPS
ultra	181 FPS	144 FPS
4K
low	242 FPS	192 FPS
medium	193 FPS	154 FPS
high	161 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	121 FPS	96 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Open Radeon RX 480

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Radeon RX 480
1080p
low	243 FPS	290 FPS
medium	210 FPS	252 FPS
high	171 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	144 FPS	166 FPS
1440p
low	185 FPS	213 FPS
medium	166 FPS	190 FPS
high	131 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	109 FPS	118 FPS
4K
low	104 FPS	120 FPS
medium	87 FPS	98 FPS
high	69 FPS	80 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	62 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Open Radeon RX 480

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and Radeon RX 480

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 RX 480

The Radeon RX 480 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 29 2016. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1120 MHz to 1266 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,546 points. Launch price was $229.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the Radeon RX 480's 8,546 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 25.8%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 480 uses GCN 4.0, both on 8 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 480). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 5.834 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 480). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 1266 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Radeon RX 480
G3D Mark Score	10,749+26%	8,546
Architecture	Ampere	GCN 4.0
Process Node	8 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	2304	2304
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.774 TFLOPS+16%	5.834 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1470 MHz+16%	1266 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	72	144+100%
L1 Cache	2.3 MB+311%	0.56 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 Radeon RX 480 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Radeon RX 480
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 RX 480 has 8 GB. The Radeon RX 480 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 168 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 480) — a 52.4% advantage for the Radeon RX 480. Bus width: 96-bit vs 256-bit.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Radeon RX 480
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	8 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	168 GB/s	256 GB/s+52%
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 12.0 (Radeon RX 480). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Radeon RX 480
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.0
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 VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 480). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 480).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Radeon RX 480
Encoder	NVENC (5th Gen)	VCE 3.4
Decoder	NVDEC (7th Gen)	UVD 6.3
Codecs	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Radeon RX 480's 150W — a 72.7% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 500W (Radeon RX 480). Power connectors: None vs 8-pin. Card length: 160mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	Radeon RX 480
TDP	70W-53%	150W
Recommended PSU	300W-40%	500W
Power Connector	None	8-pin
Length	160mm	240mm
Height	—	95mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C-12%	85°C
Perf/Watt	153.6+169%	57.0

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB launched at $169 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 480 launched at $229. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB costs 26.2% less ($60 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 37.3 (Radeon RX 480) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 70.5% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the newer GPU (2024 vs 2016).