GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX 550

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon RX 550

2017Core: 1100 MHzBoost: 1183 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

  • +302% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 87.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 33.8 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $79 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
  • More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • 40% higher power demand at 70W vs 50W.

Radeon RX 550

2017

Why buy it

  • Costs $90 less on MSRP ($79 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • Draws 50W instead of 70W, a 20W reduction.
  • Measures 155mm instead of 160mm, a 5mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (2,674 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: 2017-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.8 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($79 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB better than Radeon RX 550?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,749 vs 2,674 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is a 2024 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon RX 550 is a 2017 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation. 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 2017, 302.0% 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 + limited Frame Generation. 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 by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is about 113.9% more expensive on MSRP at $169 MSRP versus $79 MSRP, and you are getting 302.0% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 550 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.
Is Radeon RX 550 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon RX 550 is 2017 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 2,674 in G3D Mark, and FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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 RX 550
1080p
low109 FPS51 FPS
medium92 FPS33 FPS
high77 FPS24 FPS
ultra45 FPS12 FPS
1440p
low95 FPS35 FPS
medium81 FPS22 FPS
high59 FPS12 FPS
ultra34 FPS6 FPS
4K
low30 FPS11 FPS
medium28 FPS7 FPS
high19 FPS4 FPS
ultra16 FPS3 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 550
1080p
low174 FPS82 FPS
medium149 FPS50 FPS
high118 FPS37 FPS
ultra87 FPS22 FPS
1440p
low129 FPS24 FPS
medium106 FPS17 FPS
high83 FPS12 FPS
ultra62 FPS8 FPS
4K
low74 FPS7 FPS
medium62 FPS5 FPS
high48 FPS4 FPS
ultra34 FPS3 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 550
1080p
low484 FPS120 FPS
medium387 FPS96 FPS
high322 FPS80 FPS
ultra242 FPS60 FPS
1440p
low363 FPS90 FPS
medium290 FPS72 FPS
high242 FPS60 FPS
ultra181 FPS45 FPS
4K
low242 FPS60 FPS
medium193 FPS48 FPS
high161 FPS40 FPS
ultra121 FPS30 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 550
1080p
low243 FPS120 FPS
medium210 FPS96 FPS
high171 FPS80 FPS
ultra144 FPS60 FPS
1440p
low185 FPS90 FPS
medium166 FPS72 FPS
high131 FPS60 FPS
ultra109 FPS45 FPS
4K
low104 FPS60 FPS
medium87 FPS48 FPS
high69 FPS40 FPS
ultra55 FPS27 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and Radeon RX 550

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 RX 550

The Radeon RX 550 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 20 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1100 MHz to 1183 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,674 points. Launch price was $79.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the Radeon RX 550's 2,674 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 302%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 550 uses GCN 4.0, both on 8 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 512 (Radeon RX 550). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 1.211 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 550). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 1183 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 550
G3D Mark Score
10,749+302%
2,674
Architecture
Ampere
GCN 4.0
Process Node
8 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
2304+350%
512
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.774 TFLOPS+459%
1.211 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1470 MHz+24%
1183 MHz
ROPs
32+100%
16
TMUs
72+125%
32
L1 Cache
2.3 MB+1669%
0.13 MB
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 550 is support for FSR Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.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 550 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 550
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation
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 550 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 112 GB/s (Radeon RX 550) — a 50% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB. Bus width: 96-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon RX 550) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 550
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+50%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
168 GB/s+50%
112 GB/s
Bus Width
96-bit
128-bit+33%
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 12_0 (Radeon RX 550). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 550
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12_0
Max Displays
4+33%
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 550). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs H.264,H.265 (Radeon RX 550).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 550
Encoder
NVENC (5th Gen)
VCE 3.4
Decoder
NVDEC (7th Gen)
UVD 6.3
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
H.264,H.265
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Radeon RX 550's 50W — a 33.3% difference. The Radeon RX 550 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 300W (Radeon RX 550). Power connectors: None vs None. Card length: 160mm vs 155mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 550
TDP
70W
50W-29%
Recommended PSU
300W
300W
Power Connector
None
None
Length
160mm
155mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
153.6+187%
53.5
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB launched at $169 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 550 launched at $79. The Radeon RX 550 costs 53.3% less ($90 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 33.8 (Radeon RX 550) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 88.2% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the newer GPU (2024 vs 2017).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 550
MSRP
$169
$79-53%
Performance per Dollar
63.6+88%
33.8
Codename
GA107
Lexa
Release
February 2 2024
April 20 2017
Ranking
#252
#617