GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX 6500 XT

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz
RTX family
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon RX 6500 XT

2022Core: 2610 MHzBoost: 2815 MHz
RX family
·······

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX 6500 XT 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 RX 6500 XT 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.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX 6500 XT: 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

2024

Why buy it

  • 24.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $30 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • Delivers 31.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 48.3 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $199 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

  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).

Radeon RX 6500 XT

2022

Why buy it

  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).

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 3 (2023) instead.
  • 17.8% HIGHER MSRP
    $199 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 48.3 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 24.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 11.9% in PassMark G3D (10,749 vs 9,603), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, 18 vs 16 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2022. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $30 cheaper on MSRP at $169 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 31.8% (63.6 vs 48.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Radeon RX 6500 XT Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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 6500 XT

The Radeon RX 6500 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 19 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2610 MHz to 2815 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 107W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,603 points. Launch price was $199.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the Radeon RX 6500 XT's 9,603 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 11.9%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 6500 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 1,024 (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 5.765 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 2815 MHz. Ray tracing: 18 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 16 (Radeon RX 6500 XT) with 72 Tensor cores.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 6500 XT
G3D Mark Score
10,749+12%
9,603
Architecture
Ampere
RDNA 2.0
Process Node
8 nm
6 nm
Shading Units
2304+125%
1024
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.774 TFLOPS+18%
5.765 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1470 MHz
2815 MHz+91%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
72+13%
64
L1 Cache
2.3 MB+820%
0.25 MB
L2 Cache
2 MB+100%
1 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
18+13%
16

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 6500 XT is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 6500 XT leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 6500 XT
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
FSR 3
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
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 RX 6500 XT 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 144 GB/s (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — a 16.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and 64-bit on the Radeon RX 6500 XT. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 1 MB (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 6500 XT
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+50%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
168 GB/s+17%
144 GB/s
Bus Width
96-bit+50%
64-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB+100%
1 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 6500 XT
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4+100%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs None (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs VCN 3.0 (Limited). Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264 (Decode),HEVC (Decode) (Radeon RX 6500 XT).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 6500 XT
Encoder
NVENC (5th Gen)
None
Decoder
NVDEC (7th Gen)
VCN 3.0 (Limited)
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
MPEG-2,H.264 (Decode),HEVC (Decode)
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Radeon RX 6500 XT's 107W — a 41.8% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 400W (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Power connectors: None vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 160mm vs 172mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 70°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 6500 XT
TDP
70W-35%
107W
Recommended PSU
300W-25%
400W
Power Connector
None
1x 6-pin
Length
160mm
172mm
Height
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
70°C-7%
Perf/Watt
153.6+71%
89.7
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB came in at $169, while the Radeon RX 6500 XT launched at $199. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB was 15.1% cheaper ($30 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 48.3 (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 31.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2022).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRadeon RX 6500 XT
MSRP
$169-15%
$199
Performance per Dollar
63.6+32%
48.3
Codename
GA107
Navi 24
Release
February 2 2024
January 19 2022
Ranking
#252
#270

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