GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs RTX 5880 Ada Generation

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz
RTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

RTX 5880 Ada Generation

2024Core: 975 MHzBoost: 2460 MHz
RTX family
·······

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs RTX 5880 Ada Generation 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 RTX 5880 Ada Generation 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 RTX 5880 Ada Generation: 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

  • Costs $5,831 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $6,000 MSRP).
  • Delivers 1420.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 4.2 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $6,000 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • Draws 70W instead of 285W, a 215W reduction.
  • Measures 160mm instead of 267mm, a 107mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than RTX 5880 Ada Generation across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (72 vs 440), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
  • RTX 5880 Ada Generation is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

RTX 5880 Ada Generation

2024

Why buy it

  • 165.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 511.1% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (440 vs 72).
  • 700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 3450.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $6,000 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.2 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($6,000 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).
  • 307.1% higher power demand at 285W vs 70W.
  • 66.9% longer card at 267mm vs 160mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
RTX 5880 Ada Generation is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 165.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 133.5% in PassMark G3D (25,096 vs 10,749), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RTX 5880 Ada Generation is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 48 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, a 5nm process instead of 8nm, and 110 vs 18 ray-tracing units. 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 $5,831 cheaper on MSRP at $169 vs $6,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1420.6% (63.6 vs 4.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and strong 1440p headroom, RTX 5880 Ada Generation has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs RTX 5880 Ada Generation 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.

NVIDIA

RTX 5880 Ada Generation

The RTX 5880 Ada Generation is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 5 2024. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 975 MHz to 2460 MHz. It has 14080 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 285W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 110 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 25,096 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the RTX 5880 Ada Generation's 25,096 — the RTX 5880 Ada Generation leads by 133.5%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 14,080 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 69.27 TFLOPS (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 2460 MHz. Ray tracing: 18 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 110 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) with 72 Tensor cores vs 440.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRTX 5880 Ada Generation
G3D Mark Score
10,749
25,096+133%
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
2304
14080+511%
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.774 TFLOPS
69.27 TFLOPS+923%
Boost Clock
1470 MHz
2460 MHz+67%
ROPs
32
176+450%
TMUs
72
440+511%
L1 Cache
2.3 MB
13.8 MB+500%
L2 Cache
2 MB
72 MB+3500%
Ray Tracing Cores
18
110+511%
Tensor Cores
72
440+511%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX 5880 Ada Generation supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRTX 5880 Ada Generation
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has 6 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation carries 48 GB. RTX 5880 Ada Generation gives you 700% 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 768 GB/s (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) — a 357.1% advantage for the RTX 5880 Ada Generation. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and 384-bit on the RTX 5880 Ada Generation. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 72 MB (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) — the RTX 5880 Ada Generation has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRTX 5880 Ada Generation
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
48 GB+700%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
168 GB/s
768 GB/s+357%
Bus Width
96-bit
384-bit+300%
L2 Cache
2 MB
72 MB+3500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 12 Ultimate (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRTX 5880 Ada Generation
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.3
1.4+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs NVENC 8th gen (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP8,VP9 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRTX 5880 Ada Generation
Encoder
NVENC (5th Gen)
NVENC 8th gen
Decoder
NVDEC (7th Gen)
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP8,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the RTX 5880 Ada Generation's 285W — a 121.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 650W (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Power connectors: None vs 16-pin. Card length: 160mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRTX 5880 Ada Generation
TDP
70W-75%
285W
Recommended PSU
300W-54%
650W
Power Connector
None
16-pin
Length
160mm
267mm
Height
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C-6%
80°C
Perf/Watt
153.6+74%
88.1
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB came in at $169, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation launched at $6000. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB was 97.2% cheaper ($5831 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 4.2 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 1414.3% better value.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBRTX 5880 Ada Generation
MSRP
$169-97%
$6000
Performance per Dollar
63.6+1414%
4.2
Codename
GA107
AD102
Release
February 2 2024
January 5 2024
Ranking
#252
#40

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