The Nvidia Geforce RTX 3050 was introduced in early January 2022 amidst the GPU crisis brought by the second crypto mining boom and global chip shortage. By generational design, it should supplant the position of the previous 60-tier GPU, which was the RTX 2060. However, it was unable to do so. At most, it merely functioned as a product foil for the much-lampooned Radeon RX 6500 XT, which was also released at the same time.
Worse, the rapidly changing GPU market after Ethereum’s initial crash later that same year made its value even less attractive. And today, there are many more alternative choices if you want a solid high-FPS 1080p experience for modern triple-A gaming. This article takes a look at the best alternatives for the RTX 3050, so keep reading to find out what they are.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Geforce RTX 3050 is also the exact name of a laptop-based graphics chip, which has completely different specifications and performance capabilities to that of the discrete version. Typically, to remove the confusion between the two products, the discrete RTX 3050 can also be referred to as the “Geforce RTX 3050 8GB”.
Why The RTX 3050 is a Theoretically Good GPU
As a base product, the RTX 3050 should have been a good GPU for the following reasons:
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It Has The Equivalent Performance of a GTX 1660 Ti
Using the RTX 3050, you can still expect high frame rates at 1080p with very reasonable settings, even jumping to three-digit FPS or 1440p, if you play older titles or dial down the settings a bit further. In fact, not only are the average FPS values the same, even the overall power draw of both GPUs is the same as well, which is about 130 watts. This means that the RTX 3050 is also roughly comparable to the GTX 1660 Super and GTX 1070 as well, which share the same performance levels and power draw.
If you are curious about the real FPS values for specific titles (at selected settings and resolutions), check out the RTX 3050 reviews from well-established tech YouTube channels such as Gamers Nexus and Hardware Unboxed.
Being an RTX GPU, it Has Raytracing and Tensor Cores
These are the primary chip components that set it apart from its performance-equivalent counterparts. While raytracing performance on such an entry-level GPU is quite irrelevant, the tensor cores do allow the RTX 3050 to enjoy the benefits of DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) for compatible titles.
The stark irony to this, is that while the equivalent GTX 1660 Ti and GTX 1660 Super were part of the first generation that introduced these cores (Turing), Nvidia decided to actively cut these features for these GPUs.
Its PCIe 4.0 x8, But it Won’t Bottleneck Performance at PCIe 3.0
A common trend in modern lower-tier GPU nowadays is to limit the number of PCIe lanes to match its theoretical performance on its designated PCIe version. This then results in possible FPS losses when used on a platform with an older PCIe version. Thankfully, even with an x8 configuration, the performance level of the RTX 3050 is nowhere close to maxing out the available data bandwidth.
Plugging it on a 10th Gen Intel (Coffee Lake) or Ryzen 3000 AMD (Zen 2) system, for example, won’t result in frame dips. Unlike the RX 6500 XT (PCIe 4.0 x4) and the RTX 6600 XT (PCIe 4.0 x8).
Why the RTX 3050 is not worth buying
Actual retail price alone is already enough of a reason, but elaborating on this point further:
There are Many More GPUs Within its Performance Tier With Better Value
If it was truly available at $250, it would have continued its direct comparison with its Turing architecture counterparts. However, with much more bloated actual retail prices, it already encroaches on the price territory of other GPUs that are a complete tier above it.
It is The Only 50-Tier GPU So Far That Can’t Surpass a Previous 60-tier GPU
As mentioned, the RTX 3050 is the only GPU made by Nvidia so far that wasn’t able to beat its architectural 60-tier predecessor (RTX 2060). For comparison, the GTX 1050 was able to slightly surpass the GTX 960 on most games, with the GTX 950 even dominating the older GTX 760 on some titles.
And while a desktop/discrete RTX 2050 doesn’t exist (yet), it should also theoretically be able to surpass the practical performance level of the GTX 1060 6GB.
The Best GeForce RTX 3050 Alternatives
Here’s a list of the best alternatives for the RTX 3050:
AMD Radeon RX 6600
| AMD Radeon RX 6600 Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Process Node | 7nm |
| Architecture | RDNA 2.0 |
| VRAM | 8GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 128 bit |
| FP32 Perf | 8.928 TFLOPS |
| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 |
| PCI Power | 1x 8-pin |
| TDP | 132W |
| Equivalent GPUs | Radeon RX 5600 XT, Geforce RTX 2060 Super |
| Best Price | Buy on Amazon |
Starting with the direct price competition among the latest GPU architecture options, the Radeon RX 6600 is officially AMD’s most entry-level desktop-based RDNA 2.0 graphics card. Unlike the laptop-based RX 6500 XT, it is built for very high refresh rate 1080p gaming, as a sort of cheaper option to the Radeon RX 6600 XT.
Therefore, its performance is much superior to that of the RTX 3050 or any of its equivalent counterparts. At least according to Hardware Unboxed, the RX 6600 is about 29% faster than the RTX 3050 at 1080p resolution, and 23% faster in 1440p.
At such a huge performance gap, even if the RTX 3050 uses DLSS to artificially increase frame rates, it will only be able to more or less catch up. Though, if the game supports both DLSS and FSR 2.0 (Cyberpunk 2077, God of War, Spiderman Remastered, etc.), then the RX 6600 will still absolutely smoke the RTX 3050 regardless.
The RX 6600 was originally introduced at $330, but the GPU has since then crashed in price, at least in the United States. More often, you can find basic RX 6600 SKUs at around $250, so there is absolutely no reason for anyone to buy the RTX 3050 over the RX 6600.
And if ever someone tries to use the NVENC argument to justify the RTX 3050, well…
Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060
| Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060 Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Process Node | 12nm |
| Architecture | Turing |
| VRAM | 6GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 192 bit |
| FP32 Perf | 6.451 TFLOPS |
| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| PCI Power | 1x 8-pin |
| TDP | 160W |
| Equivalent GPUs | Geforce GTX 1080 |
| Best Price | Buy on Amazon |
WARNING: The 12GB VRAM variant is a slightly different version of the RTX 2060. Don’t forget to cross-compare prices and double-check the VRAM when buying one. The original RTX 2060 should be 6GB.
If you want a graphics card with better performance while still having all the bells and whistles or a true, bonafide RTX card, then the RTX 2060 becomes the default choice. Like the RX 6600, the RTX 2060 is also built for very high refresh rate 1080p gaming with moderate refresh rates on the 1440p side. Although it only has 6GB VRAM, such an amount is still enough for today’s triple-A titles, and would still be relevant for the foreseeable gaming future.
While not exactly having a stellar performance within its tier (anymore) compared to the RX 6600, it still manages to completely wipe the floor with the RTX 3050. On average, confirmed benchmarking sources show that the RTX 2060 is 10% to 15% faster than the RTX 3050 using the same settings and resolution.
At the height of the second crypto mining boom, the RTX 2060 soared in prices as high as $500+ brand new. But these values have since normalized, and you can now find the RTX 2060 slightly below MSRP, or even with a good discount depending on the store. Buy it used from a reputable seller, and you can acquire it for an even better value!
So in conclusion, the RTX 2060 is just better overall than the RTX 3050 in every single way. And even if it loses to the RX 6600 in price-to-performance, it still has all of Nvidia’s key technological features like NVENC and DLSS, so the choice is an absolute no-brainer.
AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT
| AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Process Node | 7nm |
| Architecture | RDNA 2.0 |
| VRAM | 8GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 128 bit |
| FP32 Perf | 10.60 TFLOPS |
| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 |
| PCI Power | 1x 8-pin |
| TDP | 160W |
| Equivalent GPUs | Geforce RTX 2070 Super, Geforce RTX 3060 |
| Best Price | Buy on Amazon |
If you can spare a bit more funds to increase your GPU budget, you may jump ahead of the RX 6600 to get an RX 6600 XT as an RTX 3050 alternative. You get considerably more performance since, after all, the RX 6600 XT is designed to beat the RTX 3060, a GPU that is a whole product tier higher than the RTX 3050.
One caveat that you have to note is that if you are using a PCIe 3.0 system, be prepared to potentially lose about 2% to 3% FPS performance from the RX 6600 XT on some games. Its rasterization capabilities are already a bit over the edge of its x8 PCIe lane configuration bandwidth.
Other than that, just find a nice, well-designed RX 6600 XT SKU that is preferably around $300-$350 (U.S. pricing), and you’re set to go.
Nvidia Geforce GTX 1660 Ti and GTX 1660 Super
| GTX 1660 Ti | GTX 1660 Super | |
|---|---|---|
| Process Node | 12nm | 12nm |
| Architecture | Turing | Turing |
| VRAM | 6GB GDDR6 | 6GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 192 bit | 192 bit |
| FP32 Perf | 5.437 TFLOPS | 5.027 TFLOPS |
| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| PCI Power | 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| TDP | 130W | 125W |
| Equivalent GPUs | Geforce GTX 1070 | Geforce GTX TITAN X |
| Best Price | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Amazon |
After the crash of the second crypto mining boom, the market is suddenly flooded with a lot of cheap GTX 1660 Ti’s and 1660 Supers, either coming from old unsold stock, or crypto miners. Both are good to purchase, just make sure that you are getting a good deal out of it ($200 or below) and the GPU’s cooling fans are still fully operational (for ex-mining cards).
As we said earlier, both of these GPUs perform exactly the same as the RTX 3050. The GTX 1660 Super might lose out a bit on a few games, but for the most part, the only difference is that these two cards do not have dedicated raytracing and tensor cores.
Architecture-wise, they are still pretty relevant, having existed in the market no more than three years ago. Driver updates are still to be expected for several years, since they’re part of the Turing architecture. There’s also no worry of premature failure due to wear and tear. Even if it was an ex-mining card, these GPUs are very power efficient, so the possibility that their memory chips have become damaged/faulty is very low.
Other Graphics Card Runner-Ups
- Radeon RX 5600 XT – should be the same as the RX 6600, but it is no longer sold brand new anymore. Since it is a relatively recent GPU (two years), used prices are still quite high, even if it is no longer used for crypto mining.
- Geforce GTX 1080 – similar performance to the RTX 2060, but with a higher power draw and older architecture. The GPU itself is already more than five years old in the market, so not exactly fresh anymore, even if you can find used ones at good prices.
- Radeon Vega 56 – same story with the GTX 1080: old architecture, aged product. Its energy efficiency is also much worse, drawing more power than a GTX 1080 for a performance level only near that of a GTX 1070. Stick to used RX 580 8GBs if you want a space-heating RTX 3050 alternative instead.
- Geforce GTX 1070 Ti – these GPUs were actually sold brand new as late as 2019, so the age (wear and tear) relevance is still there. However, with the flood of GTX 1660 Ti/Super cards in the used market, there’s very little reason to go with the older architecture. Get a very, very, VERY good deal for it at least?
Conclusion: RTX 3050 at MSRP or bust
With all of these cards punching the RTX 3050 to price oblivion indefinitely, is there even any justification to purchase one? Outside a crypto mining boom, none at all. If you can’t get the RTX 3050 at MSRP in the U.S., or for a price cheaper than the (2019) GTX 1660 Super in your country, then just forget that the GPU even existed.
End of argument.
Related: How to reset a graphics card
Christian enjoys knowing what’s coming up in the computer hardware and tech industries. Combining his professional and hobby PC experience with his writing career, he strives to simplify the complicated and provide the best advice for tech fans.
