ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3050 OC
Pros
RGB personalization
Great build quality and design
Solid performane and overclocking
Quiet thermal design
Cons
More expensive option
What GPU is equivalent to RTX 3050?
We take a look at all the alternatives to the RTX 3050
Updated: Feb 7, 2023 2:00 pm
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It’s time to take a look at the very best equivalent to the RTX 3050. The entry-level of the 30-series from Nvidia is a popular choice for anyone looking to game on a budget. It delivers fantastic performance without breaking the bank. Of course, there are better options out there if raw power is what you want. We’re going to show off the closest equivalent from their biggest rivals: AMD.
GPU equivalent to RTX 3050
Even though some graphics cards‘ prices have decreased, the overall GPU supply situation is still recovering. With the intent of restoring some sanity, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card and AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT both launched shortly after one another. To some extent, they have succeeded: while they are not immune to insane inflation, they are still reasonably priced and have unusually abundant stock available.
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But which is the wiser purchase? Let’s get out of the bar chart software and start comparing these two 1080p-focused GPUs that are both on sale for £300 or less, sit at the bottom of their GPU hierarchies, and support ray tracing.
ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 6500 XT OC
Pros
Quiet work even under heavy loads
Effective cooling solution keeps temps low
Quality build designed to last
Fastest overclock with plenty more headroom
Cons
Custom solution may raise the price significantly
When compared to AMD’s RX 6500 XT, Nvidia’s RTX 3050 is clearly the superior all-around entry-level GPU. The RTX 3050 GPU supports both encoding and decoding for AV1 and H265/HEVC, and standard and ray tracing performance are much greater.
When comparing the cost and total value of the two cards, things become murky; the more expensive the RTX 3050 is in comparison to the RX 6500 XT, the more value it loses. Purchasing a higher-tier card might be a better value depending on how much a faster card, such as the RTX 3060 or RX 6600, costs, especially if you want the greatest ray tracing performance you can get on a tight budget.
ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3060
Graphics RAM Type
GDDR6
Video Output Interface
DisplayPort, HDMI
Chipset Brand
NVIDIA
Memory Speed
1807 MHz
Graphics Card Ram Size
12 GB
Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 6600
Core Clock Speed
2491 MHz Boost Clock
Stream Processors
1792
Memory Size
8GB GDDR6
Dimensions
185 x 105 x 40 mm (2 slot)
PSU Required
500W
TDP
132W
However, if you don’t care about ray tracing, a lower-end card like the GTX 1660 Super or RTX 2060 would be a better deal for you as they deliver performance that is comparable to the RTX 3050 – if you can get either at a cheaper cost.
MSI GTX 1660 Super VENTUS XS OC
Clock Speed
1830 MHz
VRAM
6 GB GDDR6
Memory Bus Width
192 bit
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MSI GAMING GeForce RTX 2060 6GB
Clock Speed
1710 MHz
VRAM
6GB GDDR6
Memory Bus Width
192-bit
The RTX 3050 still triumphs in this category even though it costs, on average, $150 more than the RX 6500 XT. The RX 6500 XT is a good option for entry-level gaming, but you won’t be able to utilize it for video encoding.
What GPU is equivalent to RTX 3050? FAQs
Is RTX 3050 the best entry-level GPU?
There’s no doubt that the RTX 3050 is one of the best entry-level cards on the market right now. It definitely provides you with good value, even up against it’s rival the RX 6500 XT. We’d say that the RTX 3060 and RX 6600 can be considered entry-level too if you want that extra power.
