The RTX 3050 6GB doesn’t even need a fan

This card is as entry level as it gets

Bruce Dent

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The latest Nvidia graphics card for entry-level gaming, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB, doesn’t need a fan because of its low 70W power consumption. The RTX 3050 6GB, currently available on Newegg, is a far cry from the recent Nvidia 4080 Super, which requires a PSU of 850W. This RTX 3050 is based on their GA107 GPU, and its release adds another layer to Nvidia’s huge range of products.

So, what’s under the hood? Well, the GDDR6 VRAM of the original 8GB RTX 3050 has been downgraded to 6GB. Additionally, the 6GB variant is less power-hungry as it no longer requires an external PCIe power connector. This is great news if you’re building a gaming PC on a budget and don’t fancy upgrading your PSU.

Elsewhere, there’s 2305 CUDA cores and a small 96-bit memory bus, a big step down from the RTX 3050 8GB’s 128-bit memory bus. In combination with a 1470MHz boost clock rating, the 6GB RTX 3050 offers noticeably less compute performance than its 8GB counterpart. Also, there’s a lower 6.77 FP32 TFLOPS, in comparison with the 9.1 FP32 TFLOPS.

So what’s the advantage of this card?

The tradeoff for the RTX 3050 6GB’s weaker specs is that it meets the power target of 70W. As a result of this low level of consumption, this Nvidia graphics card can get all of its power from the PCIe and it doesn’t even need a fan. The first Nvidia partner to take this GPU to shelves is Palit, launching an RTX 3050 6GB that’s cooled passively, something that’s not been done for 4 years.

It has divided fans on Reddit, as it’s 20% slower than the 8GB version. Some people have commented that it is not a card for gamers but that it could carve its niche elsewhere, arguing that it could be put to better use upscaling 1080p content in a mini PC. Others have highlighted that it trumps the RTX 1650 in terms of performance, so it could still be an excellent pick for those building an entry-level gaming PC on a tight budget.

The RTX 3050 is hitting the shelves with a $169 price tag, at its lowest, which is a competitive price in comparison with the Radeon RX 6400, and the RX 6500 XT. These cards are priced at around $125 and $140 respectively, and they are weaker cards. Additionally, this $169 is roughly $30 cheaper than this MSI 8GB OC RTX 3050 card.

Cost of this RTX 3050 6GB on Newegg

Here’s a breakdown of the prices of this Nvidia RTX 3050 6GB on Newegg, which shows the cheapest version available at $169.99 from MSI and ASUS, and the most expensive coming in from Gigabyte’s OC edition, coming in at $189.99. Remember, if you’re not after a 3050 6GB, take a look at the other cheaper graphics cards in our best budget GPU guide.

• ASUS Dual NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB OC Edition $179.99
• MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 3050 6GB GDDR6 $169.99
• ASUS Dual NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB $169.99
• MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3050 6GB GDDR6 $179.99
• MSI LP GeForce RTX 3050 6GB GDDR6 $179.99
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 EAGLE OC 6G $179.99
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 OC Low Profile 6G $189.99