Life’s really expensive right now. Food prices are up, electricity is up, rent is up, and mortgages are up. Heck, even the cost of looking at your phone mindlessly is up. So, it can only be good news that Team Green has taken note and quietly trotted out a new GPU. You might get a sense of deja vu with Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 6GB, but bear with us. There’s some merit to this refresh.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is a new take on the original 8GB version. It is, unsurprisingly, less powerful than the previous model, but it’s also a fair bit cheaper. Not only do you save a chunk buying it, but it uses substantially less electricity, protecting your wallet long-term. If you’re looking at an ideal upgrade for indie or retro games, then you should consider this card.
Generally, RTX 3050 6GB is 20% slower than the 8GB version. This makes it the least powerful 30 Series GPU, which is already a generation and a half behind recent RTX 40 Super Series graphics cards. It’s not a pixel pusher that you’ll use for its performance. However, the price is under $200, and you can power it solely using the PCIe slot. In fact, the 70W power draw is 40% lower than the original model. No wonky power cables here. This makes it perfect for small form factor systems and emulation machines.
Nvidia released it at a curious time. The current focus is squarely on RTX 4070 Super, 4070 Ti Super, and RTX 4080 Super. It’s not a total head-scratcher, though, as underclocking and undervolting are two prevailing trends in recent years. After all, it makes PC gaming a little bit more affordable.
You won’t be able to max out whatever big open-world game is about to come out, but the lingering question is, do you actually need to? If it boots with steady frame rates, 60fps is perhaps a worthy sacrifice when electricity costs an arm and a leg. Anything that helps alleviate these problems is a good thing.
As Nvidia’s first graphics card under $200 in years, we can’t complain. After all, the best graphics cards are still there if you’re happy to pay more money for the upgrade. Nvidia RTX 3050 6GB isn’t the best thing since sliced bread, but it doesn’t cost that much more than a good loaf, and we appreciate that.
It doesn’t look like the graphics cards have yet hit the digital market. Keep your eyes peeled for Amazon listings, however, as they’re due any day now.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
“Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is still built with the same Ampere architecture. It just trims the specs for a slimmer power draw, making it a fantastically efficient sub-$200 graphics card.”
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