Nvidia’s RTX 3050 was launched in January 2022, becoming the cheapest released Nvidia card with ray-tracing capabilities. Another budget-oriented card launched in the same month and year: AMD’s RX 6500 XT. Today, we’ll compare these two entry-level offerings to decide the verdict of RTX 3050 vs RX 6500 XT.
Key Takeaways
- To start, the RTX 3050 performed 33.8% faster than the RX 6500 XT in 1080P gaming.
- The RX 6500 XT turned out to be 21.4% more power-efficient and 4.1% more thermally efficient than the RTX 3050.
- As far as price and value are concerned, the RX 6500 XT is about 47% cheaper and thus provides better value than the RTX 3050.
- Video memory is a concern for the RX 6500 XT, as 4 GB is not nearly enough to handle modern AAA games at 1080P, even at modest settings.
RX 6500 XT Vs RTX 3050: Differences
Comparison Table
| GPU | RTX 3050 | RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Ampere | RDNA 2 |
| Die (Die Size) | GA106 (276 mm²) | Navi 24 (107 mm²) |
| Processing Node | Samsung 8nm | TSMC 6nm |
| No. of Transistors | 12,000 million | 5,400 million |
| Transistor Density | 43.5M / mm² | 50.5M / mm² |
| Memory (Type) | 8GB (GDDR6) | 4GB (GDDR6) |
| Memory Bandwidth | 224.0 GB/s | 143.9 GB/s |
| Memory Clock (Effective Memory Clock) |
1750 MHz (14 Gbps) |
2248 MHz (14 Gbps) |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 64-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCIe Gen 4 x8 | PCIe Gen 4 x4 |
| Base Clock | 1552 MHz | 2310 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1777 MHz | 2815 MHz |
| No. of Shaders | 2560 | 1024 |
| No. of TMUs | 80 | 64 |
| No. of ROPs | 32 | 32 |
| No. of SMs / No. of CUs | 20 | 16 |
| No. of Tensor Cores | 80 | – |
| No. of RT Cores | 20 | 16 |
| L1 Cache | 128 KB per SM | 128 KB per Array |
| L2 Cache | 2MB | 1MB |
| L3 Cache | – | 16MB |
| TDP | 130 watts | 107 watts |
| Launch MSRP (Current MSRP) | $249 (same as launch) |
$199 (~$150) |
| Launch Date | Jan 27th, 2022 | Jan 19th, 2022 |
| Best Variants | Best RTX 3050 Cards | – |
RTX 3050 vs RX 6500 XT
Not a lot of similarities between the two graphics cards: both run on the PCIe 4.0 interface, share the same GDDR6 memory and have an effective memory clock of 14 Gb per second. Now let’s look at some of the key differences.
Processing Node And Transistor Density
To start, the RTX 3050 uses Samsung’s 8nm processing node. In contrast, the RX 6500 XT is manufactured using TSMC’s 6nm process. This means that the RX 6500 XT has the upper hand as it has a more efficient node and, consequently, more transistor density.
Also Read: RTX 3050 Vs RX 6600
In particular, the GA106 die used by RTX 3050 has a transistor density of 43.5M / mm² area, while the RX 6500 XT has a density of 50.5M / mm².
Though overall, the RTX 3050 has a much higher transistor count (12 billion) compared to RX 6500 XT (5.4 billion). This is because the RTX 3050 has a much larger die than the RX 6500 XT.
Memory Specifications
While both GPUs boast GDDR6 memory, the RTX 3050 has double the amount at 8 GB. Also, less memory means that the RX 6500 XT uses only a 64-bit wide bus for accessing the memory. On the other hand, the RTX 3050 has a bus width of 128-bit.
Furthermore, the RTX 3050 has a much higher memory bandwidth at 224.0 GB/s compared to 143.9 GB/s of the RX 6500 XT.
Lastly, the two cards also differ in terms of memory clock speeds. The RX 6500 XT has a much higher clock speed at 2248 MHz, while the RTX 3050 pales in comparison with 1750 MHz.
Bus Interface
The RTX 3050 requires 8 lanes of PCIe 4.0 to perform at its full potential – compared to it, the RX 6500 XT only needs 4 lanes.
Base And Boost Clocks
AMD’s RX 6500 XT boasts an impressive base and boost clock speeds. It clocks 2310 MHz at the base and 2815 MHz at the boost setting. As for the RTX 3050, it has a base clock frequency of 2310 MHz and a boost frequency of 2815 MHz.
Render Configuration
Nvidia’s RTX 3050 and AMD’s RX 6500 XT also differ when the amount of render units/cores is considered.
Firstly, one of the fundamental units of the two cards: the RX 6500 XT has 16 CUs (compute units), while the RTX 3050 has 20 SMs (stream multiprocessors).
The RTX 3050 has 2560 shaders, 80 TMUs (texture mapping units), 80 Tensor cores, and 20 ray-tracing cores. In contrast, its AMD rival features 1024 shaders, 64 TMUs, and 16 ray-tracing cores. Both chips have 32 ROPs (render output units).
It should be noted that the RTX 3050 has dedicated cores for AI workloads (Tensor cores), while the RX 6500 XT does not have such cores.
L2 And L3 Cache
The two GPUs are also distinguishable by the fact that the RX 6500 XT has a dedicated L3 cache (16 MB), while the RTX 3050 does not. As for the L2 cache, the RX 6500 XT has 1 MB, while Nvidia’s RTX 3050 has 2 MB of it.
Thermal Design Power
Regarding power consumption, the RTX 3050 is rated to draw 130 watts at most, whereas the RX 6500 XT has a TDP rating of 107 watts.
Nvidia Reflex Vs AMD Anti-Lag
Nvidia and AMD also possess their very own technologies for reducing input lag in games. Nvidia’s Reflex reduces the GPU’s render queue. In simple words: it syncs your CPU’s workload with your GPU’s workload. On the other hand, AMD’s Anti-Lag technology reduces input lag by increasing the frame rate at moments when there are rapid movements.
An analysis from YouTuber Battle(non)sense showed that Nvidia’s Reflex technology is more efficient in reducing input lag. Thus, the RTX 3050 has an advantage in this case.
Nvidia DLSS Vs AMD FSR
Another widespread debate regarding the AMD vs Nvidia competition is the two companies’ upscaling technologies.
While FSR support is also extended to Nvidia cards, Nvidia’s DLSS is limited to Nvidia’s graphics cards, particularly the RTX series. The RTX 3050 supports all iterations of DLSS before DLSS 3. On the other side, the AMD RX 6500 XT supports the latest revision of FSR (2.2) and will likely support the upcoming FSR 3, too.
Both FSR 2 and DLSS 2 use similar techniques (temporal upscaling), and both showed comparable performance in our analysis. However, Nvidia’s DLSS is hardware-based, while FSR is an API-based upscaling process.
In the latest news, Nvidia’s DLSS 3 has been launched, while AMD’s FSR 3 is yet to come. Both will, again, be using similar processes and will be capable of generating entirely new frames from previous frames.
Also Read: DLSS vs FSR
Gaming Performance
Let’s move ahead and take a look at the RTX 3050 vs RX 6500 XT gaming benchmarks. The tests will be performed at 1080P with different presets across 8 games.
Note: The FPS figures shown may vary slightly from the actual performance. This is caused by inconsistency of monitoring software.
With that being said, here’s a look at the test bench:
Test Bench
- CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K
- Motherboard: MSI MPG Z690 Force
- Memory: XPG Lancer 32GB (2×16) DDR5 5200Mhz
- CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4
- SSD: SAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2 2280 1TB
- Power Supply: CORSAIR RM850i, 850 watts
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Starting with Red Dead Redemption 2, the RTX 3050 scores 65 FPS on average, as the RX 6500 XT trails by 54.7%.
- Both GPUs fall under the 60 FPS mark when it comes to the %1 lows. The RTX 3050 scores 54 FPS, while the RX 6500 XT records 35 FPS.
- As for the temperatures, the RTX 3050 (61°C) runs slightly warmer than the RX 6500 XT (59°C).
- The power draw figures show a big contrast between the two graphics cards. Nvidia’s RTX 3050 draws 134.3 watts, 85.4% more than the RX 6500 XT’s power draw.
Also Check: RX 6600 XT Vs RTX 3050
Microsoft Flight Simulator
- The RX 6500 XT averages 39 FPS in reply to the 57 FPS of the RTX 3050.
- In terms of the %1 lows, the RTX 3050 scores 51 FPS, while its AMD competitor scores 35 FPS.
- Moving on to the temperature figures, the RTX 3050 hovers over the 66°C mark while the RX 6500 XT keeps cooler at 62°C.
- This title sees the RTX 3050 consuming 138.4 watts of power. The RX 6500 XT shows much better power efficiency at 78.2 watts.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
- Looking at the average FPS in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, the GeForce RTX 3050 scores 68 FPS, and the 6500 XT is not far behind with 60 FPS.
- The RTX 3050 scores 46 FPS in terms of %1 lows; the RX 6500 XT follows with 42 FPS.
- The thermal statistics show the RTX 3050 running slightly warmer again at 59°C
- As for power consumption, the RTX 3050 crosses the 130-watt mark again. In comparison, AMD’s RX 6500 XT uses 74.6 watts on average.
Cyberpunk 2077
- With Cyberpunk 2077 running at the medium preset, the RTX 3050 scores 66 FPS – 65% higher than the Radeon card.
- Moving to the %1 lows, the RTX 3050 has another significant lead, 60.6% higher in this case.
- The RTX 3050 runs at around 66°C in this test, while the RTX 3050 stays under the 60°C mark.
- Looking at the power consumption figures, the RTX 3050 draws 129.1 watts while the 6500 XT draws 74.5 watts.
Horizon Zero Dawn
- In this title, the RTX 3050 averages 61 FPS in contrast to the RX 6500 XT’s score of 47 FPS.
- The RTX 3050 recorded 51 FPS, while the Radeon RX 6500 XT managed 39 FPS as far as the %1 low FPS is concerned.
- As for the thermal performance, the RX 6500 XT ran 1°C warmer than the RTX 3050 in this test.
- In terms of power draw, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 continues to be a power hog as it recorded 129 watts on average, much higher again compared to its AMD rival.
Hitman 3
- In Hitman 3, the RTX 3050 racks up 88 FPS on average, leading AMD’s RX 6500 XT by nearly 19%.
- The RTX 3050 continues to stand out as it scores 58 FPS in terms of the %1 lows here. Conversely, the RX 6500 XT managed 49 FPS.
- In terms of temperatures, the Radeon RX 6500 XT runs 2°C cooler in this test.
- Nvidia’s RTX 3050 averaged 132.8 watts of power consumption in this test, 84.1% higher than the RX 6500 XT.
Forza Horizon 5
- Moving on to Forza Horizon 5: the RX 6500 XT scores 57 FPS, trailing the Nvidia RTX 3050 by 33.3%.
- Next up, the %1 low figures show the RTX 3050 scoring 31.8% higher than the AMD RX 6500 XT.
- The Radeon RX 6500 XT shows better thermal efficiency again.
- This benchmark sees the RTX 3050 using 120.3 watts of power compared to 75.3 watts of the RX 6500 XT.
Also Read: RTX 3050 Vs 2060
PUBG: Battlegrounds
- In the final test, with PUBG: Battlegrounds running at ultra, the RTX 3050 scored 101 FPS over 76 FPS of the RX 6500 XT.
- The RTX 3050 scored 37.7% higher than its AMD rival in regard to the %1 lows.
- Looking at the temperature figures, we see the RTX 3050 running at 64°C. The RX 6500 XT averaged 62°C in return.
- Finally, in terms of power draw, the RTX 3050 recorded 133.6 watts on average in PUBG: Battlegrounds. The RX 6500 XT ends with 83.4 watts.
Overall Gaming Performance
Let’s summarize the 1080P gaming benchmarks.
- The RTX 3050 averaged 72.7 FPS across the 8 games. In contrast, the AMD RX 6500 XT averaged 54.3 FPS.
- This means the RTX 3050 is 33.8% faster than the RX 6500 XT in 1080P gaming.
- As for the %1 lows, the RTX 3050 scored 55.5 FPS compared to 41.2 FPS of the RX 6500 XT – a 34.7% difference.
Power Consumption
Let’s look at the overall power consumption numbers recorded by the two graphics cards. Remember that Nvidia’s RTX 3050 is rated at 130 watts, whereas the RX 6500 XT has a rating of 107 watts (a 21.4% difference).
- So, across the 8 benchmarks, the RTX 3050 averaged 131 watts of power consumption. In comparison, the RX 6500 XT consumed 77.1 watts of power.
- Specifically, this means that the RX 6500 XT is 68.6% more power-efficient than the RTX 3050.
- The RTX 3050 drew just 1 watt of extra power compared to its TDP rating, while the RX 6500 XT consumed power well under its rating of 107 watts, on average.
Overall Thermal Performance
With the GeForce RTX 3050 drawing much more power, does it also run hotter? Let’s see.
- The RTX 3050 ran at 62.1°C on average, while in contrast, the RX 6500 XT averaged at 59.6°C across the 8 tests.
- Thus, the RX 6500 XT is 4.1% more thermally efficient than the RTX 3050 as far as 1080P gaming is concerned.
Also, if you’re facing rising GPU temperatures, check out our guide on how to lower GPU temperatures.
Prices, Availability, And Value
Let’s talk about the prices and availability first. The RTX 3050 has an MSRP of $300 and hasn’t yet seen a price cut. In terms of availability (as of April 2022), the card can’t be found for its base MSRP, but many variants can be found under the $250 mark. The PNY VERTO variant is the cheapest one at $260.
Talking about the RX 6500 XT, it launched at an unappealing price point of $200 – and, while it never saw an official price drop, it has been seen selling cheaper, at around $170. In terms of availability, you can find cards close to this $170 mark, with variants like ASRock’s CLI going for even less at $160.
Also Check: GTX 1650 vs RTX 3050
If we compare the current MSRP of the two cards, the RX 6500 XT is 47% cheaper than the RTX 3050 on average. At the same time, the RX 6500 XT performed 33.8% slower than its Nvidia competitor. Thus, regarding value, the RX 6500 XT is actually the better card. Also, the RTX 3050 is much more power-consuming, so it poses an additional concern in terms of electricity costs.
Should You Get RTX 3050 or RX 6500 XT?
- Our RTX 3050 vs RX 6500 XT comparison showed us that the 3050 proved to be the better card in terms of gaming performance.
- At the same time, the RX 6500 XT is much cheaper, providing more value. Thus, you can opt for either card, but keep in mind:
- The RTX 3050 is quite capable for 1080P gaming but won’t manage decent FPS in most games if you use ray-tracing.
- The RX 6500 XT only has 4 GB of video memory, which might prove lacklustre for 1080P gaming in most modern AAA titles.
After considering these two points, you can decide which graphics card will suit you better and make the purchase. We hope our guide has helped you in making a decision.
If you still find yourself in a fix, read our guide on how to choose the right graphics card for your PC.
Pros And Cons
| GPU | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| RTX 3050 |
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| RX 6500 XT |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The RTX 3050 performed 33.8% faster than the RX 6500 XT in 1080P gaming.
The RTX 3050 possesses more video memory at a higher bandwidth and more render units compared to the RX 6500 XT.
The RTX 3050 has a higher TDP rating than the RX 6500 XT and consumed 68.6% more power in our 1080P gaming analysis.
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