G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 780

2013

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 6GB across 28 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
195.3% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 15.9 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

✅14.7% more average FPS across 28 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $330 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 298.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 15.9 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

GeForce GTX 780

2013

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅14.7% more average FPS across 28 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $330 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 298.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 15.9 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 6GB across 28 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
195.3% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 15.9 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB better than GeForce GTX 780?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB averages 14.7% more FPS across 28 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 10,749 vs 7,957 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is a 2024 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 780 is a 2013 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2024 generation instead of 2013, 35.1% more raw performance headroom, better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 8nm process instead of 28nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is about $330 cheaper on MSRP at $169 MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and you are getting 14.7% more estimated average FPS across 28 tracked games in our benchmark data and 35.1% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 298.9%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce GTX 780 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce GTX 780 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $499 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 780 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low	78 FPS	109 FPS
medium	67 FPS	92 FPS
high	54 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	45 FPS
1440p
low	68 FPS	95 FPS
medium	60 FPS	81 FPS
high	43 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	34 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	30 FPS
medium	24 FPS	28 FPS
high	16 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	16 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low	181 FPS	174 FPS
medium	152 FPS	149 FPS
high	115 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	87 FPS
1440p
low	123 FPS	129 FPS
medium	92 FPS	106 FPS
high	68 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	48 FPS	62 FPS
4K
low	53 FPS	74 FPS
medium	42 FPS	62 FPS
high	36 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	34 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low	358 FPS	484 FPS
medium	286 FPS	387 FPS
high	239 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	242 FPS
1440p
low	269 FPS	363 FPS
medium	215 FPS	290 FPS
high	179 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	181 FPS
4K
low	179 FPS	242 FPS
medium	143 FPS	193 FPS
high	119 FPS	161 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	121 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low	214 FPS	284 FPS
medium	179 FPS	244 FPS
high	143 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	160 FPS
1440p
low	166 FPS	208 FPS
medium	141 FPS	188 FPS
high	109 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	118 FPS
4K
low	94 FPS	118 FPS
medium	73 FPS	99 FPS
high	58 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	63 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 780 and GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

GeForce GTX 780

The GeForce GTX 780 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 23 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 863 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,957 points. Launch price was $649.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 2 2024. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1042 MHz to 1470 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 18 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,749 points. Launch price was $179.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 780 scores 7,957 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 10,749 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 35.1%. The GeForce GTX 780 is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce GTX 780) vs 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Raw compute: 4.156 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 780) vs 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1470 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
G3D Mark Score	7,957	10,749+35%
Architecture	Kepler	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2304	2304
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.156 TFLOPS	6.774 TFLOPS+63%
Boost Clock	900 MHz	1470 MHz+63%
ROPs	48+50%	32
TMUs	192+167%	72
L1 Cache	0.19 MB	2.3 MB+1111%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	2 MB+33%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 780 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 6 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (GeForce GTX 780) vs 168 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — a 71.4% advantage for the GeForce GTX 780. Bus width: 384-bit vs 96-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 780) vs 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s+71%	168 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+300%	96-bit
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	2 MB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 780) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Vulkan: 1.0 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.0	1.3+30%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 780) vs NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs NVDEC (7th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 780) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB).

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Encoder	NVENC 1st Gen	NVENC (5th Gen)
Decoder	NVDEC 1st Gen	NVDEC (7th Gen)
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 780 draws 250W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 70W — a 112.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 780) vs 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs None. Card length: 267mm vs 160mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
TDP	250W	70W-72%
Recommended PSU	600W	300W-50%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	None
Length	267mm	160mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80	75°C-6%
Perf/Watt	31.8	153.6+383%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 780 launched at $499 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB launched at $169. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB costs 66.1% less ($330 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 15.9 (GeForce GTX 780) vs 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 300% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the newer GPU (2024 vs 2013).