GeForce GTX 950M vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 950M

2015Core: 914 MHzBoost: 1124 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

About G3D Mark

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 950M

2015

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 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 63.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

  • 214.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
  • 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.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB better than GeForce GTX 950M?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB averages 214.0% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 10,749 vs 2,575 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is a 2024 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 950M is a 2015 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 2015, 317.4% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 2 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.
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 priced in an unclear MSRP range at $169 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 214.0% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 317.4% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is GeForce GTX 950M still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. GeForce GTX 950M 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 an unclear 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 950MGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low23 FPS85 FPS
medium13 FPS72 FPS
high8 FPS60 FPS
ultra4 FPS40 FPS
1440p
low11 FPS74 FPS
medium6 FPS64 FPS
high3 FPS47 FPS
ultra1 FPS30 FPS
4K
low4 FPS27 FPS
medium2 FPS25 FPS
high1 FPS17 FPS
ultra1 FPS15 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 950MGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low64 FPS174 FPS
medium36 FPS149 FPS
high26 FPS118 FPS
ultra16 FPS87 FPS
1440p
low29 FPS129 FPS
medium18 FPS106 FPS
high12 FPS83 FPS
ultra9 FPS62 FPS
4K
low10 FPS74 FPS
medium7 FPS62 FPS
high6 FPS48 FPS
ultra4 FPS34 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 950MGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low116 FPS484 FPS
medium93 FPS387 FPS
high77 FPS322 FPS
ultra58 FPS242 FPS
1440p
low87 FPS363 FPS
medium70 FPS290 FPS
high58 FPS242 FPS
ultra43 FPS181 FPS
4K
low58 FPS242 FPS
medium46 FPS193 FPS
high39 FPS161 FPS
ultra29 FPS121 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 950MGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low116 FPS243 FPS
medium93 FPS210 FPS
high77 FPS171 FPS
ultra58 FPS144 FPS
1440p
low87 FPS185 FPS
medium70 FPS166 FPS
high58 FPS131 FPS
ultra43 FPS109 FPS
4K
low58 FPS104 FPS
medium46 FPS87 FPS
high37 FPS69 FPS
ultra29 FPS55 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 950M and GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 950M

The GeForce GTX 950M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 914 MHz to 1124 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,575 points.

NVIDIA

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 950M scores 2,575 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 10,749 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 317.4%. The GeForce GTX 950M is built on Maxwell while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 950M) vs 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Raw compute: 1.439 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 950M) vs 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Boost clocks: 1124 MHz vs 1470 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950MGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
G3D Mark Score
2,575
10,749+317%
Architecture
Maxwell
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
640
2304+260%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.439 TFLOPS
6.774 TFLOPS+371%
Boost Clock
1124 MHz
1470 MHz+31%
ROPs
16
32+100%
TMUs
40
72+80%
L1 Cache
0.31 MB
2.3 MB+642%
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 950M is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950MGeForce 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
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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 950M comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has 6 GB. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 96-bit.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950MGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
6 GB+200%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
168 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit+33%
96-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 950M draws 75W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 70W — a 6.9% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 950M) vs 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs None.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950MGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
TDP
75W
70W-7%
Recommended PSU
350W
300W-14%
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
None
Length
160mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
34.3
153.6+348%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the newer GPU (2024 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce GTX 950MGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
MSRP
$169
Codename
GM107
GA107
Release
March 13 2015
February 2 2024
Ranking
#626
#252