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 RTX 3050 OEM

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 130W instead of 170W, a 40W reduction.
✅Measures 235mm instead of 242mm, a 7mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 8GB across 12 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (80 vs 112), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

2022

Why buy it

✅35.7% more average FPS across 12 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅40% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (112 vs 80).

Trade-offs

❌
32.1% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌30.8% higher power demand at 170W vs 130W.

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

2022

GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 130W instead of 170W, a 40W reduction.
✅Measures 235mm instead of 242mm, a 7mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅35.7% more average FPS across 12 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅40% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (112 vs 80).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 8GB across 12 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (80 vs 112), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

Trade-offs

❌
32.1% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌30.8% higher power demand at 170W vs 130W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 8GB better than GeForce RTX 3050 OEM?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 8GB is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 35.7% more average FPS across 12 tracked games in our benchmark data, 27.9% higher PassMark G3D performance, and 112 vs 80 Tensor cores.

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

GeForce RTX 3060 8GB is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 27.9% more raw performance headroom and 40.0% more ray-tracing hardware. That extra performance headroom should help it hold higher settings and newer game demands for longer.

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

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is easier to justify on price alone at $249 MSRP, but GeForce RTX 3060 8GB is still the stronger gaming card overall. GeForce RTX 3060 8GB is about 32.1% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 35.7% more estimated average FPS across 12 tracked games in our benchmark data and 27.9% higher G3D Mark. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium. Go with GeForce RTX 3060 8GB if you want the better experience; go with GeForce RTX 3050 OEM if keeping cost down matters more than squeezing out the highest performance.

Is GeForce RTX 3050 OEM still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is still a very good gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. Around $249 MSRP, it makes sense if you would rather save money than pay about 32.1% more for the extra performance. If you have more room in the budget, GeForce RTX 3060 8GB is still the safer long-term pick.

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 RTX 3050 OEM Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 8GB Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
1080p
low	130 FPS	183 FPS
medium	113 FPS	163 FPS
high	99 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	119 FPS	154 FPS
medium	96 FPS	127 FPS
high	81 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	84 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	73 FPS
medium	57 FPS	63 FPS
high	39 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	33 FPS	35 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Open GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
1080p
low	239 FPS	350 FPS
medium	206 FPS	298 FPS
high	164 FPS	240 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	185 FPS
1440p
low	163 FPS	214 FPS
medium	135 FPS	182 FPS
high	112 FPS	149 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	119 FPS
4K
low	88 FPS	104 FPS
medium	74 FPS	85 FPS
high	62 FPS	71 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	54 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Open GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
1080p
low	535 FPS	684 FPS
medium	428 FPS	547 FPS
high	357 FPS	456 FPS
ultra	268 FPS	342 FPS
1440p
low	401 FPS	513 FPS
medium	321 FPS	411 FPS
high	268 FPS	342 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	257 FPS
4K
low	268 FPS	342 FPS
medium	214 FPS	274 FPS
high	178 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	171 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Open GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
1080p
low	467 FPS	545 FPS
medium	414 FPS	478 FPS
high	335 FPS	402 FPS
ultra	268 FPS	333 FPS
1440p
low	372 FPS	434 FPS
medium	321 FPS	382 FPS
high	236 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	248 FPS
4K
low	199 FPS	285 FPS
medium	175 FPS	268 FPS
high	150 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	125 FPS	171 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Open GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3050 OEM and GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1515 MHz to 1755 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 20 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,892 points.

GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

The GeForce RTX 3060 8GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 12 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 15,208 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 11,892 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB's 15,208 — the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB leads by 27.9%. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB uses Ampere, both on a 8 nm process. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB). Raw compute: 8.986 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB). Boost clocks: 1755 MHz vs 1777 MHz. Ray tracing: 20 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 28 (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB) with 80 Tensor cores vs 112.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
G3D Mark Score	11,892	15,208+28%
Architecture	Ampere	Ampere
Process Node	8 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2560	3584+40%
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.986 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+42%
Boost Clock	1755 MHz	1777 MHz+1%
ROPs	32	48+50%
TMUs	80	112+40%
L1 Cache	2.5 MB	3.5 MB+40%
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%
Ray Tracing Cores	20	28+40%
Tensor Cores	80	112+40%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	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 8 GB of GDDR6. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 240 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB) — a 7.1% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB) — the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	240 GB/s+7%
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
DirectX	12.2+2%	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
Encoder	8th Gen NVENC	NVENC 7th gen
Decoder	5th Gen NVDEC	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)	H.264,H.265/HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM draws 130W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB's 170W — a 26.7% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 235mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
TDP	130W-24%	170W
Recommended PSU	450W-18%	550W
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	235mm	242mm
Height	124mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	75°C
Perf/Watt	91.5+2%	89.5

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM launched at $249 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB launched at $329. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM costs 24.3% less ($80 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 47.8 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 46.2 (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB) — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM offers 3.5% better value.