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

✅+39.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 28% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 47.8 vs 37.3 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 130W instead of 150W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Radeon RX 480

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $20 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (8,546 vs 11,892).
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 37.3 vs 47.8 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌15.4% higher power demand at 150W vs 130W.

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

2022

Radeon RX 480

2016

Why buy it

✅+39.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 28% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 47.8 vs 37.3 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 130W instead of 150W, a 20W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Costs $20 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Trade-offs

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (8,546 vs 11,892).
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 37.3 vs 47.8 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌15.4% higher power demand at 150W vs 130W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 OEM better than Radeon RX 480?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 11,892 vs 8,546 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon RX 480 is a 2016 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. 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 OEM is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2016, 39.2% more raw performance headroom, the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling, and a 8nm process instead of 14nm. 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 OEM is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is about 8.7% more expensive on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $229 MSRP, and you are getting 39.2% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 480 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon RX 480 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon RX 480 is 2016 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM, 8,546 in G3D Mark, and FSR upscaling. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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

Radeon RX 480 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon RX 480
1080p
low	130 FPS	134 FPS
medium	113 FPS	113 FPS
high	99 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	58 FPS
1440p
low	119 FPS	114 FPS
medium	96 FPS	96 FPS
high	81 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	42 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	39 FPS
medium	57 FPS	36 FPS
high	39 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	33 FPS	19 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Open Radeon RX 480

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon RX 480
1080p
low	239 FPS	156 FPS
medium	206 FPS	135 FPS
high	164 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	163 FPS	91 FPS
medium	135 FPS	71 FPS
high	112 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	44 FPS
4K
low	88 FPS	37 FPS
medium	74 FPS	29 FPS
high	62 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	18 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Open Radeon RX 480

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon RX 480
1080p
low	535 FPS	385 FPS
medium	428 FPS	308 FPS
high	357 FPS	256 FPS
ultra	268 FPS	192 FPS
1440p
low	401 FPS	288 FPS
medium	321 FPS	231 FPS
high	268 FPS	192 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	144 FPS
4K
low	268 FPS	192 FPS
medium	214 FPS	154 FPS
high	178 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	96 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Open Radeon RX 480

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon RX 480
1080p
low	467 FPS	290 FPS
medium	414 FPS	252 FPS
high	335 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	268 FPS	166 FPS
1440p
low	372 FPS	213 FPS
medium	321 FPS	190 FPS
high	236 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	118 FPS
4K
low	199 FPS	120 FPS
medium	175 FPS	98 FPS
high	150 FPS	80 FPS
ultra	125 FPS	62 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Open Radeon RX 480

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3050 OEM and Radeon RX 480

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.

Radeon RX 480

The Radeon RX 480 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 29 2016. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1120 MHz to 1266 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,546 points. Launch price was $229.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 11,892 versus the Radeon RX 480's 8,546 — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM leads by 39.2%. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 480 uses GCN 4.0, both on 8 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 480). Raw compute: 8.986 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 5.834 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 480). Boost clocks: 1755 MHz vs 1266 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon RX 480
G3D Mark Score	11,892+39%	8,546
Architecture	Ampere	GCN 4.0
Process Node	8 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	2560+11%	2304
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.986 TFLOPS+54%	5.834 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1755 MHz+39%	1266 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	80	144+80%
L1 Cache	2.5 MB+346%	0.56 MB
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 480 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon RX 480
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 8 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 480) — a 14.3% advantage for the Radeon RX 480. Bus width: 128-bit vs 256-bit.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon RX 480
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	256 GB/s+14%
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 12.0 (Radeon RX 480). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon RX 480
DirectX	12.2+2%	12.0
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 VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 480). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 480).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon RX 480
Encoder	8th Gen NVENC	VCE 3.4
Decoder	5th Gen NVDEC	UVD 6.3
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM draws 130W versus the Radeon RX 480's 150W — a 14.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 500W (Radeon RX 480). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 235mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon RX 480
TDP	130W-13%	150W
Recommended PSU	450W-10%	500W
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	235mm	240mm
Height	124mm	95mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C-12%	85°C
Perf/Watt	91.5+61%	57.0

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 480 launched at $229. The Radeon RX 480 costs 8% less ($20 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 47.8 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 37.3 (Radeon RX 480) — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM offers 28.2% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2016).