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 1050 Ti

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $189 less on MSRP ($140 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 70W instead of 170W, a 100W reduction.
✅Measures 211mm instead of 242mm, a 31mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,350 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 45.4 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($140 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅+167.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 13.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 45.4 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $140 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌142.9% higher power demand at 170W vs 70W.
❌14.7% longer card at 242mm vs 211mm.

GeForce GTX 1050 Ti

2016

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $189 less on MSRP ($140 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 70W instead of 170W, a 100W reduction.
✅Measures 211mm instead of 242mm, a 31mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅+167.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 13.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 45.4 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $140 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,350 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 45.4 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($140 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌142.9% higher power demand at 170W vs 70W.
❌14.7% longer card at 242mm vs 211mm.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than GeForce GTX 1050 Ti?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 6,350 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is a 2016 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 3060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2016, 167.6% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 4 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 3060 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 is about 135.0% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $140 MSRP, and you are getting 167.6% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1050 Ti really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is GeForce GTX 1050 Ti still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is 2016 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 6,350 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. 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 GTX 1050 Ti Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1050 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	90 FPS	149 FPS
medium	80 FPS	131 FPS
high	67 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	84 FPS	126 FPS
medium	71 FPS	104 FPS
high	56 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	37 FPS	67 FPS
medium	35 FPS	58 FPS
high	24 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	21 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1050 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	118 FPS	354 FPS
medium	85 FPS	310 FPS
high	66 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	62 FPS	222 FPS
medium	46 FPS	196 FPS
high	30 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	20 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	23 FPS	110 FPS
medium	16 FPS	94 FPS
high	12 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	8 FPS	60 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1050 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	286 FPS	765 FPS
medium	229 FPS	612 FPS
high	190 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	382 FPS
1440p
low	214 FPS	535 FPS
medium	171 FPS	432 FPS
high	143 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	287 FPS
4K
low	132 FPS	367 FPS
medium	114 FPS	298 FPS
high	86 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	176 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1050 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	228 FPS	523 FPS
medium	161 FPS	452 FPS
high	139 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	120 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	185 FPS	428 FPS
medium	132 FPS	371 FPS
high	115 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	100 FPS	279 FPS
medium	69 FPS	259 FPS
high	57 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and GeForce RTX 3060

GeForce GTX 1050 Ti

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 25 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1291 MHz to 1392 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,350 points. Launch price was $139.

GeForce RTX 3060

The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. 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: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti scores 6,350 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 167.6%. The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 14 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 2.138 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1392 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	6,350	16,995+168%
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	14 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	768	3584+367%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.138 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+496%
Boost Clock	1392 MHz	1777 MHz+28%
ROPs	32	48+50%
TMUs	48	112+133%
L1 Cache	0.28 MB	3.5 MB+1150%
L2 Cache	1 MB	3 MB+200%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
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)

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 112 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 221.4% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 128-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	12 GB+200%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	112 GB/s	360 GB/s+221%
Bus Width	128-bit	192-bit+50%
L2 Cache	1 MB	3 MB+200%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_1 (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	12_1	12 Ultimate
Max Displays	3	4+33%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6th Gen (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: NVDEC 3rd Gen vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	NVENC 6th Gen	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC 3rd Gen	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti draws 70W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 83.3% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: None vs 8-pin. Card length: 211mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	70W-59%	170W
Recommended PSU	300W-45%	550W
Power Connector	None	8-pin
Length	211mm	242mm
Height	—	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	75
Perf/Watt	90.7	100.0+10%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti launched at $140 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti costs 57.4% less ($189 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 45.4 (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 13.9% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2016).