GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Tesla M40 24GB

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
NVIDIA

Tesla M40 24GB

2015Core: 948 MHzBoost: 1112 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 RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

  • Costs $1,831 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $2,000 MSRP).
  • Delivers 1095.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 5.3 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $2,000 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
  • Draws 70W instead of 250W, a 180W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Tesla M40 24GB

2015

Why buy it

  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
  • 1083.4% HIGHER MSRP
    $2,000 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.3 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($2,000 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).
  • 257.1% higher power demand at 250W vs 70W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB better than Tesla M40 24GB?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,749 vs 10,641 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is a 2024 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Tesla M40 24GB 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, 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 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $169 MSRP. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is about $1,831 cheaper on MSRP at $169 MSRP versus $2,000 MSRP, and you are getting 1.0% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $169 MSRP gets you newer hardware, lower power draw (70W vs 250W), and DLSS Super Resolution.
Is Tesla M40 24GB still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Tesla M40 24GB is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below $2,000 MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with newer hardware and DLSS Super Resolution.

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 RTX 3050 6GBTesla M40 24GB
1080p
low85 FPS151 FPS
medium72 FPS130 FPS
high60 FPS106 FPS
ultra40 FPS65 FPS
1440p
low74 FPS121 FPS
medium64 FPS103 FPS
high47 FPS76 FPS
ultra30 FPS47 FPS
4K
low27 FPS42 FPS
medium25 FPS38 FPS
high17 FPS24 FPS
ultra15 FPS20 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3050 6GBTesla M40 24GB
1080p
low174 FPS248 FPS
medium149 FPS214 FPS
high118 FPS163 FPS
ultra87 FPS128 FPS
1440p
low129 FPS173 FPS
medium106 FPS142 FPS
high83 FPS115 FPS
ultra62 FPS89 FPS
4K
low74 FPS96 FPS
medium62 FPS78 FPS
high48 FPS65 FPS
ultra34 FPS49 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3050 6GBTesla M40 24GB
1080p
low484 FPS479 FPS
medium387 FPS383 FPS
high322 FPS319 FPS
ultra242 FPS239 FPS
1440p
low363 FPS359 FPS
medium290 FPS287 FPS
high242 FPS239 FPS
ultra181 FPS180 FPS
4K
low242 FPS239 FPS
medium193 FPS192 FPS
high161 FPS160 FPS
ultra121 FPS120 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3050 6GBTesla M40 24GB
1080p
low243 FPS293 FPS
medium210 FPS252 FPS
high171 FPS210 FPS
ultra144 FPS163 FPS
1440p
low185 FPS217 FPS
medium166 FPS192 FPS
high131 FPS154 FPS
ultra109 FPS118 FPS
4K
low104 FPS120 FPS
medium87 FPS96 FPS
high69 FPS80 FPS
ultra55 FPS61 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and Tesla M40 24GB

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.

NVIDIA

Tesla M40 24GB

The Tesla M40 24GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 10 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 948 MHz to 1112 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,641 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 and the Tesla M40 24GB reaches 10,641 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Tesla M40 24GB uses Maxwell 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 3,072 (Tesla M40 24GB). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 6.832 TFLOPS (Tesla M40 24GB). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 1112 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBTesla M40 24GB
G3D Mark Score
10,749+1%
10,641
Architecture
Ampere
Maxwell 2.0
Process Node
8 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
2304
3072+33%
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.774 TFLOPS
6.832 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1470 MHz+32%
1112 MHz
ROPs
32
96+200%
TMUs
72
192+167%
L1 Cache
2.3 MB+109%
1.1 MB
L2 Cache
2 MB
3 MB+50%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Tesla M40 24GB relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBTesla M40 24GB
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla M40 24GB has 8 GB. The Tesla M40 24GB offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 96-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 3 MB (Tesla M40 24GB) — the Tesla M40 24GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBTesla M40 24GB
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Bus Width
96-bit
256-bit+167%
L2 Cache
2 MB
3 MB+50%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 12.1 (Tesla M40 24GB). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBTesla M40 24GB
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.1
Vulkan
1.3+18%
1.1
OpenGL
4.6+2%
4.5
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs NVENC 4.0 (2x) (Tesla M40 24GB). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Tesla M40 24GB).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBTesla M40 24GB
Encoder
NVENC (5th Gen)
NVENC 4.0 (2x)
Decoder
NVDEC (7th Gen)
PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Tesla M40 24GB's 250W — a 112.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 500W (Tesla M40 24GB). Power connectors: None vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 160mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBTesla M40 24GB
TDP
70W-72%
250W
Recommended PSU
300W-40%
500W
Power Connector
None
PCIe-powered
Length
160mm
267mm
Height
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C-12%
85°C
Perf/Watt
153.6+261%
42.6
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB launched at $169 MSRP, while the Tesla M40 24GB launched at $2000. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB costs 91.5% less ($1831 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 5.3 (Tesla M40 24GB) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 1100% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the newer GPU (2024 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBTesla M40 24GB
MSRP
$169-92%
$2000
Performance per Dollar
63.6+1100%
5.3
Codename
GA107
GM200
Release
February 2 2024
November 10 2015
Ranking
#252
#253