NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 — Benchmarks & Specs
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-06-07. Price and availability subject to change.
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 is a graphics card from the Ampere family released in 2022 from NVIDIA. Key on-paper specs include 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM, 130W TDP. It launched with a $249 MSRP, though street prices typically diverge meaningfully from launch pricing — see the linked product cards below for current Amazon listings. Data on this page draws on 1+ Amazon listings, 5 synthetic benchmark results, 8 community AI inference reports, aggregated from public benchmark databases (TechPowerUp, PassMark, Geekbench, Cinebench) and the LocalLLaMA community. Read this page when shopping the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050, comparing it against other graphics cards in your build, or sizing it for a specific workload (gaming at 1080p/1440p/4K, productivity benchmarks, or local LLM inference).
Synthetic Benchmarks
Higher is better. Bars are scaled within each benchmark family (multi-thread, single-thread, etc.) so you can compare like-with-like at a glance.
AI Inference Performance
Tokens per second under each model + quantization. Higher = faster generation. Bars compare runs across the same model.
Products Featuring the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
Full Specifications
| tdp w | 130 |
|---|---|
| vram gb | 8 |
| vram type | GDDR6 |
| cuda cores | 2560 |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 best used for?
When was the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 released, and what was its launch MSRP?
Where do the benchmark numbers on this page come from?
Can the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 run local LLMs?
Where can I buy the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050?
Editorial guides covering the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
In-depth SpecPicks reviews, build guides, and head-to-heads referencing this graphics card.
- Best SSD for PS5 and Console-PC Hybrid Setups in 2026
- Best GPU for 1440p Esports in 2026: RTX 3060 12GB Tested
- Best Wireless Controller for PC Gaming on Couch and Living Room (2026)
- Best Internal SSDs for Gaming PCs (2026)
- RTX 3060 12GB vs RTX 4060 — Which Mid-Range GPU for 2026 Builds?
- Best Gaming GPUs for 1080p High-Refresh Rate (2026)
- Best Gaming CPUs for 1080p and 1440p Builds (2026)
- Best Gaming CPUs Under $400 for 2026: Ryzen, X3D, and Intel Picks
- Browse all SpecPicks reviews →
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 ($800 on Sale)
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Intel Arc Pro B70 + llm-scaler-vllm 1.4: Is It the New Budget Inference King?
- RTX 5090 vs RTX A6000 for Local LLMs: Speed (5090) or Capacity (A6000)?
- Ryzen 7 5800X + RTX 3060 12GB: Best 1440p AM4 Build
- Sound Blaster Audigy FX Install Guide for Win98 SE Period-Correct Builds
- Self-Host Jellyfin on a Raspberry Pi 4 8GB in 2026: Setup and Real Transcode Limits
- Running Local LLMs on a Raspberry Pi 5 in 2026: What Works, What Doesn't
- Ryzen AI Max+ 'Gorgon Halo' 192GB vs RTX 3060 12GB for Local LLMs
- Best 16GB GPU for Local LLM 2026
- Anthropic Raises $65B Series H Near a Trillion-Dollar Valuation: What It Means for Local-AI Builders
- Qwen 3.6 35B A3B on RTX 3060 12GB — Real Tok/s and What to Expect
- Ryzen AI Max+ 395 128GB vs Dual RTX 3060 for Local LLMs
- Building a period-correct Windows 98 gaming rig in 2026
- Ryzen 5 5600G vs Core i7-9700K for a Budget 1080p Gaming Build
- Qwen3.6-35B-A3B vs Gemma 4 26B-A4B: MoE Showdown on Consumer GPUs
- Crucial BX500 vs Samsung 870 EVO: Best Budget SATA SSD for Upgrades
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
- Athlon XP + Radeon 9800 Pro AGP Build Guide: 2003 Period-Correct Rig
- RTX 5080 vs RTX 4080 SUPER — one generation apart
- GameSir G7 SE vs HORIPAD Pro: Best Wired PC Controller
- Ryzen 5600G vs 5700X vs 5800X: Best CPU for a 1080p Gaming Build (2026)
- Cactus Hybrid Router: Gemma4-2B Local + Gemini Fallback
- Best Gaming CPU for 1440p Builds in 2026
- Best IDE-to-USB Adapter for Retro PC Data Recovery: FIDECO vs Unitek vs Vantec
- Best CompactFlash and SATA/IDE Adapter for a Retro PC Boot Drive in 2026
- 2000s LAN Party, Modern Build: Period-Correct Hardware That Still Boots in 2026
- Sound Blaster G6 on a Modern Retro Build: When a USB DAC Beats an AWE32
- Grok Imagine Hits #5: Can a $300 RTX 3060 Run Local Image AI?
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
- Running a Local LLM on the Ryzen 7 5800X + RTX 3060 12GB: Ollama Throughput Per Watt
- Best Internal SSD for Gaming PC Build in 2026
- Cerebras Running GPT-5.4 and GPT-5.5 Internally: What the CFO's Slip Tells Us About Wafer-Scale Inference
- NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell vs RTX A6000: Is 96 GB Worth $4,000 More?
- Best Game Controller in 2026: 5 Picks for PC, Console and Retro
- AI-Assisted Driver Hunting on Voodoo3 + GeForce 4 Ti: A 2026 Win98 Workflow
- Self-Host Jellyfin and Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi 4 8GB in 2026
- Best SATA SSD for a PS4 Pro Upgrade in 2026
- ComfyUI on a 12GB RTX 3060: SDXL and Flux Image Gen Benchmarked
- Building a Modern BYOC LAN Party Box: 8 Period-Correct Rigs for QuakeCon-Style Events in 2026
- Best Mouse Pads for Competitive FPS Gaming in 2026
- AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 'Strix Halo' 128GB for Local LLMs: Mini-PC vs an RTX 3060 Rig
- Best SATA SSD for Gaming and Everyday Upgrades in 2026
- AI-Driven Sound Blaster Driver Recovery on Win98 in 2026
- Best Brand Page: Logitech G Gaming Gear Lineup for 2026 PC Builders
- Open WebUI — self-hosted ChatGPT for your local models
- Logitech G920 vs HORI Racing Wheel: Best Beginner Sim Setup (2026)
- GeForce 3 Ti 500 Build Guide: Period-Correct Win98 SE Rig for 2001-Era Gaming
- Blue Yeti vs HyperX QuadCast 2 S: Best USB Mic for Streaming
- How to Find and Join Active UT99 and UT2004 Servers in 2026
- Sound Blaster X G6 on a Windows XP Retro Gaming PC: Worth It?
- llama.cpp vs Ollama on an RTX 3060 12GB: Which Is Faster for Single-User Chat
- Building a Period-Correct 2003 LAN Party Rig with Athlon XP and Audigy 2 ZS
- GeForce 4 Ti 4600 AGP in a Windows XP Build: Drivers, Gotchas and Benchmarks
- Inside the Intel 8087: Decapping a 1980 Math Coprocessor's Microcode
- Best Webcam for PC Game Streaming Under $100 (2026)
- Build a Budget Local-LLM Workstation Under $1,500: Ryzen 7 5800X + RTX 3060 12GB Benchmarks
- Best Budget GPU for CNN & Vision Inference 2026: RTX 3060 12GB
- vLLM vs Ollama on an RTX 3060 12GB: Which Server Wins?
- Best Controller for PC and Steam Gaming in 2026: G7 SE vs 8BitDo Pro 2 vs DualSense
- Forza Horizon 6 on Steam Deck: Best Settings, Dock & Storage in 2026
- Qwen 3.6 27B on 24GB VRAM: Backend, Quant + Settings Synthesis
- Is the Logitech G502 Hero Still the Best FPS Mouse in 2026?
- Best Mini PC for Local LLM Inference in 2026
- Best USB Microphone for Streaming and Podcasting (2026)
- NVMe vs SATA for Game Load Times: WD Blue SN550 vs Crucial BX500 in 2026
- Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus vs Ryzen 5 7600X3D: The Mid-Range Faceoff
- Gemini Intelligence Hardware Requirements: What Google's Stack Tells Us About Local Inference
- Why You Shouldn't Leave Model Selection on Default in Copilot, Gemini, and Other AI Tools
- MTP in llama.cpp: The Regression, the Fix, and the KV-Cache Free Lunch
- Best Noctua and Quiet-Tier CPU Coolers in 2026
- Best Controller for Sim Racing Beginners on PC in 2026
- OpenAI Codex Now Drives Windows Autonomously: What It Means for Local AI Rigs
- Best Internal SSD for PS4 Pro Upgrade in 2026
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Runs Faster on Linux Than Windows 11
- Sega Genesis Mini vs SNES Classic Edition: Which Mini Console Wins in 2026?
- Best Game Streaming Starter Kit in 2026: Mic, Light, and Capture
- LM Studio on an RTX 3060 12GB: Local-LLM Setup and tok/s in 2026
- Jetson Orin Nano Super vs Raspberry Pi 5: Real Edge-AI Benchmarks (2026)
- Best 4K Gaming Monitor Under $400 in 2026: SANSUI vs KOORUI vs Samsung
- Abit BP6 Dual Celeron 366 Build Guide: The Legendary $200 SMP Workstation in 2026
- How to run DeepSeek-R1 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- Adafruit Ships a Triple LED Matrix Bonnet for the Raspberry Pi
- Best Gaming Headset Under $50 for Console + PC (2026)
- SATA SSD vs NVMe for Gaming: Does It Actually Load Faster?
- Best GPU for an AI rig in 2026 — the shortlist
- Forza Horizon 6 on the RTX 3060 12GB: 1080p and 1440p Settings Guide
- Best Retro Gaming Storage Adapters for Win98 and DOS PCs in 2026
- Adding USB Audio to a Retro Windows XP Gaming PC: Sound BlasterX G6
- Voodoo 3 3500 TV vs GeForce 256 DDR: The Last Great 1999 Gaming GPU Showdown
- Audigy 2 ZS Won't Detect in Win98 SE: A Troubleshooting Decision Tree
- Best Mouse and Mousepad for FPS Aim Training in 2026
- Best SSD for Retro PC IDE-to-SATA Builds (Win98, WinXP) in 2026
- 1440p 165Hz vs 4K 60Hz: ASUS TUF VG27 vs SANSUI 27" for Gaming
- Best Gaming Mouse for Office Productivity Crossover (2026)
- UT99 OldUnreal 469 Patch in 2026: Migrate Configs, Rejoin Modern Servers, and Tune Mouse Precision
- Best Gaming Mouse for Logitech G502 Hero Loyalists in 2026
- Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Powers a Privacy-First Ring-Camera Alternative
- Best CPU for a Local-LLM Homelab Under $300 in 2026
- SATA/IDE to USB Adapters in 2026: FIDECO vs Unitek vs Vantec for Retro PC Data Recovery
- Best 4K Monitor for PS5 in 2026 (Without Overpaying)
- Qwen3.6-35B-A3B vs Gemma4-26B-A4B: Which MoE Fits a 12GB RTX 3060
- Best Gaming Headsets and Audio Gear for Console Players in 2026
- Voodoo3 3000 PCI Install Guide for Win98 SE in 2026
- Sound Blaster AWE32 vs AWE64: The 1998 MIDI Decision
- Running Gemma 4 31B Finetunes Locally: Dual RTX 3060 12GB vs Single 24GB Card
- Can a 12GB RTX 3060 Run Gemma 4 31B? Quantization & Tok/s Reality Check
- ComfyUI on an RTX 3060 12GB: VRAM Tuning and Image-Gen Throughput
- Best GPUs for Running Local LLMs in 2026
- Best Microphone for Streaming and Podcasting Under $200 in 2026
- What Hardware Runs a Gemini-Class Model Locally in 2026?
- Voodoo3 3000 Period-Correct Build Log: Quake 3 + UT99 LAN Rig for 1999
- Best Budget SSD for Gaming in 2026: 5 Tested Picks Ranked
- Best Gaming CPUs for 2026: Why the Ryzen 7 9800X3D Leads the Pack
- Best Wireless Streaming Microphones for Twitch in 2026
- Best Capture Setup for Console Streaming in 2026: Elgato Cam Link 4K + PS4 Pro
- Does Ryzen 3D V-Cache Speed Up CPU-Only LLM Inference?
- Qwen 3.6 27B vs Llama 3.1 70B on Local Hardware: tok/s, VRAM, and Quality (2026)
- Solar-Powered Raspberry Pi Bird Identifier Shows the Pi AI Camera's Reach
- Inside reusable-agents: A Self-Hostable LLM Agent Framework Driving Two Live Consumer Sites in 2026
- CompactFlash as a Silent IDE Boot Drive in a Retro Windows 98 Gaming PC: Full 2026 Guide
- Building a Voodoo 2 SLI Windows 98 Gaming Rig in 2026: Period-Correct Parts That Are Still Findable