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Trying to find your entryway into the GPU market then you may be interested in the AMD RX 6500 XT vs RTX 3050. The duo is the most recent release from the companies and is the entryway into the new GPU generation. Both are good solutions for an entry into modern graphics for your first build or a long-needed upgrade.
They may not be the beefiest or best graphics cards but they’re more affordable if they’re available. Aiming themselves towards 1080p gaming and lower quality graphics they are a good alternative for a lot of people. Since a lot of current GPUs have inflated prices and are power-hungry, an alternative is sometimes a good solution.
Architecture
Being from two different manufacturers it is hard to compare the builds of them directly. The RTX 3050 is using the GA106-150-KA-A1 die variant built with Samsungs 8nm process. Featuring 12 billion resistors in a small size of 276mm2. With the RX 6500 XT hosting a Navi 24 XT (215-135000006) die. Built with TSMC’s 6nm process, with 5.4 billion transistors on a smaller 107mm2.
With these builds, they can both take advantage of the newest implementations of features brought by the two. Ray tracing and DLSS/FSR are both available for the cards even at their level. Providing both a good choice of ability as well as a possibility to improve performance.
Specifications
| RX 6500 XT | RTX 3050 | |
|---|---|---|
| GPU | Navi 24 XT | GA106-150 |
| Shaders | 1024 | 2560 |
| RT Cores | 16 | 20 |
| TMUs | 64 | 80 |
| Memory | 4GB GDDR6 | 8GB GDDR6 |
| Base Clock | 2310MHz | 1552MHz |
| Boost clock | 2815MHz | 1777MHz |
| Memory clock | 18Gbps | 14Gbps |
| Card bus | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x8 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 143.9 GB/s | 224.0 GB/s |
| TDP | 107W | 130W |
Comparing the two cards, there are a few differences to consider. They are built on different processes so usually not directly comparable but other areas can be used.
VRAM
Virtual random access memory is important in cards for storing and processing textures. It also helps with shortening load times as well as making sure performance is not lost. As too much data can overload the system. Aimed at 1080p it can be less of an issue but it will unlikely be able to achieve more. With double the VRAM, the 3050 can achieve higher quality gaming without as much performance drop.
Shaders
Shaders on a GPU process the shading in 3D scenes. It may not directly equal improved performance but it does mean faster shader application and ability to. So with over double the count, the 3050 is likely to perform better in shaded environments.
Clock speed
The clock speed of a card is how fast the processing unit on the card is. With the primary function of a GPU is to process graphics a higher number, a higher rate allows for faster processing. And the RX 6500 XT takes the lead in that area, with over a thousand MHz difference in the boost clock. This may vary on an AIB basis but it does mean a much faster die in general.
Card bus
Not always necessary to focus on, but the difference can cause performance drawbacks. They’re both built on a PCIe 4.0 connector so each lane has a throughput of 1.969 GB/s. So with an x8 connecter, the RTX 3050 can transfer 15.754 GB/s. However, the RX 6500 XT is only 7.877 GB/s so half the amount. In itself, it shouldn’t influence performance too much as low-end gaming won’t utilize the full amount. However, if used in a PCIe 3.0 lane an x4 throughput is only 3.938 GB/s which would have an impact overall.
TDP
Thermal design power is the maximum amount of heat the die can produce. Under stress, the cooling will have to dissipate that away from the card. So this usually comes down to the AIBs but also is show how much power the card will use. In these two the 6500 is less powerful and will give out less heat during use.
How do the RX 6500 XT vs RTX 3050 compare on price?
Both GPUs give a sense of hope with their low set MSRP, the RX 6500 XT set to $199, and the RTX 3050 at $249. However, buying them at those prices is highly unlikely. With sell prices of the RTX 3050 starting at near $500, with the RX 6500 XT above $250.
The difference does come at a cost of features. With AMD’s strict cost cap, the GPU comes less equipped than the RTX 3050. Seen through the actual sale cost between the two, the 3050 netting over double compared to only about $50 of the 6500 XT.
One main feature that may contribute to that difference is the VRAM. Popular crypto mining coin Ethereum requires a minimum of 4.6 GB of VRAM to work. Which the RX 6500 XT just misses out on, disqualifying it from being used. The differing specs also likely lead to a difference in performance that may disinterest some people.
RX 6500 XT vs RTX 3050 Performance
We have tested both graphic cards and got first-hand performance data on the RX 6500 XT vs RTX 3050. The models used were the ASUS Dual RTX 3050 and the ASUS TUF RX 6500 XT.
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These benchmarks show how the RTX 3050 does outperform the RX 6500 XT the majority of the time. Unsurprisingly with the spec sheet edging over the AMD competitor. Especially if you want to use higher graphics settings, the 4GB VRAM limit cripples the card.
Even pushing ray tracing you can expect the Nvidia card to perform better with that being the case over the whole generation. However, you can benefit from performance increases on both cards from their upscaling solutions. AMD’s FSR and Nvidia’s DLSS aren’t available in all games yet but where they are they can seriously improve your perfromnace.
Conclusion
Both cards have their benefits, overall we recommend the RTX 3050. But you will struggle to find the card for less than double it’s MSRP. So if you are tight on budget you can still get good performance from the RX 6500 XT, just with some tinkering, it ultimately comes down to market availability and your budget.
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