RTX 3060 12GB vs RTX 5050 8GB
They perform within a few percent of each other at 1440p, and the RTX 5050 8GB costs about $135 less right now. For the money, the RTX 5050 8GB is the better buy.
Graphics card
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
$374
cheapest new: ASUS Dual at Centre Com · used about $235
- Video memory
- 12 GB
- Power
- 170 W
- Recommended power supply
- 550 W
- Power connector
- 8-pin
- Card length
- 200–282 mm
- Released
- 2021
Models: ASUS Dual, MSI Ventus 2X OC, Gigabyte Gaming OC
Graphics card · better value
GeForce RTX 5050 8GB
—
No new stock · used about $239
- Video memory
- 8 GB
- Power
- 130 W
- Recommended power supply
- 550 W
- Power connector
- 8-pin
- Card length
- 190–229 mm
- Released
- 2025
Models: MSI Ventus 2X OC, Gigabyte Windforce OC, ASUS Dual OC
Average frame rates
Estimated across demanding games at High settings, each tested with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D and 32 GB of DDR5-6000.
Cost per frame at 1440p: RTX 3060 12GB $9 · RTX 5050 8GB $5
Game by game at 1440p
| Game | RTX 3060 12GB | RTX 5050 8GB | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 26 | 21 | RTX 3060 12GB +24% |
| Black Myth: Wukong | 22 | 17 | RTX 3060 12GB +29% |
| Fortnite | 61 | 68 | RTX 5050 8GB +11% |
| Counter-Strike 2 | 131 | 145 | RTX 5050 8GB +11% |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | 48 | 46 | RTX 3060 12GB +4% |
| Baldur’s Gate 3 | 39 | 37 | RTX 3060 12GB +5% |
Which graphics card should you buy?
- Better value: the RTX 5050 8GB costs less per frame ($5 vs $9 per fps at 1440p).
- The RTX 3060 12GB has more video memory (12 GB vs 8 GB), which matters for 1440p and 4K with high textures — 8 GB is already tight in some new games.
- The RTX 5050 8GB uses about 40 W less, so it runs cooler and quieter and can get by with a smaller power supply.
Check either card with your processor in the bottleneck checker, or try it in a full build in the builder.
Related comparisons
Frame rates are Rigsmith estimates from its performance indices, not measured benchmarks. Prices are the cheapest in-stock new price at Australian stores as of 12/11/2026, including GST.