- Nvidia is expected to release a new RTX 3050 with 6GB video memory and watered-down specifications.
- The performance of the RTX 3050 (6GB) will be slightly lower than the 8GB variant, as it has a lower CUDA core count, GPU clock speeds, and 70W power consumption.
- The Nvidia RTX 3050 (6GB) should launch in the "next few weeks," possibly in January 2024 itself.
For weeks, we have been hearing rumors about Nvidia’s plans to launch a new entry-level graphics card in the sub-$200 price segment. Some of the leaks pointed towards RTX 3050 releasing in early January. Now, the key specifications of the upcoming RTX 3050 6GB have surfaced, along with the price and availability speculations.
The company is highly expected to offer its new RTX 3050 variant at a super aggressive price point. This is to push more gamers towards upgrading to RTX GPUs, which feature RT cores, Tensor cores, and several modern architectural benefits.
Nvidia RTX 3050 (6GB) Specifications Leaked
Talking about the leaked specs, Courtesy of Videocardz‘s sources, the VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth on the 6GB RTX 3050 receive a major downgrade. The RTX 3050 has 6GB VRAM and 168 GB/s memory bandwidth. Both are 25% lower compared to the previous 8GB model. The power consumption is much lower at 70 watts. Thanks to its efficiency, RTX 3050 6GB could turn out to be a great budget GPU to upgrade older desktop systems.
Specifications New RTX 3050 (6GB) Old RTX 3050 (8GB) CUDA Cores 2304 2560 VRAM Capacity 6GB GDDR6 8GB GDDR6 Memory Bandwidth 168 GB/s 224 GB/s GPU Core Boost Clock Speed 1470 MHz 1777 MHz GPU Core Base Clock Speed 1042 MHz 1552 MHz Total Graphics Power (TGP) 70W 130W
Many aspects of the RTX 3050 such as the CUDA core count, GPU clock speed, Total Graphics Power (TGP), and other specs have all been nerfed for the new budget implementation from Nvidia, which is targeting a lower entry point. We have also seen the Nvidia RTX 3050 6GB being listed online in a previous leak. This showed an upcoming Palit graphics card with placeholder pricing.
The specs revealed in this previous leak stated a power supply with a 6-pin GPU power connector is required. However, this new leak says the GPU will have a 70W TGP. Because of this, I expect many upcoming new RTX 3050 AIB GPUs will not require any dedicated power connector.
The PCI-e slots on a motherboard can provide up to 75W to the graphics card. Still, some AIB implementations of this new RTX 3050 (6GB) should provide a dedicated PCI-e power connector solution. These should also feature a higher TDP and better clock speeds.
RTX 3050 (6GB): Leaked Price & Availability Info
Speaking of price, the existing RTX 3050 with 8GB memory by Asus usually sells for around $240 on Amazon. Sometimes, the RTX 3050 is even available on sale for a lower price of $220. So, RTX 3050 with 6GB memory should launch with an MSRP of below $200.
Before the specifications of the RTX 3050 6GB surfaced, a price point of $179 was also mentioned in a previous leak coming via Chinese forums BoardChannels.
The supposed RTX 3050 graphics card with 6GB memory did not arrive at CES 2024, where Nvidia unveiled its new RTX 40 Super lineup. Reportedly, this new RTX 3050 with various watered-down specifications will be launching in the “next few weeks“. We should see Nvidia launching its new budget-centric RTX 3050 graphics card in January 2024 itself.
What are your thoughts on the upcoming RTX 3050 6GB variant? If your PC currently has a GTX card, does this new RTX 3050 entice you to upgrade? Let us know in the comments below.
