6 Causes the Nvidia RTX 2060 Is Higher Than the RTX 3050

When NVIDIA introduced the RTX 3050, many have been delighted that the corporate was releasing a extra inexpensive, entry-level card to assist avid gamers on a price range.

Nonetheless, after they launched the specs, many stated getting the earlier technology RTX 2060 was higher. True sufficient, when the cardboard was launched and testers bought their arms on it, the outcomes spoke for themselves.

So, listed below are 5 the explanation why it is best to save your cash and go for the last-gen RTX 2060 as a substitute.

Specs

Earlier than going in-depth, it is good to take a look at the numbers on each playing cards. These are the specs for each playing cards, compiled from information from NVIDIA and TechPowerUp.

1. Uncooked Energy

The spec sheet exhibits that the RTX 3050 has the next base and boosts clock velocity, clocking in at 1,545 MHz and 1,780 MHz, respectively. The RTX 2060 solely delivers a 1,365 MHz base clock velocity and a 1,680 MHz boosted efficiency.

Regardless of that, the latter nonetheless defeats the previous in processing energy, measured in TFLOPS. The bottom mannequin RTX 2060, with solely 6GB RAM, can course of 10.483 TFLOPS in half-precision format. When boosted, the values improve to 12.902 TFLOPS. It could possibly additionally course of 25.2 TFLOPS in ray tracing efficiency.

However, the RTX 3050 can solely handle 7.946 TFLOPS in half-precision format and 9.098 TFLOPS when boosted. It additionally solely has 18.2 TFLOPS ray tracing efficiency. The RTX 2060’s processing energy is 32% larger than the RTX 3050’s. When boosted, this efficiency hole will increase to 42%.

It additionally has 38% extra ray tracing functionality, making the RTX 2060 extra succesful, regardless of having much less RAM and CUDA Cores.

2. Theoretical Efficiency

The pixel and texel fillrate measure a graphics card’s theoretical efficiency. This metric measures the pixels or texture map components (texels) the cardboard can render and write to reminiscence in a single second.

The RTX 2060 can ship 65.52 GPixels and 163.8 GTexels, whereas the RTX 3050 solely has 49.6 GPixels and 124.1 GTexels. This implies the RTX 2060 can render scenes and textures a lot sooner than the 3050.

It’s also possible to see the larger bus width of the RTX 2060 delivers higher efficiency over the RTX 3050, regardless of the latter having extra VRAM. The older GPU’s reminiscence bandwidth is 336 GB/s, whereas the newer one solely has 224 GB/s. This ends in sooner learn/write speeds, permitting the video card to course of extra data rapidly.

3. Precise FPS Output

Regardless of the larger theoretical output of the Nvidia RTX 2060, the larger numbers is not going to matter if the graphics card can’t translate that into precise frames. However, as we have seen within the earlier end result, the older video card nonetheless outclasses the brand new one.

A number of benchmark outcomes constantly present the RTX 2060 posting higher outcomes throughout totally different exams. For instance, it returns 114 fps in lighting exams, 117 fps in reflection exams, 134 fps in rendering exams, and 101 fps in particle system exams.

The RTX 3050 solely delivered 103 fps, 86.6 fps, 84.5 fps, and 73.4 fps, respectively. That is a median of 35% higher efficiency for the last-generation video card over the most recent entry-level providing. And when each playing cards are overclocked, this distinction additional will increase to 41%.

We have additionally checked out some FPS outcomes from precise video games, as examined by TechSpot.

With these outcomes, you’ll be able to see that the RTX 2060 constantly outperforms the RTX 3050, save for one title. On common, the RTX 3050 will get 115 FPS at 1080p and 79 FPS at 1440p. However, the 2060 averages 127 FPS for 1080p and 87 FPS for 1440p gaming.

So, whether or not you are gaming at 1080p or 1440p, the older card has a ten% efficiency benefit over the newer GPU.

4. Use in Crypto Mining

Whereas the RTX 3050’s 8GB VRAM permits it to carry out higher, it’s also ultimate for mining. If you examine it in opposition to the RTX 2060, which solely has 6GB VRAM, this makes the RTX 3050 extra fascinating for crypto mining operations.

On condition that, miners are extra inclined to make use of the RTX 3050, as the extra RAM will help with the uncooked computational load required to mine Bitcoin. So, if you happen to purchase a used RTX 3050, you are extra prone to encounter a card that was used for mining. So, earlier than you fork over your hard-earned money when shopping for a secondhand, it is best to examine if the GPU was modded for crypto mining.

5. Extra Port Choices

The inventory port choices for Nvidia for the 3050 solely offer you a single HDMI 2.1 port and two DisplayPort 1.4a ports. However, the RTX 2060 has an additional DVI and a USB-C port.

This provides you extra choices, particularly when you’ve got an older monitor that solely makes use of a DVI plug. Its USB-C port additionally permits you to plug in different gadgets—not simply screens. This can allow you so as to add the newer commonplace on a comparatively previous PC with solely USB-A ports.

The RTX 2060 Outperforms the 3050, However You may Need to Pay the Worth

Whereas most would say newer is healthier, that isn’t at all times the case. That is very true with the RTX 3050 and the RTX 2060. The previous is a superb improve if you happen to’re coming from the GTX 1650 or 1050. But when you have already got the RTX 2060, the RTX 3050 is definitely a downgrade from it.

In any case, the RTX 3050 is Nvidia’s current-generation entry-level GPU in early 2023, whereas the RTX 2060 is its previous-generation mid-range providing. So, if you wish to retain a equally highly effective video card for the present technology, go for the RTX 3060 as a substitute.

However if you wish to get into the ray tracing bandwagon with an RTX GPU, and have solely the price range for a 3050, contemplate discovering a used RTX 2060 with an honest historical past as a substitute. You may get extra bang for the buck for this card when you’re ready for the mid-range 4000-series GPUs to return out.