Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3050 gaming OC 8G graphics card review

By CR EditorBest graphics card for the money
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3050 gaming OC 8G graphics card review

What is good in Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3050?  Get the ultimate gaming performance with GIGABYTE RTX 3050 Graphics Cards. It comes with WINDFORCE 3X Cooling System with alternate spinning fans and RGB Fusion 2.0. It is integrated with 8GB GDDR6 128-bit memory interface. Know more in Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3050 gaming OC 8G graphics card review.

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Pros & Cons

PROS

  • 8-pin power connector
  • Well built for the asking price
  • Affordably priced at MSRP
  • Quiet and cool performance
  • Performs at 60 FPS with DLSS and Ray tracing support

CONS

  • Reliant on DLSS for 60 FPS
  • Outperformed by RTX 2060

Specs

  • Motherboard: Gigabyte B550
  • CPU: Ryzen 5 3600x
  • GPU: Geforce RTX 3050
  • RAM: Gigabyte Aorus 16GB DDR4
  • Storage: Gigabyte 1TB PCIe 7000S SSD
  • Cooler: NZXT Kraken X62
  • PSU: Gigabyte 850W PSU
  • PC Case: NZXT H510 Elite

Price

If we compare the RTX 3050 to the RTX 3060 then the differences in maximum power output becomes clearer. At $81 cheaper, the Gigabyte GeForce Eagle OC doesn’t quite have the same grunt under the hood as the latter video card. The RTX 3060 launched at $329 MSRP featuring 3,584 CUDA cores, 12GB GDDR6 VRAM, and a 192-bit memory bus for around a 23% difference in power overall. 

Compare Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3050 gaming OC 8G graphics card

GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 Gaming OC 8G Graphics Card, 3X WINDFORCE FansZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC Low Hash RateGIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 3070 Master 8G (REV2.0) Graphics Card
Graphics Card InterfacePCI-Express x16PCI-Express x16PCI-Express x16
Graphics CoprocessorNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
Graphics Ram Size8 GB8 GB8 GB
Graphics RamGDDR6GDDR6XGDDR6
Hardware InterfacePCI Express x16PCI Express x16PCI Express x16
Included ComponentsUSERS MANUAL, GRAPHIC CARDZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC LHR graphics card, 2x Dual 6-pin to 8-pin adapter, User ManualGRAPHIC CARD, USERS MANUAL
Item Dimensions11.1 x 4.61 x 1.61 inches—11.42 x 5.16 x 2.36 inches
Memory Bus Width128 bits256 bits256 bits
Memory Clock Speed14000 MHz1755 MHz14000 MHz

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3050 gaming OC 8G graphics card review

Design

It has dimensions of 282mm long, 117mm tall and 41mm thick. The design features a premium look, however, with a nice metal backplate. This RTX 3050 OC Gaming Edition is a dual-slot card, featuring a triple-fan design that is overkill for the 130W TDP of the card, even at its boost clocks.

Ports

The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3050 Eagle OC features all the ports that you would expect to find on a current-generation GPU; 2x DisplayPort 1.4 and 2x HDMI 2.1 for connectivity with all the best gaming monitors on the market right now. 

Frame rates – Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3050 gaming OC 8G graphics card

Nvidia claims that the RTX 3050 GPU can achieve 60fps at Full HD with both ray tracing and DLSS on in both Guardians of the Galaxy and Control, and I’m here to tell you that Gigabyte Eagle RTX 3050 OC hits the mark – most of the time. 

Metro Exodus runs at Extreme (its highest setting) at 60 FPS with both DLSS and ray tracing on. Playing natively in 1080p will still give you a completely playable 53 FPS average, though 1440p gets a bit more troublesome.

Memory

Despite the RTX 3050 utilizing 8GB GDDR6 memory over the RTX 2060’s 6GB, the latter’s 192-bit memory bus simply allows for the GPU to hit higher frame rates and perform more consistently overall. 

Temperature & Cooling

When it comes to cooling, this RTX 3050 handled itself well. I actually struggled to heat the card up above 73 degrees celsius. The card maxed out at 2155MHz on the GPU Clock while playing God of War and stayed at around 70-degrees celsius. At the max performance, the card was pulling 130W of power.

Power consumption

In gaming, the card’s power draw of 130 W is surprising because it’s a factory overclocked model that should run at slightly higher power draw to achieve its overclock. Turns out, Gigabyte didn’t raise the power limit of their card as it’s still set at the NVIDIA default of 130 W.

Overclocking

The Gigabyte Gaming OC GPU comes out of the box with a base clock of 1822MHz already. In comparison, the card is able to output 9.11 teraflops of FP32 horsepower which is double the power compared to say, the GTX 1650.

Alternate of Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3050 gaming OC 8G graphics card

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Memory: 8GB GDDR6 | Memory bandwidth: 448Gbps | Memory bus: 256-bit | Base clock: 1,410MHz | Boost clock: 1,670MHz | CUDA cores: 4,864 | Process: 8nm | Power: 200W

Pros
  • Ampere card with best price to performance
  • Beats the RTX 2080 SUPER
  • Capable of high-end 1440p gaming
  • DLSS and ray tracing
Cons
  • Almost impossible to find
  • Not as future proof as more expensive options

The RTX 3060 Ti includes all the benefits of RTX cards, and it costs the least money out of all the Ampere cards. It bests the RTX 2080 SUPER, making it capable of crushing 1440p and handling some 4K gaming. This is the best value in gaming today, if you can find one.

If you can find an RTX 3060 Ti, buy it. Availability is poor and we’re not really recommending one card.

That’s mighty impressive, and it’s likely going to be extremely popular for anyone who’s not too interested in 4K gaming. It also compares well to the more expensive RX 6700 XT. Our comparison of the NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti vs. AMD RX 6700 XT has more information.

Budget PC builders are going to want to pay close attention to the RTX 3060 Ti, a GPU priced at about $400 under normal circumstances. Despite the bargain price, it bests the RTX 2080 SUPER in terms of raw performance for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

This card isn’t going to be as future proof as the heavy hitters in this list, but if you can find one and want to keep your wallet from catching fire, it should make a great choice. It’s also our top pick for best mining GPU thanks to a strong hashrate and bargain price.

Despite it coming later than the other RTX 30-series cards, you’re still getting capable ray tracing and DLSS technology. All this at a 200W TDP that should be ideal for those who don’t want to upgrade the PSU in an older PC.

Editor’s recommendations

By CR Editor

I am CR Editor, a dedicated product reviewer and analyst with a keen focus on delivering genuine value and insights to my audience. My approach is rooted in real-world perspectives, ensuring that every recommendation I make is both authentic and accurate. I specialize in dissecting a wide range of products, from portable monitors to vacuum cleaners and streaming boxes, providing honest assessments that empower consumers to make informed decisions. My work not only fosters profitable content marketing and solid influencer relationships but also emphasizes exceptional customer service and community engagement. I invite feedback and encourage reporting any discrepancies to maintain the integrity of my reviews. Trust in my insights, as I strive to elevate your shopping experience with precision and authenticity.