GeForce GTX 1070 Ti vs GeForce RTX 3050

Speed and memory

In our performance index the GeForce GTX 1070 Ti scores 18 and the GeForce RTX 3050 scores 17, which makes the GeForce GTX 1070 Ti about 6% faster. That is a small gap, below what most people notice without a frame counter.

Both cards have 8 GB of video memory, so memory will not separate them.

In our estimates for popular games at 1080p on High, the biggest gap is in Grand Theft Auto V Legacy (262 against 249 fps), and the smallest is in Cyberpunk 2077 (50 against 48 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The GeForce GTX 1070 Ti is rated at 180 W and the GeForce RTX 3050 at 130 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 550 W for the first and 450 W for the second. The power draw is close enough that cooling and noise will be similar.

At launch the GeForce GTX 1070 Ti cost $449 and the GeForce RTX 3050 $249. Per dollar, the GeForce RTX 3050 gave more performance (6.8 points per $100 against 4.0). Current prices differ, so run the same sum on what you can actually buy today.

Which one to buy

Choose the GeForce GTX 1070 Ti if you want the faster card, and it also has at least as much memory. It makes the most sense at 1440p and above, or on a monitor with a high refresh rate.

Choose the GeForce RTX 3050 if the price gap matters more than the 6% speed difference, or if you want lower power draw and a quieter PC. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.