GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop vs Radeon RX 5500 XT

Speed and memory

The GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop and the Radeon RX 5500 XT are within a few percent of each other for gaming in our model, so you will not see a difference in play.

The GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop has 4 GB of video memory and the Radeon RX 5500 XT has 8 GB. That difference matters at 1440p and in new games at High textures, and it can outweigh a small speed advantage as the card ages.

In our estimates for popular games at 1080p on High, the biggest gap is in ELDEN RING (37 against 52 fps), and the smallest is in Red Dead Redemption 2 (43 against 45 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop is rated at 75 W and the Radeon RX 5500 XT at 130 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 450 W for the first and 450 W for the second. The power draw is close enough that cooling and noise will be similar.

We do not have launch prices for both cards, so we cannot compare value. Check current listings for both.

Which one to buy

Choose the GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop if you want the faster card, and you can accept 4 GB of memory. It makes the most sense at 1440p and above, or on a monitor with a high refresh rate.

Choose the Radeon RX 5500 XT if the price gap matters more than the small speed difference, and you value the extra video memory. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.