GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop

How the GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop performs at 1080p, 1440p and 4K

At 1080p the GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop averages about 69 fps on High across the 14 games people check most. Most games hold 60 fps, and the heaviest need a step down from High.

At 1440p the typical result drops to 54 fps. 1440p is playable, but expect to lower settings or use upscaling in newer games. At 4K it is about 25 fps. 4K is not what this card is for.

The heaviest game we checked is Black Myth: Wukong, at 40 fps on High at 1080p. The lightest is VALORANT, which the card handles at 300+ fps. If your own games are somewhere in between, the table above shows where.

Memory and power

Six gigabytes is enough for 1080p at High in most games, but it runs out at 1440p in the newest ones. If you see stutter that frame rate does not explain, lower the texture setting one step.

The GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop is rated at 115 W. With a mid-range processor, plan on a 450 W power supply (450 W is the minimum). That is low enough for small cases and basic power supplies, which is part of the appeal.

Where it sits

Released in 2023, the GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop is a few years old but still capable. The next card up in our list is the GeForce RTX 5050 Laptop, about 5% faster. The next card down is the GeForce RTX 2060 Laptop, about 29% slower.

Which processor to pair it with, and who it suits

To keep a processor from holding it back at 1080p, you want something like a Core i5-7400, and at 1440p a Ryzen 3 1200 or similar. Slower processors will still work, but you give up some of the card's speed. The best CPU list for this card shows the options for all three resolutions.

The GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop is a 1080p card. It plays almost everything at High, and a few heavy games need Medium. It is a sensible choice for a 1080p monitor at 60 or 144 Hz.