Best upgrade from the GeForce RTX 3050

Is it time to replace the GeForce RTX 3050?

The GeForce RTX 3050 came out in 2022, so it is 4 years old and still plays most games on reduced settings. On our scale it scores 17 with 8 GB of memory, which puts it in D tier.

What the best upgrades look like

In our list, the strongest option under $600 is the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB, about 2.5 times as fast than the GeForce RTX 3050, with a launch price of $299. The cheapest of the five is the Radeon RX 9070 XT at 3.9 times as fast and $599. The table ranks them by speed gained per dollar, so the best value is not always the fastest card.

Memory is part of the answer: the GeForce RTX 3050 has 8 GB and the picks have 8 to 16 GB. Power is the other: they are rated 150 to 304 W against 130 W for the GeForce RTX 3050.

The picks one by one

Radeon RX 9070 XT: about 3.9 times as fast, 16 GB, 304 W, $599 at launch. Radeon RX 9070: about 3.5 times as fast, 16 GB, 220 W, $549 at launch. Radeon RX 7800 XT: about 2.9 times as fast, 16 GB, 263 W, $499 at launch. Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB: about 2.6 times as fast, 16 GB, 160 W, $349 at launch. Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB: about 2.5 times as fast, 8 GB, 150 W, $299 at launch.