
The ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 3050 8GB is a variant of the RTX 3050 equipped with 8GB of memory, offering an accessible entry point into NVIDIA's 30-series lineup. Released as a budget-friendly option, it was aimed at users upgrading from older models like the GTX 1050 Ti and GTX 1650.
Launched in January 2022, during the height of the global silicon shortage, the card was priced at a reasonable $249 USD, making it relatively affordable, especially given the inflated GPU prices of that period. As of publication date, the card is still available at an average price of $265 USD from various retailers, including partner manufacturers like ASUS, MSI, and ZOTAC.
The card is designed primarily for 1080p gaming, where it performs well enough, and can handle most titles at this resolution. However, its performance begins to falter at higher resolutions, such as 1440p and 4K, where it shows signs of aging, particularly in non-gaming applications. At its launch, the 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM was more than sufficient, but with the increasing demands of modern games, this memory capacity may become a limiting factor in the future.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
THE GOOD
- 1080p Gaming
Acceptable performance for 1080p gaming, despite its smaller VRAM and being based on an older GPU architecture. May struggle with higher resolutions, users can still achieve playable frame rates by lowering some in-game settings in more demanding titles.
THE BAD
- Future-Proof
As newer games demand more resources, the RTX 3050 8GB is already quickly falling behind in performance, making it less suitable for users looking for a long-term investment.
THE REST
- Overall
The Dual RTX 3050 8GB delivered sufficient performance for 1080p gaming. While it may not be suitable for 1440p or 4K resolutions, users who aren't looking to upgrade just yet, can still game at 1080p with lower in-game settings.
The ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 3050 8GB utilizes 8nm technology and is built on NVIDIA's Ampere architecture. The card is based on the GA106 graphics processor, which has 12,000 million transistors within a 276 mm2 die. It features 32 Render Output Units (ROPs), 80 texture mapping units, 2560 shading units, and 20 ray tracing cores. With a typical board power of 130W, the card tested by Labs is manufactured by ASUS, and has a dual-slot, dual-fan design that fits in most computer cases. It has the standard RTX 30-series 3 x DisplayPort v1.4 outputs, and 1 x HDMI v2.1 port.
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Front of the box.
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Front of the card.
The ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 3050 8GB supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and NVIDIA's GeForce Experience and G-SYNC features. As well as NVIDIA's full suite of DLSS 3 and ray tracing technologies.
It features NVIDIA's 7th Generation Encoder, and 5th Generation Decoder, with full support for H264 Encode/Decode, and H265/HEVC Encode/Decode, but only AV1 Decode.
In terms of performance, the ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 3050 8GB delivered decent results at 1080p, capable of satisfactory game play for most modern titles. However, it appears to struggle with higher resolutions like 1440p and 4K, and will require lowering in-game settings to achieve smooth performance.
We will periodically retest graphic cards with updated drivers. We continuously monitor and update our results for accuracy. Stay tuned for the latest test results and insights on this product and others as we aim to provide up-to-date information on a consistent basis.
We actively address test bench variance in our evaluation process. Our methodology involved validation and calibration procedures to ensure consistency and reliability across all tests. The verified testbed variance for benchmarks in this product page is +/- 0.25%.
By monitoring and controlling variables such as hardware configurations, ambient temperatures, and system settings, we minimize potential sources of variance that could affect our results. This detailed approach enables us to deliver the most objective and accurate assessment.