Nvidia is set to release the GeForce RTX 5050, a budget-friendly graphics card starting at $249, expected in the second half of July. The company recently launched a dedicated web page and partners like Zotac and Inno3D have already introduced their versions of the RTX 5050.
Technical Specs and Performance
Built on Nvidia’s Blackwell architecture, the RTX 5050 features 8GB of older GDDR6 memory with a bandwidth of 320GB/s, compared to the RTX 5060’s 8GB of faster GDDR7 memory and 448GB/s bandwidth. The card also has fewer CUDA cores—2,560 versus 3,840 in the RTX 5060.
Despite these compromises, Nvidia highlights that the RTX 5050 supports 4th-gen ray tracing and 5th-gen Tensor Cores, enabling advanced AI features and improved performance in modern games and applications.
Nvidia’s benchmarks show the RTX 5050 delivering up to 4x performance improvements over the older RTX 3050 when using DLSS 4, their frame-rate boosting technology. Without DLSS 4, gains are more modest, closer to 50%.
RTX 5060 Controversy and Laptop Variant
The RTX 5050 arrives about two months after the RTX 5060 launch, which stirred controversy over restricted review access and mixed performance reports, especially due to its 8GB GDDR7 memory limits.
Interestingly, the laptop version of the RTX 5050 features 8GB of GDDR7 memory, promising better energy efficiency, quieter operation, and longer battery life in thin and light laptops. Acer plans to release notebooks with this GPU starting next month, priced between $899 and $1,199.
Nvidia notes that GDDR7 memory can be twice as energy-efficient as GDDR6, improving thermal management and device performance. Benchmarks for the laptop RTX 5050 similarly show significant gains with DLSS 4 enabled.
Author’s Opinion
The RTX 5050 offers a cost-effective entry point for gamers and creators, but the use of older memory and reduced cores highlight the compromises buyers face at this price point. DLSS 4 clearly boosts performance, yet relying heavily on AI-driven frame boosting may not suit all users. Nvidia’s approach balances affordability and modern tech, but prospective buyers should weigh performance needs carefully before upgrading.
Featured image credit: Wikimedia Commons
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