NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM – Entry-level desktop GPU

Description

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is an entry-level desktop graphics card featuring 2304 CUDA cores, positioned as an affordable option in the GeForce RTX 30 series for 1080p gaming with ray tracing and DLSS support. It is based on the Ampere architecture and typically uses a GA107 or cut-down GA106 GPU, manufactured on Samsung’s 8 nm process and released in early 2022 for OEM and prebuilt systems. With hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI-powered features, it targets budget-conscious gamers and creators who want next-generation effects at lower cost compared to higher-tier RTX models.

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM operates at core clock speeds around 1515 MHz with boost frequencies up to approximately 1755 MHz, depending on the specific OEM implementation, cooling solution and power limits. It is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory running at 14 Gbps on a 128-bit memory bus, providing 224 GB/s of memory bandwidth, which is sufficient for most modern 1080p titles with high settings. The GPU integrates 2 MB of L2 cache, 72 texture mapping units, 32 render output units and 72 Tensor cores, offering solid throughput in both rasterized and AI-accelerated workloads.

With a total board power in the 115–130 W range, the RTX 3050 OEM delivers a good balance between power consumption and performance for compact and mainstream desktop builds. Most OEM designs require a single PCIe power connector and are intended to run reliably on power supplies in the 450–500 W class, making them suitable upgrades for many off-the-shelf systems. Adequate airflow and a modest dual-fan cooler are usually enough to keep temperatures and noise under control during extended gaming sessions.

Connectivity is handled through a PCI Express 4.0 interface, commonly configured as x8 or x16 lanes depending on the board design, ensuring compatibility with modern motherboards and sufficient bandwidth for this performance class. Typical RTX 3050 OEM cards offer up to four display outputs, including HDMI 2.1 and multiple DisplayPort 1.4a ports, enabling multi-monitor setups and support for high-refresh 1080p or 1440p displays with variable refresh rate technologies such as G-SYNC Compatible.

The RTX 3050 OEM also includes 2nd-generation RT cores for real-time ray tracing and 3rd-generation Tensor cores that power DLSS and other AI-enhanced features, improving frame rates and image quality in supported games. A dedicated NVENC hardware encoder and NVDEC decoder provide efficient H.264 and HEVC video encoding and decoding, making the card suitable for streaming, recording gameplay and basic content creation workflows. Full support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan and OpenGL 4.6 ensures broad compatibility with modern engines and applications.

Overall, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is a capable entry-level GPU for users who want to step into the RTX ecosystem, enjoy smoother 1080p gaming, and benefit from ray tracing, DLSS and modern media capabilities, making it an attractive choice for OEM desktops and budget-friendly upgrade paths.