NVIDIA today formally launched the GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB as its new entry-level discrete GPU. The RTX 3050 6 GB is a significantly different product from the original RTX 3050 that the company launched as a mid-range product way back in January 2022. The RTX 3050 had originally launched on the 8 nm GA106 silicon, with 2,560 CUDA cores, 80 Tensor cores, 20 RT cores, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs; with 8 GB of 14 Gbps GDDR6 memory across a 128-bit memory bus; these specs also matched the maximum core-configuration of the smaller GA107 silicon, and so the company launched the RTX 3050 based on GA107 toward the end of 2022, with no change in specs, but a slight improvement in energy efficiency from the switch to the smaller silicon. The new RTX 3060 6 GB is based on the same GA107 silicon, but with significant changes.

To begin with, the most obvious change is memory. The new SKU features 6 GB of 14 Gbps GDDR6, across a narrower 96-bit memory bus, for 168 GB/s of memory bandwidth. That's not all, the GPU is significantly cut down, with just 16 SM instead of the 20 found on the original RTX 3050. This works out to 2,048 CUDA cores, 64 Tensor cores, 16 RT cores, 64 TMUs, and an unchanged 32 ROPs. The GPU comes with lower clock speeds of 1470 MHz boost, compared to 1777 MHz on the original RTX 3050. The silver lining with this SKU is its total graphics power (TGP) of just 70 W, which means that cards can completely do away with power connectors, and rely entirely on PCIe slot power. NVIDIA hasn't listed its own MSRP for this SKU, but last we heard, it was supposed to go for $179, and square off against the likes of the Intel Arc A580.

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