MSI RTX 3050 Graphics Cards

The MSI RTX 3050 cards here are all dual-fan VENTUS 2X designs on PCIe 4.0. The GeForce RTX 3050 VENTUS 2X XS 8G OC carries 8GB of GDDR6. The GeForce RTX 3050 VENTUS 2X E 6G OC and the GeForce RTX 3050 VENTUS 2X 6G OC carry 6GB. All three support ray tracing and DLSS, and MSI covers them with a 3 year warranty.

The choice comes down to memory and power. The 8G XS is rated at 115 W, takes one 6-pin connector and needs a 500 W power supply. Its extra VRAM gives more headroom for texture settings in newer games at 1080p. The two 6GB models draw 70 W and need only a 300 W supply. That makes them practical upgrades for office or prebuilt PCs with modest power supplies. They are also the shorter cards, at 189 mm long and 42 mm thick, against 205 mm and 45 mm for the 8G XS. Check the length and slot clearance before ordering for a compact case.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the 6GB and 8GB RTX 3050? The 8GB version has more memory, more CUDA cores, a wider memory bus and a higher 115 W power limit, so it is the faster card. The 6GB version trades some performance for a 70 W draw.

What power supply does an MSI RTX 3050 need? MSI recommends 500 W for the VENTUS 2X XS 8G OC and 300 W for the 6G models.

Will these cards work on a PCIe 3.0 motherboard? Yes, PCIe 4.0 cards are backward compatible and run at PCIe 3.0 speed in older boards.