NVIDIA's entry-level GeForce RTX 3050 6GB refresh to start from $179, release in January 2024

Last week, we reported on the rumor that NVIDIA was planning to stop producing the entry-level GeForce RTX 3050 8GB graphics cards in favor of a cutdown GeForce RTX 3050 6GB refresh. This refresh is launching soon, too, sometime in January 2024, potentially around the same time as the new GeForce RTX 40 Series SUPER GPUs.

In addition to less VRAM capacity, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB refresh will supposedly sport fewer CUDA Cores (a 20% reduction), a boost clock of 1700 MHz, and a power rating of 75W - which would mean that it would get all of its power via the PCIe slot.

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EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC BLACK.

It's an interesting move, and according to the latest slice of info from Taiwanese outlet Benchlife, The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB could launch with a price point of only $179 - a 28% reduction from the GeForce RTX 3050's launch MSRP of $249.

Of course, there's currently some stiff competition at the sub-$200 price point with discounts on previous-gen Radeon hardware and the arrival of the Intel Arc range. Our recent review of the SPARKLE Intel Arc A580 ORC OC Edition, priced at $179, showed that Intel's entry-level option delivered greater than GeForce RTX 3050 8GB performance at 1080p across our 15-game benchmark suite.

And with the more powerful Intel Arc A750 being sold for around or just under $200, if the GeForce RTX 3050 refresh is notably weaker than the existing GeForce RTX 3050, the price reduction might not be attractive for entry-level PC gaming.

The report at Benchlife (via VideoCardz) also adds that NVIDIA could introduce a new GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU to slot in between the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB at $179 and the GeForce RTX 4060 at $299. However, it's increasingly likely that NVIDIA won't launch a GeForce RTX 4050 for desktops.