Nvidia RTX 3050 laptop vs RTX 4050 laptop: Which is the better buy for gaming? (2024)

The RTX 4050 laptop is Nvidia's latest entry-level mobile gaming GPU. It replaces the RTX 3050 laptops that sold like hotcakes last year. The Ampere-based options are still on shelves, so gamers get to choose between the latest option and the last-gen offering.

While the 3050 laptops are slightly cheaper, the new devices offer solid performance improvements and support for features like DLSS 3.0. This means both devices have their lists of pros and cons, which can make choosing between them difficult.

This article dissects the entry-level mobile gaming hardware from Team Green to figure out which is the better buy in 2024.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer

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The RTX 4050 laptop might be worth the extra cash over the RTX 3050 laptop

Before diving into the performance differences between the two graphics processors, let's take a look at their on-paper specs to check out what the GPUs bring to the table.

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Specs

The RTX 4050 laptop GPU is an improvement over the last-gen offering in every way. The Ada Lovelace architecture packs massive power and graphics computing efficiency measures over the last-gen counterparts.

In addition, Nvidia has bumped up the CUDA and RT core count. Instead of the meager 4 GB GDDR6 video memory, the company has bundled 6 GB of VRAM with the latest GPU. Although 6 GB isn't enough according to 2024 standards, it is a massive upgrade over the last generation. The limited video memory capacity of the 3050 and 3050 Ti is one of its glaring cons.

	RTX 3050 laptop	RTX 4050 laptop
CUDA core count	2,048	2,560
RT core count	16	20
Maximum boost clock	1,065 MHz	1,755 MHz
Memory size	4 GB GDDR6	6 GB GDDR6
TDP	45-95W	50-105W

The power draw remains roughly the same. Although the exact number will vary depending on the laptop's make and target audience, gamers can expect similar TDP numbers in higher-end gaming-focused devices.

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Performance differences

The RTX 4050 laptop GPU is expected to be more powerful than the RTX 3050-powered laptops. However, we are interested in the margin. Paying $100 more for five to six extra frames won't be worth it. Thus, the exact difference plays a crucial role.

Benchmarks conducted by YouTuber PC Support & Gaming Test showcase massive performance improvements across the two generations.

The RTX 4050 laptop GPU has a slight advantage. It packs a 105W power draw compared to the 95W TDP of the 3050. The 3050 was paired with a Core i5 11400H CPU, while the newer GPU was teamed up with the latest Core i7 13620H. However, this shouldn't cause a day-and-night performance difference.

	RTX 3050 95W	RTX 4050 105W
Far Cry 6	55	96
Cyberpunk 2077	30	61
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	45	72
Red Dead Redemption 2	57	80
Horizon Zero Dawn	50	80

The results showcase that the latest Ada Lovelace GPU is about twice as fast as the last-gen offering. Multiple factors contribute to this difference: availability of faster CPUs and memory, as well as a faster graphics card.

Moreover, the RTX 4050 laptops also gives you access to DLSS 3 with frame generation. It's a big deal, especially in the low-end, where the extra FPS added by the improved upscaling tech could make the difference between playable and unplayable in some games.

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Pricing

The majority of RTX 3050-powered options are selling for around $700 to $750 on Amazon. The RTX 4050 laptops, on the other hand, start from $999, with high-end models going up to $1,400.

The latest Ada Lovelace-powered laptop GPU has a lot of points in its favor: more VRAM, support for DLSS 3, and much higher performance. Thus, gamers should consider spending $300 and getting the latest laptops. It will future-proof their system.

However, if someone is extremely cash-strapped, the RTX 3050 laptops are the way to go. They aren't complete garbage and will deliver solid performance for almost any workload.

If you are willing to hold off on your upgrade, you can do that too. The next-generation RTX 50 series laptop should launch at CES 2025, which is about six months from now. They will deliver better performance than the 4050 options, thanks to gen-on-gen improvements. Moreover, the existing models with the 4050 can also get cheaper, making them more lucrative than ever before.