Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE 6GB GDDR6 Black
MSI GeForce RTX 5070 SHADOW 12GB GDDR7 Black
Pick the Gigabyte if you're upgrading an old office PC or pre-built system and just need a cheap, slot-powered card that handles 1080p gaming and everyday tasks without a PSU upgrade.
Pick the MSI if you're building a compact gaming rig or upgrading from something like a GTX 1070 or RTX 3060 and want strong 1440p performance, ray tracing, and future-proofing for under $600.
Key Differences
- The MSI has 12GB of GDDR7 on a 192-bit bus with 672 GB/s bandwidth, while the Gigabyte makes do with 6GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus and just 192 GB/s. That's 3.5x the memory bandwidth, which matters a lot at higher resolutions.
- Raw compute is night and day: 6,144 CUDA cores and 30.87 FP32 TFLOPS on the MSI vs 2,304 CUDA cores and 4.81 TFLOPS on the Gigabyte. The MSI is roughly 6.4x faster in raw shader throughput.
- Gaming scores tell the story: the MSI hits 90 at 1080p, 88 at 1440p, and 78 at 4K, while the Gigabyte manages 47, 37, and 27. The Gigabyte is a 1080p-only card, and even then it's not pushing high refresh rates.
- The Gigabyte needs no external power connector, which is genuinely useful for office PCs and pre-builts with weak PSUs. The MSI requires a proper PSU connection, and some owners mention needing to sort that out before it'll run.
- Customer sentiment is strong for both, but for different reasons. Gigabyte owners love the easy install and quiet operation for basic use. MSI owners praise the compact size for SFF builds and the big performance jump, though a few note occasional frame generation artifacting.
What Buyers Say
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE 6GB GDDR6 Black
This budget-friendly graphics card is a hit among users upgrading from older GPUs like the GTX 1050, offering a noticeable performance boost for everyday tasks and moderate gaming. It's praised for its easy installation, slot-powered design (no external power connector), and quiet operation, making it ideal for office PCs and pre-built systems. While it's not meant for high-end gaming, it handles 1080p gaming well and supports ray tracing, delivering solid value for the price.
Pros
- Easy installation
- No external power needed
- Quiet operation
- Good for office and general use
- Handles 1080p gaming well
Cons
- Not for high-end gaming
- Feels like a toy (simple design)
- Limited performance for demanding games
- May require PSU upgrade for some systems
MSI GeForce RTX 5070 SHADOW 12GB GDDR7 Black
The MSI RTX 5070 is widely praised for its compact size, quiet operation, and strong performance, especially as an upgrade from older cards like the GTX 1070 or RTX 3060. Users highlight its value at MSRP, good thermals, and effective cooling, though some note occasional artifacting with frame generation and the need for a proper power supply connection. Overall, it's seen as a solid mid-tier GPU for 1440p gaming and SFF builds.
Pros
- Compact size for SFF builds
- Quiet operation
- Strong performance upgrade
- Good value at MSRP
- Effective cooling and thermals
Cons
- Frame generation artifacting
- Requires proper PSU connection
- Large size in some models
- Potential visual bugs with DLSS
Scores
Specifications
| Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE | MSI GeForce RTX 5070 SHADOW | |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | ||
| GPU Chipset | GeForce RTX 3050 | GeForce RTX 5070 |
| Brand | NVIDIA | NVIDIA |
| Architecture | Ampere | Blackwell |
| Class | consumer | consumer |
| Process | 8 | 5★ |
| Memory | ||
| VRAM | 6 GB | 12 GB★ |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR7★ |
| Memory Bus | ||
| Bandwidth | ||
| Compute | ||
| CUDA Cores | ||
| Tensor Cores | ||
| RT Cores | 16 | 48★ |
| Base Clock | ||
| Boost Clock | ||
| FP16 TFLOPS | 4.813000202178955 | 30.8700008392334★ |
| FP32 TFLOPS | 4.813000202178955 | 30.8700008392334★ |
| Performance | ||
| PassMark G3D | ||
| GPU Compute | ||
| Power & Cooling | ||
| TDP | 81★ | 250 |
| Recommended PSU | 300★ | 650 |
| Power Connectors | 8 pin*1 | 1 x 16-Pin |
| Cooler | Dual Fan | Triple Fan★ |
| Fans | 2 | 3★ |
| Connectivity | ||
| Interface | PCI Express 4.0 | PCI Express 5.0 |
| DisplayPort | 2 | 3★ |
| HDMI | 2★ | 1 |
| USB-C | 0★ | — |
| Max Displays | 4 | 4 |
| Max Resolution | 7680 x 4320 | 7680 x 4320 |
| Physical | ||
| Length | 191★ | 303 |
| Slot Width | 2★ | 2.5 |
| Form Factor | ATX | Full Height |
| Weight | 0.36 kg★ | 0.98 kg |
| Features | ||
| Ray Tracing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Upscaling | DLSS 3 | DLSS 4 |
| AV1 Encode | ✗ | ✓★ |
| VR Ready | — | ✓★ |
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate | 12 Ultimate |
| RGB | — | ✗ |
Pros & Cons
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE 6GB GDDR6 Black
- Strong social proof (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong efficiency (83rd percentile)83rd %ile
- Strong affordability (81st percentile)81st %ile
- Below average ai (18th percentile)18th %ile
- Below average compute (19th percentile)19th %ile
- Below average vram (23rd percentile)
- Below average raster (23rd percentile)
MSI GeForce RTX 5070 SHADOW 12GB GDDR7 Black
- Strong connectivity (94th percentile)94th %ile
- Strong thermal (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
- Strong feature (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong rt (83rd percentile)83rd %ile
Pricing
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE 6GB GDDR6 Black
MSI GeForce RTX 5070 SHADOW 12GB GDDR7 Black
No current pricing available
Verdict
Scores 86 overall, wins 7 of 8 usage categories and 19 of 39 specs.
