Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing

Nvidia RTX 3050 prices confirmed and they aren’t pretty

Zak Islam
By

Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card officially launches today, and thus the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP) for custom variants of the GPU have been revealed.

GamersNexus confirmed that prices of Nvidia’s new video card will be offered at the MSRP from several board partners, with prices ranging from $250 to $489.

Various versions of the RTX 3050 graphics card.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

As spotted by VideoCardz, GamersNexus unveiled a chart showing the prices attached to different models of the GeForce RTX 3050. Asus, EVGA, Gigabyte, MSI, and Zotac are all highlighted, confirming that each will offer an RTX 3050 model at its MSRP of $250.

Recommended Videos

There’s one caveat. There’s still the question regarding stock levels assigned to standard, non-overclocked (OC) versions of the GPU. VideoCardz stresses that board partners are not too keen on selling non-OC models of graphics cards. The reason behind that unwillingness is most likely associated with manufacturers generating higher profit margins by selling overclocked variants, which will obviously be more costly when compared to the standard version.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming
Check your inbox!
Privacy Policy

As such, there is the possibility that the $250 model of the GeForce RTX 3050 will have reduced inventory levels from board partners. Manufacturers such as Asus, meanwhile, are selling more than one version of the GPU, with the ROG STRIX OC being the most expensive model at $489. Furthermore, MSI is selling two custom models for $349 and $379.

You also have to consider the state of the market. Due to the ongoing shortage, we may see stock being depleted at a rapid rate as scalpers race to secure their order in order to sell it for a profit on third-party marketplaces (the RTX 3060 will set you back nearly $700 on eBay). That said, at least crypto miners will be dissuaded from purchasing the card due to its limited capabilities in regard to mining cryptocurrency.

There has been mounting anticipation for Nvidia’s RTX 3050 ever since its CES 2022 announcement. It marks the return of budget video cards, which is especially important for consumers amid a worldwide GPU shortage that has seen prices for products soar past their MSRPs.

Nvidia will reportedly “strengthen the distribution” of the GeForce RTX 3050 for its launch today, but only time will tell if there’s enough stock to satisfy the initial demand.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Zak Islam
Zak Islam
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Zak Islam was a freelance writer at Digital Trends covering the latest news in the technology world, particularly the…
Nvidia just made GeForce Now so much better
Playing games with GeForce Now on a laptop.

Nvidia has just added adaptive refresh rates to GeForce Now, its cloud gaming service. The new tech, dubbed Cloud G-Sync, works on PCs with Nvidia GPUs first and foremost , but also on Macs. These include Macs with Apple Silicon, as well as older models with Intel CPUs and AMD GPUs. On the Windows PC side more broadly, Intel and AMD GPUs will not be supported right now. Nvidia has also made one more change to GeForce Now that makes it a lot easier to try out -- it introduced day passes.

Cloud G-Sync's variable refresh rate (VRR) feature will sync your monitor's refresh rate to match the frame rates you're hitting while gaming with GeForce Now. Nvidia's new cloud solution also uses Reflex to lower latency regardless of frame rates. Enabling VRR in GeForce Now should provide a major boost by reducing screen tearing and stuttering, improving the overall gaming experience on PCs and laptops that normally can't keep up with some titles. To pull this off, Nvidia uses its proprietary RTX 4080 SuperPODs.

Read more
The most common GPU problems and how to fix them
A hand grabbing MSI's RTX 4090 Suprim X.

If you use a desktop PC or laptop for long enough, chances are you're going to come across one of the common GPU problems that have plagued gamers and workers since the humble graphics card debuted for the first time. The question is, do you know how to fix them? If not, never fear. We're here to help.

Whether you're encountering poor performance, overheating, visual artifacts, or a dreaded black screen, we're going to help you diagnose and fix these common GPU problems.

Read more
GPUs just broke a 25-year-old record
Two RTX 4070 graphics cards sitting side by side.

The PC graphics card market witnessed notable growth in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to Jon Peddie Research. With shipments climbing by 6% to reach 76.2 million units, this surge marks a significant 24% increase year over year, representing the most substantial gain in over 25 years.

Projections indicate a continued upward trend, with an expected 3.6% annual growth rate from 2024 to 2026, potentially culminating in a total installed base of 5 billion units by the end of 2026, with discrete GPUs comprising 30% of the market.

Read more