Nvidia has just revealed the GeForce RTX 5050, the most compact addition to the RTX 50-series. Priced at $249, it will hit the market in mid-July.
This new GPU uses a GB207 die built on the Blackwell architecture, featuring 2,560 CUDA cores—about two-thirds the power of the RTX 5060 launched in April. It includes 5th generation Tensor cores and 4th generation RT cores, fully supporting advanced features like DLSS4 and the upcoming Reflex 2.
The RTX 5050 runs at a base clock speed of 2.31GHz, boosting up to 2.57GHz. It carries 8GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit interface, making it unique among the 50-series cards for not having GDDR7. Connectivity options include three DisplayPort 2.1b and one HDMI 2.1b port, along with a 9th generation NVENC encoder and a 6th generation NVDEC decoder. With a power requirement of 130W, it connects via a single 8-pin connector or a PCIe Gen 5 cable rated for 300W or more.
Nvidia claims that the RTX 5050 is, on average, 60% faster than the RTX 3050, which debuted over three years ago. It appears to perform similarly to the RTX 4060 from two years back, though some users have expressed skepticism about Nvidia’s performance graphs highlighting this comparison.
You can expect to find the RTX 5050 in stores by next month. While there won’t be a Founders Edition, it will be available through major partners like ASUS, MSI, and ZOTAC.
Additionally, a mobile version of the RTX 5050 is launching today in laptops starting at $999, showing Nvidia’s commitment to expanding its GPU technology into a wide range of platforms.
Looking at the broader trends, recent surveys show a growing interest in affordable gaming solutions, especially among younger gamers. The RTX 5050’s price point caters well to this demographic, providing high performance without breaking the bank. As the market evolves, Nvidia’s strategic pricing might attract more users, creating a ripple effect in the gaming community.
This ongoing focus on performance and price makes the RTX 5050 a noteworthy entry in the graphics card market, especially as gamers increasingly seek out value in their hardware purchases.