NVIDIA
GeForce RTX 3050 8 GB vs GeForce 8600 GTS
Full comparison of specs, performance and benchmarks
NVIDIA
8600 GTS
Aggregate performance score
We've compared RTX 3050 8 GB and 8600 GTS across specs and all relevant benchmarks.
↗RTX 3050 8 GB outperforms 8600 GTS by 13% based on our aggregate benchmark results.+13%
Scores are normalized on the Head to Head scale. Higher is better.GeForce RTX 3050 8 GB vs GeForce 8600 GTS: key takeaway
The comparison of RTX 3050 8 GB and 8600 GTS shows a 13% advantage for RTX 3050 8 GB in gaming performance, while 8600 GTS may still be stronger in efficiency and feature set. Use the sections below to check whether that lead comes from real FPS, specifications, efficiency, price or platform features.
SUMMARY PROFILE
Verified-metrics radar
Axes with missing data are hidden; every value uses a fixed scale.
NVIDIAPerformance
Efficiency
Price / performance
Memory capacity
4439
100100
100100
6813
COMPARISON RESULT
RTX 3050 8 GB is the best overall choice
RTX 3050 8 GB leads in combined game performance. RTX 3050 8 GB offers the better price per frame, while the final choice depends on the required features, memory, and games.
RTX 3050 8 GB leads in the combined performance index
8600 GTS costs less
CATALOG POSITION
Full ranking →Graphics card ranking
Positions 45–50of 319
COMPARISON VERDICT
Which should you choose?
Two practical conclusions based on community votes and gaming value.
GeForce RTX 3050 8 GB
70 likesHead to Head visitors currently choose this model more often.
GeForce 8600 GTS
100/100 · Price $79The choice is based on the price-to-performance index and launch price.
OVERALL SCORE
Overview
Scores are calculated from specifications, performance, and efficiency.
The Summary score section compares RTX 3050 8 GB and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
GamesDirectX, OpenCL, and Vulkan performance
44Better
39
Professional applications3D modeling, video editing, and rendering
38Better
34
AI and machine learningMachine-learning and AI capabilities
36Better
32
Power efficiencyPower consumption across workloads
100
100
Head to Head scoreOverall catalog score
65Better
62
FULL COMPARISON
Specifications
The better numeric value is highlighted in green, taking the metric direction into account.
The Specifications section compares RTX 3050 8 GB and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
DisplayPortDisplayPort 1.4aBoard dependent
HDMIHDMI 2.1Board dependent
Device classDesktopDesktop
UpscalingDLSS 2Not supported
Max resolution7680 × 43202560 × 1600
USB Type-CNoNo
DirectX12.210.0
Vulkan1.4Not supported
OpenGL4.63.3
TFLOPS9.098Better0.093
Power consumption130 W60 WBetter
Memory typeGDDR6GDDR3
Power connector8 pin6 pin
Release date20222007
ArchitectureAmpereTesla
ThicknessDual-slotSingle-slot
Compute APIOpenCL 3.0, CUDA 8.6OpenCL 1.1, CUDA 1.1
Launch price$299$79Better
Shader units / cores2560Better32
Length242 mm198 mmBetter
Clock speed1552 - 1777 MHzBetter675 MHz
Base clock1552 MHzBetter675 MHz
Boost clock1777 MHzBetter675 MHz
VRAM8 GB GDDR6512 MB GDDR3Better
Memory frequency14 GHzBetter2 GHz
Memory bus128 bit128 bit
Memory bandwidth224 GB/sBetter32 GB/s
InterfacePCIe 4x8PCIe 1x16
Power consumption130 W60 WBetter
Process node8 nmBetter80 nm
Recommended PSU300 W250 WBetter
Die size276 mm²169 mm²Better
Memory cacheL1 128 KB, L2 2 MBL2 0.03 MBBetter
Transistor count12000 millionBetter289 million
Max monitors43
GAME TEST BENCH
Gaming FPS
Available results are shown separately; missing data is not treated as zero.
The Gaming FPS section compares RTX 3050 8 GB and 8600 GTS across curated H2H Lab game presets. The useful signal is not only average FPS, but also how each device behaves at 1440p and 4K, how memory capacity and bus width affect heavy textures, and whether the game engine favors raster performance, ray tracing, or driver maturity.
RTX 3050 8 GB8600 GTS
Verified H2HCommunity VerifiedEstimatedPredicted
Black Myth: Wukong
1080p High
26 FPSEstimated 66%
23 FPSEstimated 64%
1080p Ultra
22 FPSEstimated 66%
20 FPSEstimated 64%
1440p Ultra
14 FPSEstimated 63%
10 FPSEstimated 58%
4K Ultra
5 FPSEstimated 55%
5 FPSEstimated 55%
Black Myth: WukongRTX 3050 8 GB26 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GTS23 FPSEstimated 64%RTX 3050 8 GB22 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GTS20 FPSEstimated 64%RTX 3050 8 GB14 FPSEstimated 63%8600 GTS10 FPSEstimated 58%RTX 3050 8 GB5 FPSEstimated 55%8600 GTS5 FPSEstimated 55%
Call of Duty: WarzoneRTX 3050 8 GB26 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GTS23 FPSEstimated 64%RTX 3050 8 GB22 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GTS20 FPSEstimated 64%RTX 3050 8 GB14 FPSEstimated 63%8600 GTS10 FPSEstimated 58%RTX 3050 8 GB5 FPSEstimated 55%8600 GTS5 FPSEstimated 55%
Counter-Strike 2RTX 3050 8 GB215 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GTS197 FPSEstimated 72%RTX 3050 8 GB151 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GTS138 FPSEstimated 72%RTX 3050 8 GB101 FPSEstimated 71%8600 GTS74 FPSEstimated 66%RTX 3050 8 GB29 FPSEstimated 63%8600 GTS27 FPSEstimated 62%
Cyberpunk 2077RTX 3050 8 GB139 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GTS127 FPSEstimated 72%RTX 3050 8 GB120 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GTS109 FPSEstimated 72%RTX 3050 8 GB73 FPSEstimated 71%8600 GTS54 FPSEstimated 66%RTX 3050 8 GB20 FPSEstimated 63%8600 GTS18 FPSEstimated 62%
Forza Horizon 5RTX 3050 8 GB175 FPSEstimated 80%8600 GTS160 FPSEstimated 78%RTX 3050 8 GB114 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GTS104 FPSEstimated 72%RTX 3050 8 GB91 FPSEstimated 71%8600 GTS67 FPSEstimated 66%RTX 3050 8 GB43 FPSEstimated 63%8600 GTS39 FPSEstimated 62%
God of War RagnarökRTX 3050 8 GB26 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GTS23 FPSEstimated 64%RTX 3050 8 GB22 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GTS20 FPSEstimated 64%RTX 3050 8 GB14 FPSEstimated 63%8600 GTS10 FPSEstimated 58%RTX 3050 8 GB5 FPSEstimated 55%8600 GTS5 FPSEstimated 55%
Hogwarts LegacyRTX 3050 8 GB114 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GTS104 FPSEstimated 72%RTX 3050 8 GB95 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GTS87 FPSEstimated 72%RTX 3050 8 GB65 FPSEstimated 71%8600 GTS48 FPSEstimated 66%RTX 3050 8 GB20 FPSEstimated 63%8600 GTS18 FPSEstimated 62%
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024RTX 3050 8 GB26 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GTS23 FPSEstimated 64%RTX 3050 8 GB22 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GTS20 FPSEstimated 64%RTX 3050 8 GB14 FPSEstimated 63%8600 GTS10 FPSEstimated 58%RTX 3050 8 GB5 FPSEstimated 55%8600 GTS5 FPSEstimated 55%
Monster Hunter WildsRTX 3050 8 GB26 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GTS23 FPSEstimated 64%RTX 3050 8 GB22 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GTS20 FPSEstimated 64%RTX 3050 8 GB14 FPSEstimated 63%8600 GTS10 FPSEstimated 58%RTX 3050 8 GB5 FPSEstimated 55%8600 GTS5 FPSEstimated 55%
StarfieldRTX 3050 8 GB26 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GTS23 FPSEstimated 64%RTX 3050 8 GB22 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GTS20 FPSEstimated 64%RTX 3050 8 GB14 FPSEstimated 63%8600 GTS10 FPSEstimated 58%RTX 3050 8 GB5 FPSEstimated 55%8600 GTS5 FPSEstimated 55%
HEAD TO HEAD · CALCULATED INDEX
H2H workload indices
Comparable internal indices on a fixed 0–100 scale.
The Benchmarks section compares RTX 3050 8 GB and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
H2H Raster IndexH2H Index / 100443912%
H2H Compute IndexH2H Index / 100503341%
H2H Rendering IndexH2H Index / 100513246%
H2H Memory Workload IndexH2H Index / 1006813136%
H2H Efficiency IndexH2H Index / 1001001000%
These are versioned H2H calculated indices derived from normalized catalog data. They are not results from a third-party benchmark.
HEAD TO HEAD · CALCULATED INDEX
H2H AI workload indices
Estimated workload profiles based on available performance and memory data.
The Detailed comparison section compares RTX 3050 8 GB and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
H2H Image Generation IndexH2H Index / 100552768%
H2H ML Training IndexH2H Index / 100542863%
H2H Inference IndexH2H Index / 100513246%
H2H Local LLM IndexH2H Index / 100572481%
H2H Computer Vision IndexH2H Index / 100513149%
These are versioned H2H calculated indices derived from normalized catalog data. They are not results from a third-party benchmark.
Graphics APIs, SDKs and upscaling
The Graphics APIs, SDKs and upscaling section compares RTX 3050 8 GB and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
DirectX12.210.0
Vulkan1.4Not supported
OpenGL4.63.3
UpscalingDLSS 2Not supported
Compute APIOpenCL 3.0, CUDA 8.6OpenCL 1.1, CUDA 1.1
Architecture and release
The Architecture and release section compares RTX 3050 8 GB and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
ArchitectureAmpereTesla
Process node8 nmBetter80 nm
Release date20222007
Device classDesktopDesktop
GPU cores, die and clocks
The Core layout and clocks section compares RTX 3050 8 GB and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
Transistor count12000 millionBetter289 million
Die size276 mm²169 mm²Better
Shader units / cores2560Better32
Base clock1552 MHzBetter675 MHz
Boost clock1777 MHzBetter675 MHz
Board size, power and compatibility
The Form factor and compatibility section compares RTX 3050 8 GB and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
InterfacePCIe 4x8PCIe 1x16
Length242 mm198 mmBetter
ThicknessDual-slotSingle-slot
Recommended PSU300 W250 WBetter
Power connector8 pin6 pin
Display outputs and limits
The Display outputs section compares RTX 3050 8 GB and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
HDMIHDMI 2.1Board dependent
DisplayPortDisplayPort 1.4aBoard dependent
USB Type-CNoNo
Max monitors43
Max resolution7680 × 43202560 × 1600
Memory and compute throughput
The VRAM capacity and bandwidth section compares RTX 3050 8 GB and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
VRAM8 GB GDDR6512 MB GDDR3Better
Memory typeGDDR6GDDR3
Memory bus128 bit128 bit
TFLOPS9.098Better0.093
HEAD TO HEAD · DISCOVER
6Other comparisons
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AI EXPLAIN · HEAD TO HEAD
Explain this comparison
Beyond percentages: causes, relevant specifications, and practical impact behind every chart.
What AI will explain
Overall score, radar, FPS, synthetic tests, specifications, efficiency, and value.
REAL CONFIGURATIONS
Owner experiences
Real builds, results, and community feedback.
♢Moderator reviewed☆Helpful to the community🏅Expert badges
Frequently asked comparison questions
Short recommendations based on performance, memory, power consumption, and intended use.
01Which is better for gaming: RTX 3050 8 GB or 8600 GTS?+
RTX 3050 8 GB has the higher overall gaming score, while RTX 3050 8 GB offers the better price-to-performance ratio. The final choice depends on resolution and settings.
02Which is better for streaming?+
RTX 3050 8 GB is the stronger streaming choice thanks to performance, hardware encoding, and application support. Check AV1, H.264, and HEVC support before buying.
03Which is better for Blender?+
RTX 3050 8 GB is generally the better option for Blender and GPU rendering. Rendering-engine support and available VRAM also matter.
04Which is better for video editing?+
RTX 3050 8 GB offers more overall performance, while RTX 3050 8 GB offers more memory headroom. Codecs, hardware encoders, and editor optimization can change the result.
05Which is better for neural networks and AI?+
RTX 3050 8 GB is the more practical option for local AI workloads. VRAM capacity, compute libraries, and framework compatibility are especially important.
06Which is better for 1080p?+
RTX 3050 8 GB is the most rational 1080p choice, where high frame rates and cost per frame matter most.
07Which is better for 1440p?+
RTX 3050 8 GB leads in combined 1440p performance. RTX 3050 8 GB can be preferable for heavy textures and games with high VRAM usage.
08Which is better for 4K?+
RTX 3050 8 GB is preferable for 4K, where total performance, memory bandwidth, and VRAM capacity have the greatest impact.
09Which is better for a quiet PC?+
8600 GTS is easier to use in a quiet build because of its lower estimated power and thermal load. Actual noise depends on the specific cooler.
10Which is better without replacing the power supply?+
8600 GTS is the safer candidate because its stated power consumption is lower. Verify PSU wattage, age, and power connectors.
11Is it worth upgrading from the previous generation?+
Consider upgrading to RTX 3050 8 GB if your current device no longer delivers the required FPS, memory capacity, or feature support. A gain below 15–20% is usually worth waiting for a price cut.