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NVIDIA announced the GeForce RTX 5050 desktop graphics card and RTX 5050 Laptop GPU on June 24, 2025. The desktop card was announced with a $249 starting price and an arrival window beginning in the second half of July 2025; NVIDIA said laptops with the RTX 5050 would arrive at retailers from $999. Those are launch-era prices and timing, not current retail quotes or proof of present availability.
What the GeForce RTX 5050 is
The RTX 5050 is NVIDIA’s entry-level desktop card in its GeForce RTX 50 Series, based on the Blackwell architecture. NVIDIA announced it alongside a separate RTX 5050 Laptop GPU. The two use different memory types, and the laptop GPU is not simply the desktop card in a different enclosure.
In its June 24, 2025 announcement, NVIDIA positioned the desktop RTX 5050 for budget gaming and said cards would begin arriving in the second half of July. The company named ASUS, Colorful, Gainward, Galaxy, GIGABYTE, INNO3D, MSI, Palit, PNY and ZOTAC as add-in-card providers, and said the GPU would also appear in prebuilt desktops. Those launch details are historical; the announcement does not establish current stock or pricing. NVIDIA’s announcement
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RTX 5050 desktop specifications
NVIDIA’s desktop reference specifications list 2,560 CUDA cores, 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit interface, a 2.31 GHz base clock and a 2.57 GHz boost clock. The card uses PCI Express Gen 5 and has 130 W total graphics power. NVIDIA notes the listed clocks apply under medium-to-full GPU utilization and that specifications can differ among add-in-card models. NVIDIA’s RTX 5050 specifications
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- The MAXSUN GeForce RTX 3050 is built with the powerful graphics performance of the NV Ampere architecture. Get a performance boost with NV DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling). AI-specialized Tensor Cores on GeForce RTX GPUs give your games a speed boost with uncompromised image quality.
- Integrated with 6GB GDDR6 14000MHz 96-bit memory interface
- 1042MHz gpu core clock and 1470MHz boost clock speeds to help meet the needs of demanding games.
- PCI-E X8 4.0 with HDMI 2.1, DP1.4a,full digital I/O interfaces, support 8K resolution output, multi monitors to enjoy wider audio and video entertainment.
- Slim Low profile desgin (6.65*2.71inch/16.9*6.9cm) perfect in Mini Small Form Factor SFF computer pc cases & easy to build a powerful small ITX AI PC
Power and system compatibility
NVIDIA specifies a PCIe 8-pin power cable, or a 300 W-or-greater PCIe Gen 5 cable with an adapter, and lists 550 W as the required system power. That 550 W recommendation is based on a system configured with a Ryzen 9 9950X; it should not be read as a universal minimum for every PC. Check the requirements of the exact card model and your full system, including the power supply’s available connectors and capacity.
Desktop RTX 5050 versus RTX 5050 Laptop GPU
The laptop GPU has its own configuration. NVIDIA lists 2,560 CUDA cores and 8 GB of GDDR7 memory at 24 Gbps for the RTX 5050 Laptop GPU, compared with GDDR6 for the desktop card. Laptop implementations are designed for particular laptop systems, so the desktop card’s power, cooling, clock behavior and performance cannot be assumed to apply to a laptop. NVIDIA’s announcement
| Feature | RTX 5050 desktop card | RTX 5050 Laptop GPU |
|---|---|---|
| CUDA cores | 2,560 (NVIDIA) | 2,560 (NVIDIA) |
| Memory | 8 GB GDDR6 (NVIDIA) | 8 GB GDDR7 at 24 Gbps (NVIDIA) |
| Launch-era price | Starting at $249; NVIDIA announcement, June 24, 2025 | Laptops from $999; NVIDIA announcement, June 24, 2025 |
| Availability announced | Cards expected to begin arriving in the second half of July 2025 | Laptops said to be arriving at retailers from $999 |
How NVIDIA describes RTX 5050 performance
NVIDIA said desktop RTX 5050 cards averaged 60% faster raster performance than RTX 3050 in the games shown in its announcement, and claimed 4× faster performance with the full DLSS 4 suite. For laptops, NVIDIA claimed an average 2.4× raster FPS and consistently more than 4× performance with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation versus RTX 3050 Laptop GPUs across the games in its chart. These are NVIDIA’s comparisons, not independent benchmark results; the stated figures apply to the games and comparison conditions NVIDIA presented. NVIDIA’s performance claims
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- NVIDIA Ampere Streaming Multiprocessors: The all-new Ampere SM brings 2X the FP32 throughput and improved power efficiency.
- 2nd Generation RT Cores: Experience 2X the throughput of 1st gen RT Cores, plus concurrent RT and shading for a whole new level of ray-tracing performance.
- 3rd Generation Tensor Cores: Get up to 2X the throughput with structural sparsity and advanced AI algorithms such as DLSS. These cores deliver a massive boost in game performance and all-new AI capabilities.
- Axial-tech fan design features a smaller fan hub that facilitates longer blades and a barrier ring that increases downward air pressure.
- OC Mode : 1500 MHz (Boost Clock)/Default Mode : 1470 MHz (Boost Clock)
What varies between RTX 5050 cards
Board partners can sell different versions of the desktop RTX 5050, and NVIDIA says add-in-card specifications may vary. A card’s cooler, factory clock, dimensions, slot width, power connector and noise characteristics therefore depend on its exact maker and SKU. Compare the specific model against your case clearance, available power connectors and priorities rather than relying on the RTX 5050 name alone.
GIGABYTE announced GAMING OC, WINDFORCE OC and OC Low Profile 8G versions. Its low-profile example measures 182 mm long and includes an additional low-profile bracket; that dimension and form factor describe that GIGABYTE model, not every RTX 5050. GIGABYTE’s RTX 5050 announcement
Quick Recap
What to check before buying
- Exact model and price: Compare the current price of the precise SKU; the $249 desktop and $999 laptop figures were NVIDIA’s launch-era starting prices.
- Fit: Check the card’s listed length, height and slot width against your case. Do not assume the GIGABYTE low-profile dimensions apply to other cards.
- Power: Confirm the exact model’s connector requirements and whether your power supply can support the full system.
- Cooling and clocks: Compare the manufacturer’s cooler design, factory clock and any noise claims for the card you are considering.
- Desktop or laptop: Choose based on the complete system. The laptop GPU’s memory configuration differs, and its performance and power depend on the laptop implementation.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
