Here comes another member to the GeForce family called the RTX 5050. At first glance, it is already clear that this is not a graphics card that wants to compete with the most powerful models on the market. It doesn’t try to impress with brutal performance or overblown 4K resolution, and that’s what makes it interesting.
In fact, the NVIDIA RTX 5050 targets a completely different group of gamers, namely those who want to play well without having to invest hundreds of euros. Whether they are students, casual gamers or users who are putting together a PC for casual use with occasional gaming, this card could offer them exactly what they are looking for.
Nvidia is not trying to create a revolution with this model, but to bring a balanced solution that offers stable performance, support for modern technologies and the ability to handle most of today’s games in 1080p at a reasonable price. And that’s something that’s definitely worth paying attention to.
Laptop or desktop? Both at the same time
You, like many others, may have thought that the NVIDIA RTX 5050 would be exclusively a graphics for laptops. After all, the first leaks only hinted at a laptop version of it, mentioning mainly cheaper gaming laptops. But the latest information speaks clearly, NVIDIA RTX 5050 will also come as a standalone dedicated card for desktops. So yes, Nvidia is planning two variants of this graphics card namely: a notebook (laptop) and a desktop card.
Although both versions will carry the same name, they may not be exactly the same inside. The laptop version has been mentioned at times with the faster GDDR7 memory, while the desktop one is said to stick with the slower GDDR6. Which doesn’t make much sense, as using both variants could do more harm than good from a marketing standpoint. A more realistic scenario, then, looks like Nvidia eventually building on GDDR6 for both versions to simplify both production and subsequent sales.
So what specs to expect from the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050?
From the latest leaks, it looks like the NVIDIA RTX 5050 will get to feature 8 GB of GDDR6-type VRAM with 20 Gbps speeds on a 128-bit memory bus and last but not least, it will have a single 8-pin power connector . That’s the same, by the way, as AMD’s new graphics with RDNA 4 architecture, such as the RX 9070 XT. Other models from the Blackwell series already use the more modern GDDR7, but the RTX 5050 will probably stick with this cheaper alternative.
It follows that the NVIDIA RTX 5050 won’t be designed for 4K gaming or ultra details. But that’s not even supposed to be its role. Nvidia is targeting gamers who want a cheap entry into the world of ray tracing and DLSS with this model, ideally for Full HD gaming.
All of this will be packed into a handy format that will especially please those of you putting together a smaller or affordable build. The desktop version should have a compact size, lower power consumption and simple design. As a result, it should have no problem fitting into smaller cabinets and operating without the need for an expensive power supply or high-end cooling. This is also why the NVIDIA RTX 5050 will be an ideal choice for casual gaming setups, office PCs with extra power or as an upgrade to an older system.
For a clearer and more detailed comparison of the notebook and desktop versions, we’ve prepared a table for you. As a reminder, the figures are not yet officially announced and may vary slightly when officially unveiled.
|
Component 11480_96d94d-6c> |
Desktop version 11480_d5b617-56> |
Laptop version 11480_742f8d-ff> |
|---|---|---|
|
Chip 11480_142ce0-9c> |
GB207 Blackwell (4 nm) 11480_4a90bd-eb> |
GB207 Blackwell (4 nm) 11480_682b75-8c> |
|
Cores 11480_015ad4-32> |
2 560 CUDA, 80 Tensor, 20 RT 11480_0e4b7d-5f> |
2 560 CUDA, 80 Tensor, 20 RT 11480_6edd69-0f> |
|
Clock speed 11480_9c976b-d2> |
2 235 MHz / 2 520 MHz 11480_fa563b-73> |
1 500-2 550 MHz (50-115 W) 11480_957617-79> |
|
VRAM 11480_03ae08-13> |
8 GB GDDR6, 128-bit, 20 Gbps 11480_f2cda9-ab> |
8 GB GDDR6 11480_30e0b8-31> |
|
Consumption 11480_49e0ee-bd> |
~120 W 11480_fc00b2-b1> |
50-115 W depending on model 11480_f03f1c-46> |
|
PCIe 11480_274406-86> |
5.0 ×8 11480_155aa3-a9> |
Integrated in the notebook 11480_59a550-6c> |
GeForce RTX 5050 price definitely
If you’re expecting the NVIDIA RTX 5050 to handle all the newness at ultra settings, this won’t be the card for you. But if you’re looking for a reasonable solution to 1080p gaming without ruining your wallet, you’ve got a strong candidate in front of you. Nvidia realizes that not everyone has the budget for an RTX 4090, let alone the latest monsters for a few thousand euros like the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090.
If Nvidia sets the price right, the NVIDIA RTX 5050 can easily attract students, casual gamers or anyone who isn’t planning to spend very much on a graphics card somehow. That’s where its real advantage lies, it’s affordable and ready to offer decent performance for reasonable money.
Watch where to buy the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 now
New releases like the RTX 5050 tend to sell out quickly. Keep an eye on them on Alza and Heureka.