It has long been rumored that Nvidia is working on an RTX 3050 model with only 6 GB of graphics memory as a more affordable alternative to the 8 GB model released last year . Now, a new report claims that the upcoming card will be released next month and will completely replace the 8GB variant.
What will the 6 GB RTX 3050 be like?
No explanation was given for the decision, but online speculation suggests that the 8GB model negatively affected sales of the RTX 4060 , leading the company to remove this model from the market and introduce a more affordable model to attract casual gamers. In other words, it aims to expand the range.
The information also reveals some basic features of the rumored card. Rumor has it that the RTX 3050 will be based on the GA107-325-Kx GPU and use the PG173 SKU16 PCB. It is reported to have 2048 CUDA cores as opposed to 2560 cores in the 8 GB model .
The core clock speed is expected to be only 1470 MHz, which means it will be lower than the 1777 MHz clock speed of the 8 GB model. While the current RTX 3050 model also has a 128-bit memory bus, the upcoming model is expected to have a 96-bit bus.
It is also expected that the 6GB model will have a significantly lower TGP of around 75W , which will of course require a design change. While it may still retain the 3x DP and 1x HDMI outputs of its 8GB sibling, the upcoming model may bypass the need for external power input and be powered by a PCIe 8-PIN power connector instead.
Nvidia is considering entering the market by pricing the 6 GB model more affordable. While the 8GB model is available for $249, the new entry-level card could be priced under $200 . The report also states that Nvidia will launch the 6GB model in January 2024 , which means we won’t have to wait too long to check if it’s any good.
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