NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile records an average benchmark score of 8746, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 scores 7472. This places the RTX 3050 A Mobile at the 44th percentile of all GPUs, compared to the 40th percentile for the GTX 1650.

Q: What is the largest single-benchmark margin between the two cards?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 3050 A Mobile scores 52998 against 29629 for the GTX 1650, a lead of 78.9%. This is the widest gap recorded in any shared test.

Q: Does the GTX 1650 win any benchmark against the RTX 3050 A Mobile?

A: Yes, the GTX 1650 wins the Passmark G2D test with a score of 561 versus 526 for the RTX 3050 A Mobile, a margin of 6.2% in its favor. This is the only test where the GTX 1650 comes out ahead.

Q: How do the two cards compare in DirectX 12 performance?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile scores 55 in Passmark DirectX 12, while the GTX 1650 scores 35, giving the RTX 3050 A Mobile a 57.1% advantage. The RTX 3050 A Mobile also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), whereas the GTX 1650 supports DirectX 12 (12_1).

Q: What are the memory specifications of each card?

A: Both cards have 4 GB of memory on a 128-bit bus. The RTX 3050 A Mobile uses GDDR6 memory with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth and 12 Gbps effective speed. The GTX 1650 uses GDDR5 memory with 128.1 GB/s bandwidth and 8 Gbps effective speed.

Q: Which card has higher compute throughput?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile delivers 4.813 TFLOPS FP32 performance, while the GTX 1650 delivers 2.984 TFLOPS. The RTX 3050 A Mobile also has 56 tensor cores and 14 ray tracing cores, features the GTX 1650 lacks entirely.

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data splits the two cards into distinct usage profiles. The RTX 3050 A Mobile dominates in seven of the eight shared benchmarks, making it the clear choice for compute-heavy workloads and modern graphics APIs. Its wins span OpenCL compute, DirectX 9 through DirectX 12, and the aggregate gaming metric, Passmark G3D, where it scores 11664 against 7880, a 48% lead.

The GTX 1650's single victory comes in Passmark G2D, a 2D graphics performance test. It scores 561 versus 526, a 6.2% margin. This suggests the older card retains an edge in basic 2D rendering tasks, though the practical significance is limited given the overwhelming 3D advantage of the RTX 3050 A Mobile.

For users prioritizing raw compute, ray tracing capability, or modern API support, the RTX 3050 A Mobile is the standout. For those running legacy 2D applications or seeking the only measurable win in the dataset, the GTX 1650 has a narrow niche. The benchmark results indicate no other scenario in which the GTX 1650 outperforms its newer counterpart.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations. The RTX 3050 A Mobile is built on the Ampere architecture with the GA106 chip, fabricated on Samsung's 8 nm process. The GTX 1650 uses the Turing architecture with the TU117 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 12 nm process. This generational divide explains much of the performance gap.

The RTX 3050 A Mobile integrates 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 43.5 million per mm². The GTX 1650 has 4,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, with a density of 23.5 million per mm². The RTX 3050 A Mobile packs more than twice the transistor count into a die only 38% larger.

Feature support also diverges sharply. The RTX 3050 A Mobile includes 14 ray tracing cores and 56 tensor cores, enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI-based features. The GTX 1650 has no RT cores and no tensor cores. The RTX 3050 A Mobile further supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GTX 1650 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). Both cards support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

The shader configuration differs as well. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has 1792 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The GTX 1650 has 896 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has double the shading units with identical TMU and ROP counts.

Specification Differences

Clock speeds show an interesting inversion. The GTX 1650 has a higher base clock at 1485 MHz and a higher boost clock at 1665 MHz. The RTX 3050 A Mobile runs at 1065 MHz base and 1343 MHz boost. Despite lower clocks, the RTX 3050 A Mobile achieves higher throughput due to its wider shader configuration.

Memory technology differs significantly. The RTX 3050 A Mobile uses GDDR6 with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth and 1500 MHz memory clock (12 Gbps effective). The GTX 1650 uses GDDR5 with 128.1 GB/s bandwidth and 2001 MHz memory clock (8 Gbps effective). The RTX 3050 A Mobile thus offers 50% more memory bandwidth.

Power and physical specifications also differ. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has a 45 W TDP and uses an IGP slot width with no power connectors. The GTX 1650 has a 75 W TDP, is dual-slot, has no power connectors, and lists a 250 W suggested PSU. The GTX 1650 is a discrete card measuring 229 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 35 mm in width.

The bus interface differs: the RTX 3050 A Mobile uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the GTX 1650 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The RTX 3050 A Mobile's display outputs are listed as portable device dependent, whereas the GTX 1650 offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Pixel and texture rates favor the GTX 1650 in raw terms. The GTX 1650 achieves 53.28 GPixel/s and 93.24 GTexel/s, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile reaches 42.98 GPixel/s and 75.21 GTexel/s. However, the RTX 3050 A Mobile leads in FP32 compute at 4.813 TFLOPS versus 2.984 TFLOPS. The GTX 1650 has a higher FP16 rate at 5.967 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), while the RTX 3050 A Mobile offers 4.813 TFLOPS FP16 (1:1 ratio).

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows the largest gap. The RTX 3050 A Mobile scores 52998, the GTX 1650 scores 29629, a 78.9% advantage. This massive lead reflects the RTX 3050 A Mobile's superior compute resources and higher bandwidth.

Passmark DirectX 11 shows a 62.1% lead for the RTX 3050 A Mobile, scoring 94 against 58. Passmark DirectX 12 shows a 57.1% lead, 55 versus 35. Passmark DirectX 10 shows a 56.4% lead, 61 versus 39. These consistent margins across DirectX versions indicate a broad architectural advantage rather than API-specific optimization.

Passmark G3D, the aggregate gaming metric, gives the RTX 3050 A Mobile a 48% lead with 11664 against 7880. Passmark GPU Compute shows a 45% lead, 4419 versus 3048. The smallest RTX 3050 A Mobile win is in Passmark DirectX 9, where it scores 152 against 124, a 22.6% margin.

The single GTX 1650 win comes in Passmark G2D, 561 versus 526, a 6.2% margin. This 2D-focused test is the only category where the older card leads, and the margin is modest compared to the RTX 3050 A Mobile's wins.

The RTX 3050 A Mobile also records a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 305, a test the GTX 1650 does not share in this dataset. The GTX 1650 has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 33042, with no comparable RTX 3050 A Mobile score recorded.

The Verdict

The data points decisively to the RTX 3050 A Mobile as the stronger GPU. It wins seven of eight shared benchmarks, with margins ranging from 22.6% in DirectX 9 to 78.9% in OpenCL. Its average benchmark score of 8746 exceeds the GTX 1650's 7472 by roughly 17%. The RTX 3050 A Mobile also carries architectural features the GTX 1650 cannot match: ray tracing cores, tensor cores, DirectX 12 Ultimate support, and 50% more memory bandwidth.

The RTX 3050 A Mobile is the appropriate choice for users prioritizing modern gaming features, compute workloads, or API compatibility. Its 45 W TDP and IGP form factor also make it suitable for portable devices, though its display outputs are device-dependent.

The GTX 1650 retains a narrow advantage in 2D performance, as shown by its Passmark G2D win. It also has a higher pixel rate and texture rate, plus a higher FP16 throughput of 5.967 TFLOPS versus 4.813 TFLOPS. Its dual-slot design and standard display outputs make it a more conventional discrete card, and it carries a launch MSRP of 149 USD.

For buyers choosing between these two, the benchmark record is unambiguous: the RTX 3050 A Mobile offers substantially better performance in nearly every measurable category. The GTX 1650 is only preferable in the specific case of 2D-centric workloads where its G2D advantage matters, or where a standard dual-slot card with fixed display outputs is required. Otherwise, the RTX 3050 A Mobile's higher scores, modern feature set, and greater compute throughput make it the data-backed recommendation.