NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Comparison

# NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti

The database comparison between these two Ampere-based NVIDIA GPUs is a study in extremes: a 45 W mobile part designed for thin-and-light laptops versus a 290 W desktop card built for high-refresh gaming and heavy compute. The recorded data shows a decisive performance gap, but the RTX 3050 Mobile still holds its own as a capable entry-level option. The RTX 3070 Ti wins every head-to-head benchmark in the database, yet the smaller chip's efficiency and portability tell a different story for specific use cases.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most lopsided result comes from 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, a modern DirectX 12 Ultimate workload that stresses ray tracing and mesh shaders. The RTX 3070 Ti scores 3478, while the RTX 3050 Mobile manages only 421. That is a delta of -87.9%, meaning the desktop card is roughly 8.3 times faster in this test. This is not a close race; it is a generational chasm in raw rasterization and compute throughput.

Geekbench Vulkan shows a similar story, albeit with a smaller percentage gap. The RTX 3070 Ti posts 139541, while the RTX 3050 Mobile scores 49051. The delta is -64.8%, indicating the desktop GPU delivers nearly three times the Vulkan performance. This matters for games using Vulkan APIs like Doom Eternal or Wolfenstein Youngblood, where the higher shading unit count and memory bandwidth directly translate to higher frame rates.

Geekbench OpenCL, a compute-oriented workload, also favors the RTX 3070 Ti decisively. The desktop card scores 119718 against the mobile part's 50038, a delta of -58.2%. This test is particularly relevant for GPU-accelerated tasks like video encoding, physics simulations, and machine learning inference. The RTX 3070 Ti's 6144 shading units and 192 tensor cores provide more than double the raw compute horsepower.

Across all three recorded benchmarks, the RTX 3070 Ti wins outright. The database shows 0 wins for the RTX 3050 Mobile and 3 wins for the RTX 3070 Ti. The average benchmark score for the mobile chip is 33170, placing it in the 78th percentile of all GPUs tracked. The desktop card's average is 29945, which sits in the 75th percentile. This is a curious inversion: the RTX 3050 Mobile has a higher percentile ranking despite losing every head-to-head test, because its average includes only three benchmarks while the RTX 3070 Ti's includes ten, some of which (like older DirectX 9 and 10 tests) drag down its mean.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3070 Ti wins in every scenario where raw performance is the sole criterion. For 1440p or 4K gaming, the data shows a massive advantage in the Steel Nomad test, which is designed to scale with shader throughput and memory bandwidth. With 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 608.3 GB/s, the desktop card can feed its 6144 shading units without bottlenecking. The RTX 3050 Mobile's 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing 192.0 GB/s, would struggle with high-resolution textures and modern game assets.

The RTX 3050 Mobile wins in efficiency and integration. Its 45 W TDP versus the RTX 3070 Ti's 290 W means it can operate in laptops with no power connectors, as the slot width is listed as "IGP" (integrated graphics processor) style. The desktop card requires a dual-slot cooler, a 1x 12-pin power connector, and a suggested 600 W power supply. For a compact laptop or a low-profile workstation, the mobile chip is the only viable option despite its lower scores.

In compute workloads using OpenCL, the RTX 3050 Mobile still delivers respectable numbers. Its 50038 score is higher than many older desktop GPUs, and the 78th percentile ranking indicates it outperforms a majority of all tracked graphics cards. For light content creation, casual 1080p gaming, or office productivity with GPU acceleration, the mobile part is sufficient. The RTX 3070 Ti, however, is the clear choice for anyone who needs maximum fps in competitive titles or fast render times in 3D applications.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the Ampere architecture and are built on Samsung's 8 nm process node. The transistor density is nearly identical: 43.5M per mm² for the GA107 chip in the RTX 3050 Mobile, and 44.4M per mm² for the GA104 chip in the RTX 3070 Ti. The die sizes diverge significantly, however. The RTX 3050 Mobile's GA107 measures 200 mm² with 8,700 million transistors, while the RTX 3070 Ti's GA104 spans 392 mm² with 17,400 million transistors. That is exactly double the transistor count on a die that is 96% larger.

The core configurations reflect this disparity. The RTX 3050 Mobile has 2048 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, 32 ROPs, 16 ray tracing cores, and 64 tensor cores. The RTX 3070 Ti triples most of these: 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, 96 ROPs, 48 RT cores, and 192 tensor cores. The pixel rate tells the story: 42.98 GPixel/s for the mobile chip versus 169.9 GPixel/s for the desktop card. Texture rate is similarly lopsided at 85.95 GTexel/s versus 339.8 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 5.501 TFLOPS against 21.75 TFLOPS, a 3.95x difference that aligns with the shading unit count.

Clock speeds also favor the desktop part. The RTX 3050 Mobile runs at a 1065 MHz base and 1343 MHz boost, while the RTX 3070 Ti operates at 1575 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost. Memory clocks differ as well: the mobile chip uses 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective), the desktop card uses 1188 MHz but with 19 Gbps effective due to GDDR6X signaling. The bus interface is another differentiator: PCIe 4.0 x8 for the mobile part, PCIe 4.0 x16 for the desktop card. The RTX 3070 Ti also offers display outputs of 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the RTX 3050 Mobile's outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent."

Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX 3070 Ti's predecessor is GeForce 20, and its successor is GeForce 40. The RTX 3050 Mobile's predecessor is GeForce 20 Mobile, with no successor listed. Both are marked end-of-life in the database.

The Verdict

Pick the RTX 3070 Ti if you need desktop-class performance for gaming, rendering, or compute. The data shows it is 87.9% ahead in Steel Nomad, 58.2% ahead in OpenCL, and 64.8% ahead in Vulkan. With 8 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 256-bit bus, it can handle 4K textures and high-detail ray tracing. It is a dual-slot card requiring a 600 W power supply, so it belongs in a full-sized tower with adequate airflow. Its launch MSRP was 599 USD, and it sits in the 75th percentile of all GPUs, competing closely with the RTX 5070 Mobile (0.1% delta) and the RTX 2080 Ti (0.5% delta).

Pick the RTX 3050 Mobile if portability and low power draw are non-negotiable. At 45 W with no external power connectors, it fits into thin laptops and compact systems. Its 78th percentile ranking is higher than the RTX 3070 Ti's, reflecting strong performance for its class. It trails the AMD Radeon Pro 570 by just 0.1% and beats the NVIDIA P104-100 by 0.6% in average score. For 1080p gaming at medium settings or light creative work, the 4 GB GDDR6 frame buffer and 2048 shading units are adequate. It is not a replacement for the desktop card, but it is a solid entry point for mobile users.

The database records no scenario where the RTX 3050 Mobile outperforms the RTX 3070 Ti. If raw performance is your only metric, the choice is obvious. If power constraints or form factor dominate your decision, the mobile part's efficiency makes it the only option.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 3050 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 33170, while the RTX 3070 Ti averages 29945. The mobile part's higher average is due to its smaller set of benchmarks, not superior performance.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 3070 Ti in 3DMark Steel Nomad?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti scores 3478 versus the RTX 3050 Mobile's 421, a delta of -87.9% from the mobile part's perspective.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The RTX 3050 Mobile has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 3070 Ti has 8 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus with 608.3 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Do both GPUs support ray tracing?

A: Yes, both have dedicated RT cores. The RTX 3050 Mobile has 16, while the RTX 3070 Ti has 48.

Q: What power connectors does each require?

A: The RTX 3050 Mobile uses none (IGP-style integration). The RTX 3070 Ti requires a 1x 12-pin connector and a suggested 600 W power supply.

Q: How do they compare in Vulkan performance?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti scores 139541 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the RTX 3050 Mobile scores 49051, a delta of -64.8%.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | GA107 | GA104 |

| Process Node | 8 nm | 8 nm |

| Transistors | 8,700 million | 17,400 million |

| Die Size | 200 mm² | 392 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 43.5M / mm² | 44.4M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1065 MHz | 1575 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1343 MHz | 1770 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1500 MHz, 12 Gbps effective | 1188 MHz, 19 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 8 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6X |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 192.0 GB/s | 608.3 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2048 | 6144 |

| TMUs | 64 | 192 |

| ROPs | 32 | 96 |

| RT Cores | 16 | 48 |

| Tensor Cores | 64 | 192 |

| Pixel Rate | 42.98 GPixel/s | 169.9 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 85.95 GTexel/s | 339.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 5.501 TFLOPS | 21.75 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 5.501 TFLOPS (1:1) | 21.75 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 45 W | 290 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 12-pin |

| Suggested PSU | None | 600 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Release Date | 2021-05-10 | 2021-05-30 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 20 Mobile | GeForce 20 |

| Successor | None | GeForce 40 |

| Launch MSRP | None | 599 USD |