ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3050 OC Edition 8GB review: Made for 1080p gaming

Performance benchmarks and Conclusion

Test setup

Here are the specifications of our test rig:

• Intel 12th Gen Core i9 12900K CPU
• ROG Maximus Z690 Hero
• Samsung 980 Pro 1TB SSD
• Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5
• Windows 11 Home 64-bit
• ASUS ROG Swift PG43UQ 4K Gaming Monitor

We'll be comparing the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3050 to the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3050 Eagle that we just reviewed recently. 

The following synthetic benchmarks and games were run, with the games chosen from a wide range of genres to give a better indication of performance across different segments:

• 3DMark
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider
• Total War: Three Kingdoms (Battle)
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
• Metro: Exodus
• Watch Dogs: Legion
• Wolfenstein: Youngblood
• Horizon Zero Dawn
• Guardians of the Galaxy

3DMark

3DMark is a synthetic benchmark that tests graphics and computational performance at different resolutions, starting at 1080p and going all the way up to 4K. A series of two graphics test, one physics test, and then a combined test stresses your hardware in turn to assess its performance.

The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3050 OC has a more aggressive boost clock of 1,860MHz in Gaming Mode and 1,890MHz in OC Mode. It shows compared to the Gigabyte card's 1,777MHz, and the ASUS model inched ahead in all the tested 3DMark benchmarks.

1080p Benchmarks (Max Settings)

In real-world games, the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3050 OC consistently took the lead at 1080p, although the differential of a couple of percentage points can hardly be called significant. 

1440p Benchmarks (Max Settings)

At 1440p, the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3050 begins to struggle to get itself over the 60fps mark. Nevertheless, the higher boost clock speeds still give it an advantage, however negligible, over the Gigabyte card. 

1080p @ Max Settings (Ray Tracing - Max, DLSS Balanced)

The same applies goes for the benchmarks with both ray tracing and DLSS enabled. The ASUS card comes ahead, although not by much.

Temperature and power

Cooling performance is where the ASUS card really starts to shine. Despite its more aggressive clock speeds and better performance, it is a good 16°C cooler than its Gigabyte counterpart, while drawing only slightly more power.

Conclusion

The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3050 OC is one of the best GeForce RTX 3050 cards you can buy. At S$749, it's hardly cheap for what's supposed to be an entry-level card, but you're paying for top-notch cooling and striking aesthetics. Not to mention the aggravated retail prices for graphics cards in general due to supply issues, and high demand by both gamers and crypto miners, the going rate is not going to come down anytime soon.

But if you're looking to get access to NVIDIA's latest Ampere architecture and features like DLSS and Reflex, while trying not to go over your budget, this GeForce RTX 3050 card from ASUS should be at the top of your list.