Rumors have resurfaced online about the arrival of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 desktop graphics cards. These suggest that the GPU will come with 8GB of GDDR6 memory. This would also set the tone for a new range of low-cost graphics cards that will appear in early 2022.
This information comes from VideoCardz. According to them, the non-Ti version of the RTX 3050 was reportedly confirmed in a roadmap with the SKU GA106-150. The famous Twitter leaker @kopite7kimi reported that the card will have more memory than expected (according to initial rumors, the RTX 3050 would only have 4GB). There might also be 3,072 CUDA cores present.
That’s certainly good for 1080p quality gaming, and would make the RTX 3050 the perfect entry-level GPU for newcomers to the world of PC gaming.
This lower-end Ampere GPU would appear at about the same time as Intel’s Arc Alchemist graphics cards, and additional rumors suggest AMD will also release the Radeon RX 6500XT and RX 6400 desktop RDNA2 cards.
We currently have no idea what the pricing for these GPUs will be. If indeed they’re going to be released near the same time, there’s a good chance the three manufacturers will compete fiercely for the most affordable GPU on the market. That would be good news for consumers, as long as there is sufficient inventory and adequate measures are taken to discourage bots and scalpers.
The suggested release dates mean that you shouldn’t expect a new GPU before the holidays. They do suggest that the manufacturers are aware of the demand for cheap, affordable GPUs. For example, Nvidia is already reviving the RTX 2060 with 12GB of VRAM, so they can get more graphics cards into the hands of consumers.
As is always the case with these kinds of rumours, you should take them with a grain of salt. However, now that there are three brands that are expected to release these products in the first half of 2022, we assume that we will not have to wait long for more reliable information and additional specifications. CES 2022 already seems like a good starting point.
Analysis: we needed this months ago
Strong graphics cards like the RTX 3080 are of course interesting, but they are not within everyone’s budget. So it’s a relief that manufacturers recognize the need for 1080p entry-level models in the market. The RTX 3060 is great, but the price was still too high for some. Then there are the scalpers, which often caused that price to be higher than necessary.
In any case, the arrival of these cheaper cards seems a little too late to us. Many people are tired of persistent chip shortages and the lack of affordable (and available) graphics cards. The three major brands must therefore ensure that there is enough stock, and that at a price that feels reasonable.
Currently there is not much information we can work with. We tend to say that the price for these cards is the most important thing for consumers, but here too we have our doubts. Many users are so desperate for new hardware that they continue to buy GPUs despite the huge price increases.
The arrival of these cheaper graphics cards would be a morale boost for the PC gaming community that has had a few rough years. It would be a minor miracle if the manufacturers succeed, but we hope that next year there will be enough GPUs for everyone.
