Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB price and tentative launch window revealed by new leak

With the GeForce RTX 4070 Super, RTX 4070 Ti Super, and RTX 4080 Super launch dates unofficially confirmed, leakers have shifted focus to Nvidia's other 2024 release, the GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB. The low-cost card is said to replace its 8 GB variant and come with a corresponding price cut. A Board Channels (via Videocardz) user has discovered its price and launch date.

The GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB will launch sometime in February 2024 for $179. Unfortunately, the region isn't specified, but one can safely assume it to be China. That $179 figure likely includes local taxes, and the price could vary depending on the market. A $150 price tag seems likely in some countries, which should come as good news for gamers on a tight budget.

That leaves the GeForce RTX 3050 as the only sub-$200 Nvidia card on the market. It will make a decent e-sports machine when combined with a low-cost CPU like the Intel Core i3-13100 ($148 on Amazon) or Core i3-14100. A GeForce RTX 4050 desktop would have been ideal, but the prospects of that ever launching seem dead. Then again, Nvidia has pulled random SKUs out of thin air before (remember the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti?), so one can't rule anything out.