For the uninitiated, the RTX 3050 and RTX 3050Ti mobile GPUs offer oodles of horsepower. At the same time, these machines don’t cost a fortune, thereby ensuring buyers get the most bang for their buck. We’ve aggregated a list of six well-specced machines below, which should suffice for most casual gamers. But, before we get into that, you might want to check out:
The best gaming laptops with RTX 3060 GPU for quality, 1080p gaming. The best gaming laptops with RTX 3070 GPU for an unmatched gaming experience. The best lightweight laptops with touch screen.
Now, let’s get the basics clear.
What Is the Difference Between an RTX 3050 and an RTX 3050Ti GPU
First things first, here’s a short explainer of how Nvidia’s entry-level RTX 30-series GPUs differ from one another. To wit, the RTX 3050Ti offers more CUDA cores than the RTX 3050 GPU (2,560 vs. 2,048 CUDA cores). For the uninitiated, CUDA cores are responsible for parallel computing (rendering in-game shaders, etc.) in Nvidia GPUs. Consequently, the higher the CUDA core count, the more operations your GPU can cycle through at a time. Do note that you cannot go about comparing the CUDA core count for GPUs that sport different architectures. In other words, you should factor in other variables when comparing GPUs from say, the Ampere and Turing class. Other than that, both the GPUs ship with a 128-bit bus and 4GB of DDR6 memory. Between the two, the RTX 3050Ti is a slightly faster GPU. Per some reviews, the GPU offered a 12 percent performance increment when running games like Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands. Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the best RTX 3050 / RTX 3050 Ti laptops.
Top 5 Gaming Laptops With RTX 3050 GPU
Here’re our 5 top choices that will fall right within your budget and give you a great gaming experience.
1. Acer Nitro 5
Processor: Core i7-11800H | Screen Refresh Rate: 144Hz Weight: 4.85 lbs | GPU: RTX 3050Ti with 75W TGP
Consequently, buyers looking to pick up a machine for multi-threaded workloads will find plenty to like about Acer’s offering. Unsurprisingly, the laptop has been rated quite highly by customers too, with many speaking highly of the unit’s impressive gaming performance. The same can be accredited to the device’s RTX 3050Ti GPU which should be able to run eSports games like Valorant, Overwatch, and Apex Legends at commendable settings. What’s more, per a handful of reviews, the laptop can even hold its own in more demanding titles. To that note, the device could run titles like Ghostrunner at competent settings. Moreover, the in-game FPS shot up when enabling Nvidia’s DLSS tech too. For those who are new, DLSS stands for Deep Learning Super Sampling and it allows laptops with an RTX GPU and Tensor cores to upscale a game running at a lower resolution. In a nutshell, the tech renders a game at a lower resolution albeit polishes up the rough edges, thereby giving the impression that it is running at a higher resolution. Moreover, the device gets a 15.6-inch, Full HD panel that refreshes at 144Hz too. As a result, you will not run into instances of screen-tearing when running high-octane games on the laptop. The unit’s port selection will not leave you wanting more either. We say this, as the device gets a full-sized HDMI 2.0 slot, along with USB 3.2 Type-C and Type-A connectors. If anything, we would’ve liked to see the laptop ship with at least 16GB of RAM. On the bright side, the device comes with two RAM slots, so you can upgrade the memory down the line. All things considered, the Nitro 5 is a solid gaming laptop that won’t break the bank.
2. HP Victus 2022
Processor: Ryzen 7 5800H | Screen Refresh Rate: 144Hz Weight: 5.06 lbs | GPU: RTX 3050Ti with 75W TGP
That’s not the only thing the laptop has going for it, mind you. Moreover, the device gets a 3050Ti GPU with 4GB DDR6 memory as well. Consequently, you should be able to run demanding games at low to medium graphics preset and still hit 60FPS. And, you can always count on Nvidia’s DLSS tech to further boost the in-game FPS, which is great. We should point out that we’ve gone for the model with 16GB of DDR4 memory and 512GB of NVMe storage. With that said, you can even get the device with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, if you need more storage. As for the display, the device gets a 15.6-inch, Full HD IPS screen with a refresh rate of 144Hz. The laptop ships with a backlit keyboard, albeit you don’t get RGB lighting here. Instead, the keyboard comes with white LED illumination. Other than that, the laptop comes with a good selection of ports too. These include a USB 3.2 Type-C connector, two USB Type-A ports, an RJ45 ethernet slot, and an SD card reader. Pool everything together and the HP Victus 2022 makes for a reliable gaming laptop with an RTX 3050Ti GPU. Also read: The best Cat 7 Ethernet cables for low-latency gaming.
3. Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3
Processor: Ryzen 5 6600H | Screen Refresh Rate: 120Hz Weight: 5.1 lbs | GPU: RTX 3050 with 85W TGP
Do note that the chipset comes with six cores and 16 threads. Understandably, the processor will not be as adept at tackling multi-threaded workloads as Intel’s offering. Synthetic benchmarks paint a similar picture too, with reviews citing that the 6600H’s median score in Cinebench R23 multi-core test run was around 10,470 points. On the flip side, the Core i7-11800H overturned a median score of around 12,000 points. Having said that, the laptop features a more well-rounded spec sheet and comes with 32GB of DDR5 memory. Furthermore, the device gets an RTX 3050 GPU with an 85W TGP, which should hold its own when running casual, eSports titles like Fortnite on the laptop. For those unaware, a GPU’s TGP value predicates the amount of power at its disposal when running graphically-demanding games. Rest assured, the higher the TGP, the better your laptop’s performance will be. Other than that, the laptop comes with a 15.6-inch, Full HD display that refreshes at 120Hz. The display ships with an anti-glare coating and can get reasonably bright at 250 nits as well. As for ports, the laptop ships with a slurry of connectors, including two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a USB 3.2 Type-C port, and even an RJ45 ethernet slot. All said and done, buyers looking for an RTX 3050 laptop that is good for gaming will find the Ideapad Gaming 3 right up their alley.
4. Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3i
Processor: Core i7-12700H | Screen Refresh Rate: 120Hz Weight: 5.1 lbs | GPU: RTX 3050Ti with 85W TGP
For one, the CPU can turbo at up to 4.7GHz and sustain its peak throughout at up to 100 degrees as well. What’s more, the chipset gets a total of fourteen cores, including six performance cores and eight efficiency cores. Combined, the laptop can deploy up to 20 threads for multi-threaded workloads. Suffice it to say, the Gaming 3i should crunch through CPU-intensive tasks like working on multiple excel sheets at once or editing a high-resolution video. The device is not lacking in the GPU department either. To that end, the laptop gets an RTX 3050Ti, which should perform a tad better than the AMD-variant’s RTX 3050 GPU too. While both the cards get the same amount of VRAM, the Ti variant of the RTX 3050 features more CUDA cores that should help it resolve in-game textures better. The proof is in the pudding too, with customers raving about the i7 variant’s performance chops. Furthermore, a lot of users have pointed out that the laptop’s build quality is to their liking as well. Display-wise, the Ideapad Gaming 3i gets a 15.6-inch, Full HD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. The panel is nothing to write home about, although should offer a good experience when gaming or watching movies on the machine. The laptop’s I/O is on par with the competition as well, with the device offering a bunch of high-speed USB Type-C and Type-A connectors. Furthermore, the laptop comes with a dedicated Numpad and even features a serviceable webcam, per some customer reviews. If anything, you might have to upgrade the laptop’s RAM down the line as 8GB might not cut it for some users. Other than that, the Ideapad Gaming 3i is a sound deal and is a superb gaming laptop with an RTX 3050 Ti GPU.
5. MSI Katana GF66
Processor: Core i7-12650H | Screen Refresh Rate: 144Hz Weight: 4.96 lbs | GPU: RTX 3050Ti with 60W TGP
Understandably, the Core i7-12700H-backed Ideapad Gaming 3i will perform better for multi-threaded workloads. However, you can expect both devices to offer comparable gaming performance. Speaking of which, customers state that the laptop can run demanding games with ease. As per some reviews, the device could run games like Doom Eternal and Halo Infinite at commendable settings. The fans tend to get a bit noisy but that’s the case with most, if not all, gaming laptops. Moving on, the MSI Katana GF66 sports a 15.6-inch display with a Full HD resolution. The screen can refresh at 144Hz, so you should benefit from high FPS in games like Valorant, Fortnite, and CS:GO on the laptop. The port selection is not too shabby either and the laptop gets two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a USB 3.2 Type-C port, an HDMI slot, and an RJ45 connector. Interestingly, unlike the Ideapad Gaming 3i, the MSI Katana GF66 gets 16GB of RAM from the word go. As such, you need not worry about upgrading the laptop’s RAM in the foreseeable future. To sum up, the MSI Katana GF66 is one of the best RTX 3050 gaming laptops in the market.
Work Hard, Play Harder
If you’ve been itching to play your favorite games but don’t want to splurge on a high-end rig, then these RTX 3050 gaming laptops should be up to the task. While you might have to lower some graphics presets, these laptops should be able to run most, if not all, popular games easily. The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
