Nvidia RTX 3050 and 3050 Ti Announced in Laptops Starting at $799

Nvidia today announced two new laptop GPUs, the RTX 3050 and 3050 Ti, that will bring ray tracing and increased performance to upcoming budget-friendly gaming laptops.

These two new GPUs will flesh out the RTX 30-Series mobile platform, and will be available in a wave of new laptops, also announced today from major manufacturers. The RTX 3050 will be available in machines starting as low as $799. 

Of course, some RTX 3050-bearing systems will also cost a bit more than that, since the GPU could be paired with more than the base amount of memory and storage, as well as varying display options. Expect the RTX 3050 Ti to trend a bit more toward the midrange price tier, but occupy a nice middle ground between entry-level and the RTX 3060.

In addition to these budget-friendly laptops, partner manufacturers also announced other updated slim-and-light models with Max-Q versions of superior GPUs. These include some of the most popular gaming laptop lines and new models alike, such as the Asus Zephyrus M16, the Razer Blade 15, the Alienware m15 R5, and more.

Bringing Ray Tracing to Budget Gaming: RTX 3050, 3050 Ti, and DLSS

Previously, the GTX 1650 Ti and 1660 Ti occupied the space below the RTX 2060 and RTX 3060 for budget-friendly systems. Those remain fully competent full HD gaming GPUs, but crucially lack the advanced ray-tracing lighting capabilities of the RTX line. Now, entry-level laptops with these new GPUs will be able to enjoy the RTX platform’s calling card.

To make ray tracing at high frame rates possible on the RTX 3050 and 3050 Ti, the pair will also be capable of DLSS, an upscaling and anti-aliasing technology already in use on existing Nvidia GPUs. Consistently achieving high frame rates with ray tracing enabled would be tough in high-fidelity modern games without DLSS, but it’s key in making the end product both smoother and better-looking for GPUs. It will, when necessary, render the game at a lower resolution in order to keep your frame rates high on your chosen graphical settings.

There are some visual concessions to this, but the latest iteration of DLSS is quite effective. Even some GPUs at the top of the hierarchy can benefit from this technology in demanding games with ray tracing enabled, so it will especially be a boon to these new entry-level GPUs (and in some cases, maybe even necessary). It's not the same as raw power, but it's tough to complain about the practicality of smooth high-end gaming on laptops under $1,000. On the surface, that’s all you really need to know about what DLSS is for, but if you’re interested in the more technical details, check out our deep dive.

According to the chart above, Nvidia estimates nearly 100fps in Call of Duty: Warzone on a 3050 Ti system with DLSS enabled at Medium settings (see the bottom-right corner for the settings and specs). You can also see the relative performance gains compared to a 3050 Ti with DLSS off, and compared to the 1650 Ti. Of course, we’ll confirm the real-world numbers ourselves across a range of new laptops when they become available.

Nvidia Studio Laptops for Creative Professionals

Nvidia also focused on areas beyond pure gaming experiences and high frame rates. This includes new hardware and software, chiefly fresh Nvidia Studio laptops and updates to Nvidia Broadcast. 

Studio-branded laptops feature high-end Nvidia GPUs for creative professionals rather than gaming, delivering superior performance for video editing, rendering, and more. They often include snappy processors and high-end 4K displays, as well. Some newly announced Studio laptops include the HP ZBook Studio with an RTX 3080, the Dell XPS 17 with an RTX 3060, and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Pro with an RTX 3050.

Nvidia Broadcast Updates

On the software side, Nvidia promises faster 4K video editing and quicker photo editing in certain applications thanks to RTX acceleration. Some of the performance comparisons are against integrated graphics, so a huge decrease in render and wait times should be a given, but the gains are still real. Nvidia also cites millions of STEM students around the world utilizing Nvidia hardware for work and play.

As for Nvidia Broadcast, new features can benefit gamers and professionals who are working from home alike. The streaming and broadcasting suite now features improved room echo removal, background noise filtering, and removal of some video noise. These features will be updated into the existing software today.

About Matthew Buzzi

Lead Analyst, Hardware

I’m one of the consumer PC experts at PCMag, with a particular love for PC gaming. I've played games on my computer for as long as I can remember, which eventually (as it does for many) led me to building and upgrading my own desktop. Through my years here, I've tested and reviewed many, many dozens of laptops and desktops, and I am always happy to recommend a PC for your needs and budget.

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