ASUS Dual NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB OC Edition Gaming Graphics Card - PCIe 4.0, 6GB GDDR6 Memory, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a, 2-Slot Design, Axial-tech Fan Design, 0dB Technology, Steel Bracket

So, you bought yourself a Dell Optiplex MT PC, any you have a 260 or 290W Power Supply with no GPU power plug available. Your options are a new AMD RX 6400 with 4GB or several older GPUs. Worse, you have your heart set on playing Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered!Now, you COULD do that with the RX 6400, but, let me tell you, it's a painful experience. Enter the NVidia RTX 3050 6GB. The blackist of the black sheep in the NVidia line-up, the RTX 3050 is the best GPU you can put inside that Minitower case without some sort of Frankenstein Power Supply modification.While overall, it's performance is slightly better than the RX 6400, in terms of ESOR, it's phenominal. It does this for slightly more money (I bought mine on sale/MSRP), with less noise than the RX 6400. It fits inside the case without any adjustment or modification.In addition, the 6GB capacity of the GPU means that ESOR when it boots isn't going to nag you telling you the minimum required memory for the game is 6GB!Overall, I am extremely pleased with the purchase. For the money, for my gaming needs and desires, this GPU allows me to slide into a slightly better performance bracket without a major outlay of funds for not only a GPU but a new power supply.So, again, if you have a Optiplex MT and want the best GPU you can buy without buying a new power supply along with it, this is the GPU to buy.

At the beginning of this year I built a new PC with an I7-12700K. This is a productivity PC, not a gaming build, but just to be fun I still went with light-up components. My desktop uses a 4K 32" monitor and a full HD 24" monitor. The I7's IGP was having some issues with the 4K monitor so I decided I would have to add a card to the mix. When I built the PC, video cards were way overpriced so I dug around in my junk box and found a GTX 750ti. It worked, but the poor thing ran really hot. That might have something to do with the fan on the card being dead and me finally just taking the entire cooling shroud off to allow the case airflow to cool the card.For months, I kept a lookout for price drops on the ASUS ROG STRIX cards. I was looking for two things with those cards. First, I wanted the fan stop capability as my ASUS Z690 PRIME motherboard can stop the case fans (5 x 140mm Cooler Master fans) when the machine is not under load and running cool. This allows for a nearly silent PC as the CPU fan drops down to just a few hundred RPM and can't be heard at all. Second, I wanted some lights to go along with the fans, CPU cooler, and RAM that is all synchronized through Armoury Crate (plus a custom app I'll mention later).Finally, the price on the ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 350 dropped to only $335 for a day or two. I jumped on it.The timing did end up being interesting. Back when I bought that original GTX 750ti, I did some cryptomining with it on the side and was able to make a few dollars (which actually turned into quite a bit more when Bitcoin went up in value) just letting the card mine at night. I had planned on doing the same with this card. Of course, the day I bought the card, the ETH switch to PoS happened and GPU mining became unprofitable overnight. Oh well, I still needed a reasonable video card.The card is installed and working. I have had a couple of issues, but neither is the fault of the video card itself so there is no drop in stars.First, my KVM doesn't like the card. I have a work laptop and my desktop machine running to the previously mentioned 4K monitor through a KVM. It works, but when the PC tells the monitor to shutoff, the monitor starts cycling with a "no signal" warning which didn't happen with the previous video card. I know it is the KVM because if I bypass the KVM the monitor will stay in sleep mode as expected. Trying to find a better KVM now (that doesn't break the bank).Second, and this is an ASUS issue but not specific to this card, is a problem with controlling the LEDs on the card. I'm a software developer and can't help but tinker. Before I got the new card, I wrote a program that uses ASUS's AURI Sync API to control the lights in the computer. The program's job is to watch for event signals when the monitor goes to sleep and wakes up. When it goes to sleep, I shut off the lights. When it wakes up, I let the lights go back to doing whatever Armoury Crate was setup to do. This worked fine with the motherboard's LED headers and the RAM. However, the video card is never detected by the API. I can control the lighting in Armoury Crate just fine (which is why it isn't losing a star), but the API doesn't see it and when the API tells the other lights to shutoff the lights on the video card just freeze in whatever state they were in. No help from ASUS's ROG forum on this, so for now I just have the lights on the card shutoff. Disappointing, but doesn't keep the card from doing its job.OK, with all of that, the card is doing fine for what I need it for. It plays videos, shows all content, and (most importantly) stays cool. I'm very impressed with how cool it stays. I tried out one of the NVIDIA technology demos which run the 3D rendering up to max. The card only climbed to 60C, and was still very quiet with its fans running. When I'm doing normal work (such as typing this), the temperature drops into the 40s and the fans on the card stop completely. By that measure alone, I consider this purchase to be mission accomplished.

The ASUS Dual NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OC Edition has completely exceeded my expectations. Whether gaming, streaming, or editing, this GPU delivers smooth, responsive performance that takes visuals to the next level.The 8GB GDDR6 memory ensures that even demanding games run seamlessly, while the PCIe 4.0 interface provides lightning-fast data transfer. The Axial-tech fan design is a game-changer—keeping the card cool even under intense loads, and the 0dB technology makes for a whisper-quiet experience during lighter workloads.The HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4a provide versatility for high-resolution monitors, and the steel bracket adds durability that gives me peace of mind. ASUS has nailed the balance of power, efficiency, and reliability in this card. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly RTX 30-series GPU with excellent performance, this one is a solid choice.Highly recommended for gamers and creators alike.