The Nvidia GPU you actually want could launch next month
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Nvidia's RTX 50-series may offer true budget-friendly laptop and desktop options as early as next month.
Of course, Nvidia has not officially confirmed the existence of the RTX 5050, but the rumor mill has been in overdrive lately.
New details on Nvidia's entry-level RTX 5050 GPU have appeared this week and have been posted on VideoCardz. Combined with the RTX 5050 laptop specs leaked last week, we've got a pretty clear picture of the full RTX 50-series lineup.
And the RTX 5050 just might be the bargain you've been waiting for this generation.
But don't just take my word for it. Let's take a closer look at how the RTX 5050 compares to its higher-tier counterparts on both desktop and laptop.
RTX 5060Ti (8GB)
RTX 5060
RTX 5050
Price:
$379
$299
TBD
CUDA (compute unified digital architecture) cores:
4,608
3,840
2,560
VRAM:
8GB GDDR7
8GB GDDR7
8GB GDDR6 (possibly GDDR7)
Memory bus:
128-bit
128-bit
128-bit
Max clock speed:
2.57 GHz
2.50 GHz
TBD
TGP:
180W
145W
130W
RTX 5070 Laptop GPU
RTX 5060 Laptop GPU
RTX 5050 Laptop GPU
Price:
$1,299
$1,099 starting
TBD
CUDA (compute unified digital architecture) cores:
4,608
3,328
TBD
VRAM:
8GB GDDR7
8GB GDDR7
8GB GDDR7
Memory bus:
128-bit
128-bit
128-bit
Max clock speed:
2.347 GHz
2.497 GHz
TBD
TGP:
up to 100W
up to 100W
up to 100W
If Nvidia decides to opt for 8GB of GDDR7 (graphics double data rate 7) VRAM for the desktop variant, as rumors suggest, it'll be a better bargain in terms of performance and price than the RTX 5060.
The RTX 5050 laptops were already rumored to come with GDDR7 memory, so it would be a surprise if Nvidia didn't upgrade the VRAM on the desktop variant, but only time will tell.
While the RTX 5050 on both laptop and desktop will be underpowered compared to the other RTX 50-series GPUs, the 5050 does still have access to Nvidia's DLSS 4 and frame generation software, which can provide significant gains in frame rates if you're willing to use AI super sampling tech.
Most often, Nvidia's entry-level GPUs become the most popular in each generation as the -50 and -60 cards often hit the right price-to-performance sweet spot, while the higher-end cards tend to retail at astronomical prices.
As of last month, the most popular GPU on Steam is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060. Given the usual four-year upgrade cycle for computer hardware (especially gaming GPUs), it's expected that either the RTX 5050 or RTX 5060 will eventually take that slot.
The RTX 5050 desktop GPU is expected to retail in the range of $199-249.
Based on current estimations, RTX 5050 gaming laptops are expected to cost about $999.
We do not currently have exact dates for when these GPUs will be available, but if the RTX 5060 launch is anything to go by, the desktop GPUs and RTX 5050 laptops will likely go on sale around the same time next month.
Jensen Huang at Computex: "It's not because we don't love GeForce, GeForce got us here."
Nintendo: Whatever you do, don't peel this layer off your Switch 2!
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My early tests with it have been shockingly positive. I figured that it wouldn't pick me up clearly when sitting far away from my dock, but I was coming in loud and clear according to the people I've chatted with. The microphone knows whether you're using the console docked or in handheld mode and seems to regulate the volume based on that quite well. More impressive is how well it handles background noise. My dock is directly in front of my TV, so game audio was pushing straight into it during my tests. The noise reduction seemed to cut that out entirely, only bringing my voice through. That's not the only magic trick either. GameChat features a speech-to-text option that will transcribe all chat audio live with surprising accuracy. It even splits that transcription up based on whoever is speaking. There's even a text-to-speech option that's just as impressive. By opening the GameChat menu, I can pull up an on-screen keyboard, type something in, and have it read out loud. What's better is that I was able to plug a keyboard into my dock through its USB port and start typing in that box instantly, no settings change required. While not every USB accessory works quite as seamlessly (my XR glasses don't connect, and plugging in a mouse doesn't seem to work for menus, though the option seems to be supported in some games), it's a big step for a Nintendo console. As great as GameChat can be, there are some big catches. Players can all screen share while in a chat, but the video comes through at the kind of frame rate that you see when you try to put a video in a PowerPoint slide. It's not a very viable way to actually watch someone play a game, which is a shame considering that there's a lot of potential there. I couldn't make out much at all when I expanded a friend's window and tried to watch his choppy, low resolution Mario Kart World gameplay. More successful is Game Share, the second piece of the system's social offerings. Players are able to share select games with friends either locally or while in GameChat. Doing so instantly lets a player jump into that game without downloading it. During a test, a friend invited me to join him in Super Mario Odyssey while we were chatting. A feed of Odyssey popped up on my screen and I was instantly controlling Cappy. The resolution and frame rate can be rough during dips, but the feed looks a lot better than screen shared games do. Lag seems to be quite minimal too based on my testing, as I was able to jump my pal over a river with accuracy. The feature only works for supported games, but it does genuinely feel like the console's most revolutionary idea so far. If you were to isolate any small upgrade that I've discussed in this review, the Switch 2 might sound like a modest upgrade. The more I've tested, though, the more I'm finding secret depth to it all. The power boost is significant, mouse controls are a great addition, and GameChat has exceeded my expectations so far. The design and UI still do leave me feeling like I'm using the same console, but everything starts to add up as I get more into a day-to-day groove with it. I have years of testing ahead of me, and we intended to treat this review as a work in progress just as we do with all console reviews, but we're starting from a high point. The games will decide whether we go up or down from here. How we tested the Switch 2 Our initial Nintendo Switch 2 review was largely based on hands-on time with our review unit, but we also incorporated some testing we did pre-launch. That included a bit of our first hands-on session with Nintendo Switch 2 in April, but we cross-referenced any findings there with our review unit to verify that information was still accurate. We also incorporated impressions based on a full day of testing the week before the console came out, as we had a chance to test some camera and GameChat features in depth and felt comfortable having those inform some of our final impressions. Once we got our hands on the system, we tested it extensively in a variety of use cases. We tested it on a 4K TV, a cruddy hotel screen, handheld mode, tabletop mode. We took it on the subway and used mouse controls on an airplane tray table. We tested a large variety of games including Mario Kart World, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster, Rune Factory: Legends of Azuma and more. We tested several Nintendo Switch games on Switch 2, including games that got official updates and ones that did not. We used Balatro to test the touch screen, Fitness Boxing 3 to put the Joy-con 2 gyroscopes to the test, and Lumines Remastered to test latency on TV. Many more were tested alongside those examples. We tested GameChat extensively with other members of the press, stress testing it as best as possible. That included Game Share testing, as well as seeing how well the connection held up on hotel wi-fi. We used Nintendo's camera when testing GameChat, but we also tested other webcams, as well as third-party devices like USB keyboards and mice. Other peripherals tested included the Nintendo Switch Pro controller and the Joy-con wheel. While we feel comfortable enough to put out a scored review, we will continue to test the system post-launch and update this review with any relevant findings throughout the system's lifespan.
