A surprising discovery in the PCI-ID database hints at an upcoming Nvidia graphics card that’s anything but expected. Instead of focusing on the RTX 50-series or refreshing the 40-series, Nvidia is bringing back the RTX 3050, the slowest card in the RTX 30-series lineup, but with a twist: it’s equipped with an Ada Lovelace chip. This could potentially be the first RTX 30-series card to have access to Deep Learning Super Sampling 3 (DLSS 3). The GPU in question is a laptop version of the RTX 3050. While it’s unclear why Nvidia would choose to release new versions of this particular card in 2024 or beyond, its existence, dubbed the RTX 3050 A, has been confirmed by VideoCardz, who found traces of it in the latest Nvidia drivers. The fact that there’s an RTX 3050 in development is itself surprising, but the use of the AD106 chip is even more puzzling. It’s likely a cut-down version of the AD106 GPU, which typically boasts a maximum of 4,608 CUDA cores. While Nvidia often uses cut-down versions of its chips for other GPUs, this particular combination with the RTX 3050 is unusual. The RTX 3050 exists in several variations, but the mobile version typically has a mere 2,048 CUDA cores. This new version represents a significant jump in performance potential. The AD106M chip has a wide range of potential applications within the Lovelace generation, spanning from the RTX 4050 to the RTX 4060 Ti, making the RTX 3050’s inclusion… a peculiar choice. The most intriguing implication of using Ada architecture in an Ampere card lies in the potential for DLSS 3, Nvidia’s frame generation technology. DLSS 3 offers substantial improvements over DLSS 2, leading Nvidia to initially restrict it to the RTX 40-series. For many, DLSS 3 served as a compelling reason to upgrade, especially considering that some RTX 40-series cards offered minimal performance gains over their predecessors. This wasn’t just a marketing tactic by Nvidia. DLSS 3 relies on the Ada architecture, specifically utilizing fourth-generation Tensor cores and Nvidia’s optical flow accelerator, meaning it’s inaccessible to anyone without an RTX 40-series card. This raises an interesting question: could this unusual RTX 3050, equipped with an Ada chip, actually support DLSS 3? It could be the only card outside of the RTX 40-series lineup to offer frame generation. This would grant a potentially inexpensive gaming laptop significant power to handle newer titles. Technically, with the AD106 chip, it seems feasible for the RTX 3050 to feature DLSS 3, at least from a hardware perspective. However, it’s still considered unlikely. The release date, or even the confirmation of this card’s release, remains unknown, but it’s likely to be a niche product. It doesn’t make sense for Nvidia to introduce DLSS 3 in a single older card when it has an entire lineup capable of utilizing it. Although definitive statements are impossible, the RTX 3050 A might simply be Nvidia’s way of clearing out remaining AD106 chips before transitioning to the next generation.
Nvidia’s Unexpected RTX 3050 With Ada Lovelace Chip: DLSS 3 Potential?
