RTX 3050 vs Arc B570 vs Arc B580: The 2026 Entry/Mid-Range Showdown
When building a gaming PC between €750 and €1100, the choice of graphics card often comes down to three options: the NVIDIA RTX 3050, the Intel Arc B570, or the Intel Arc B580. Three cards, three prices, three performance levels — but which one is truly right for you?
At DSGate, we assemble PCs with these three cards every day. We test them, compare them, and see concretely how they perform on the games our customers play. Here's our real-world feedback, without marketing fluff.
The three cards in brief
Before diving into detail, a quick reminder of what each card offers.
The RTX 3050 is the most accessible NVIDIA card in our range. Released in 2022 on the Ampere architecture, it features 8 GB of GDDR6 and consumes only 130W. It's a mature card, with ultra-stable drivers and DLSS 2 support. At DSGate, you can find it in our M5-I and M5-III configurations starting from around €750.
The Arc B570 is Intel's new kid on the block, released in early 2025 on the Battlemage (Xe2) architecture. It boasts 10 GB of GDDR6 — 2 GB more than the RTX 3050 — for a price of around €249. It's the card we're increasingly recommending to customers who want a step up without breaking their budget.
The Arc B580 is the improved version of the B570: 12 GB of GDDR6, 192-bit bus, 20 Xe2 cores compared to 18. It retails for around €300-€359 and powers our most popular configurations (M7, M9, NYXII) priced between €999 and €1090.
Technical comparison
| RTX 3050 | Arc B570 | Arc B580 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card price only | ~€200-220 | ~€249 | ~€300-359 |
| VRAM | 8 GB GDDR6 | 10 GB GDDR6 | 12 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 128 bits | 160 bits | 192 bits |
| Bandwidth | 224 GB/s | 380 GB/s | 456 GB/s |
| Power Consumption (TDP) | 130W | 150W | 190W |
| Upscaling | DLSS 2 | XeSS 2 | XeSS 2 |
| Ray Tracing | Gen 2 (NVIDIA) | Gen 2 (Xe) | Gen 2 (Xe) |
| Recommended PSU | 450W | 500W | 600W |
| 3DMark Score (approx.) | ~6,200 | ~12,500 | ~14,650 |
The first figure that stands out is the 3DMark score: the B570 is about twice as fast as the RTX 3050 in synthetic benchmarks, and the B580 extends that lead by another 15-20%. In actual gaming, the difference is less spectacular but still very significant.
In-game performance: Estimated FPS
The values below are estimates based on public benchmarks and our assembly experience. We will soon publish our own measurements with MSI Afterburner captures.
Competitive Games — 1080p High Settings
| Game | RTX 3050 | Arc B570 | Arc B580 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fortnite | ~90 FPS | ~125 FPS | ~155 FPS |
| Valorant | ~180 FPS | ~250 FPS | ~300+ FPS |
| CS2 | ~100 FPS | ~140 FPS | ~170 FPS |
| Apex Legends | ~80 FPS | ~110 FPS | ~130 FPS |
| League of Legends | ~200+ FPS | ~300+ FPS | ~350+ FPS |
AAA Games — 1080p High Settings
| Game | RTX 3050 | Arc B570 | Arc B580 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | ~45 FPS | ~60 FPS | ~75 FPS |
| Black Myth Wukong | ~40 FPS | ~55 FPS | ~65 FPS |
| Hogwarts Legacy | ~50 FPS | ~65 FPS | ~80 FPS |
AAA Games — 1440p (QHD) High Settings
| Game | RTX 3050 | Arc B570 | Arc B580 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | ~25 FPS | ~40 FPS | ~50 FPS |
| Black Myth Wukong | ~20 FPS | ~35 FPS | ~45 FPS |
| Hogwarts Legacy | ~30 FPS | ~45 FPS | ~55 FPS |
Indicative values — estimated average FPS. Actual results vary depending on CPU, RAM, drivers, and settings.
What we observe: In competitive 1080p, all three cards do the job. But the difference is clear in AAA titles: the RTX 3050 runs at around 40-50 FPS at 1080p high settings, which is playable but not super fluid. The B570 goes above 60 FPS in most titles, and the B580 offers true comfort with plenty of headroom.
At 1440p, the RTX 3050 clearly lags behind. The B570 performs decently in well-optimized games, and the B580 starts to be comfortable for players aiming for this resolution.
The VRAM argument: 8 GB, 10 GB, or 12 GB?
This is the most important point of this comparison — and one that most blogs ignore.
In 2026, games are consuming more and more video memory. Titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Black Myth Wukong, and soon GTA 6 easily exceed 8 GB of usage at 1080p ultra. When VRAM saturates, performance drops sharply: stuttering, blurry textures, long loading times.
With 8 GB (RTX 3050), you're at the limit for 1080p high settings in recent titles. It's sufficient today, but it's a limiting factor for the next 2-3 years.
With 10 GB (Arc B570), you have comfortable headroom at 1080p and a viable start at 1440p. These extra 2 GB make a real difference in daily use.
With 12 GB (Arc B580), you're set for 1080p for a long time and comfortable at 1440p. This is the most future-proof investment of the three.
DLSS vs. XeSS: Does software make a difference?
The RTX 3050 has access to NVIDIA's DLSS 2 — an AI-powered upscaling technology that reconstructs images to gain FPS with minimal visual impact. This is a real and measurable advantage, especially in demanding titles.
The Arc B570 and B580 use Intel's XeSS 2. Quality has improved significantly compared to the first version, but DLSS 2 remains superior in perceived image quality in most comparisons. The advantage of Arc: XeSS also works on NVIDIA and AMD GPUs, so more games are gradually supporting it.
In practice, both technologies allow for a 30 to 50% increase in FPS in compatible games. DLSS is slightly better, but the gap narrows with each Intel driver update.
Important note: neither the RTX 3050 nor the Arc cards have access to DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation — this is reserved for RTX 50 series. For that, you need to step up to at least an RTX 5060 Ti.
Ray Tracing: A secondary criterion at this price point
Let's be honest: Ray Tracing on these three cards is a bonus feature, not a buying argument. The RTX 3050 handles RT in a basic way, with significant FPS drops. The Arc B570/B580 perform slightly better thanks to their newer architecture, but we're still far from a smooth RT experience at 1080p in demanding titles.
If Ray Tracing is important to you, you should aim for at least an RTX 5060 Ti or an RX 9060 XT. At this price level, focus on rasterization FPS.
Power consumption and PSU factor
The RTX 3050 is by far the most power-efficient: 130W TDP. This is an advantage for compact builds and modest power supplies (450W is sufficient).
The B570 consumes 150W — reasonable, but requires a minimum 500W PSU.
The B580 goes up to 190W. That's 46% more than the RTX 3050, and it requires a 600W PSU for comfort. This is a point not to be overlooked in the total budget of your build.
At DSGate, all our machines come with a power supply calibrated for the installed GPU — no unpleasant surprises.
Are Intel drivers reliable?
This is THE question we get asked the most. And the answer in 2026 is: yes, for recent games.
Intel has done a considerable job on its Battlemage drivers. DirectX 12 and Vulkan games run without noticeable issues. Compatibility with competitive titles (Fortnite, Valorant, CS2, Apex) is excellent.
Where it might falter: some older games (exclusive DirectX 9/11) may have performance or compatibility issues. If you primarily play titles from before 2018, the RTX 3050 with its mature NVIDIA ecosystem will be more reliable.
For current and future games, Arc cards have nothing left to prove.
Which GPU for your total PC budget?
This is where it gets concrete. At DSGate, here's how these three cards integrate into our complete configurations (assembly + Windows 11 Pro + testing included).
RTX 3050 Config — around €750 Example: DSGate M5-I — i5-10500, RTX 3050, 16 GB DDR4, 512 GB SSD. The entry-level PC for 1080p gaming on all competitive titles. Sufficient for Fortnite at 90+ FPS and Valorant at 180+ FPS.
Arc B570 Config — around €850-950 With at least a Ryzen 5 5500 or an i5-13400F, 16 GB DDR4 and 512 GB SSD. The new sweet spot for ultra-fluid 1080p with more headroom thanks to the 10 GB of VRAM.
Arc B580 Config — around €999-1090 Examples: DSGate M7 (Ryzen 5 5500 + B580, €1030) or M9/NYXII (Ryzen 5 5600X + B580, €1090). Our best-selling config, and for good reason: 12 GB of VRAM, ultra 1080p, and comfortable 1440p.
Our verdict
RTX 3050: choose it if your budget is tight (total config ~€750), if you primarily play competitive games at 1080p, or if you need the widest possible NVIDIA compatibility (older games, streaming with NVENC).
Arc B570: choose it if you want a significant performance leap compared to the RTX 3050 for ~€50-70 more on the card, with an additional 2 GB of VRAM. It's the best raw value for money in this comparison.
Arc B580: choose it if you can invest in a config at ~€999. The 12 GB of VRAM, 192-bit bus, and 15-20% more performance compared to the B570 make it the most future-proof card of the three. It's our recommendation for the majority of gamers.
And if your budget exceeds €1100, check out our complete guide: Which graphics card to choose in 2026? — we also cover the RTX 3070, RTX 5060, RTX 5060 Ti, RX 9060 XT, and RTX 5070 there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the B570 worth €50-70 more than the RTX 3050? Yes, without hesitation. Benchmarks show roughly twice the performance of the RTX 3050 in synthetics, and a 30-40% gain in real-world gaming. With an extra 2 GB of VRAM, it's an investment that is fully justified.
Is the B580 worth €70-100 more than the B570? It depends. If you only play competitive games at 1080p, the B570 is more than enough. But if you're aiming for ultra 1080p on AAA titles or a future move to 1440p, the 12 GB and 15-20% additional FPS of the B580 are worth the extra cost.
Can I game at 1440p with these cards? RTX 3050: no, except for very light games. B570: yes, at medium settings on recent titles. B580: yes, at high settings on most games, with XeSS activated for the most demanding ones.
Which CPU to pair with these cards? RTX 3050 → Ryzen 5 5500 or i5-10500. B570 → Ryzen 5 5500 or i5-13400F. B580 → Ryzen 5 5600X or i5-14400F to avoid bottlenecking.
Are Intel Arc cards guaranteed by DSGate? Yes. Like all our PCs, Arc-equipped configurations are assembled in France, tested, and guaranteed with 2-year availability of spare parts.
Last updated: April 2026.
All our gaming PCs are assembled in our workshop in Paris and tested before shipment. Discover our range on dsgate.fr.
EP Digital Solutions — DSGate 1 Rue d'Enghien, 75010 Paris contact@dsgate.fr
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