Scored using Graphics cards Methodology v1.0
Graphics cards Methodology v1.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Graphics cards Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
Explore Graphics cards Methodology v1.0

MSI GeForce RTX 5050 Shadow 2X OC Review | 118 Data compared

Avg. price:~£280VRAM:8 GBMemory bus width:128 bitThermal Design Power (TDP):130 W

MSI GeForce RTX 5050 Shadow 2X OC Review: Compare 118 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Graphics cards category and whether it is worth buying.

MSI GeForce RTX 5050 Shadow 2X OC
6.5/10

Overall score

Score
6.5/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the graphics card's quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best graphics cards on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

90%

6.2

Technical score

10%

9.0

User score

â–¼Worse than 65% of graphics cards
7.2

Value for money

Value for money
7.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the graphics card's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a graphics card that offers a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

6.5

Overall score

30%

9.0

Price

â–¼Worse than 52%
6.2

Technical score

Technical score
6.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Graphics cards category across these key areas: Performance, Memory, Platform & Features, Connectivity & Media, Power & Cooling, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare graphics cards based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

44%

5.0

Performance

24%

4.3

Memory

12%

8.7

Power & Cooling

11%

9.8

Platform & Features

5%

8.6

Design

4%

9.9

Connectivity & Media

â–¼Worse than 69%
9.0

User score

User score
9.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the graphics card.
When it matters
When you want to understand how a graphics card performs in real use and how reliable it is in terms of performance, temperatures, noise, stability, and long-term ownership.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

9.3

User ratings

30%

8.2

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
â–²Better than 83%
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Technical Specifications of graphics card MSI GeForce RTX 5050 Shadow 2X OC

Technical score
Technical score
6.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Graphics cards category across these key areas: Performance, Memory, Platform & Features, Connectivity & Media, Power & Cooling, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare graphics cards based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

44%

5.0

Performance

24%

4.3

Memory

12%

8.7

Power & Cooling

11%

9.8

Platform & Features

5%

8.6

Design

4%

9.9

Connectivity & Media

6.2
User score
User score
9.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the graphics card.
When it matters
When you want to understand how a graphics card performs in real use and how reliable it is in terms of performance, temperatures, noise, stability, and long-term ownership.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

9.3

User ratings

30%

8.2

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
9.0
Popularity
Popularity
8.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the graphics card.
When it matters
When you prefer a graphics card that has already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Popularity:
MSI GeForce RTX 5050 Shadow 2X OC has a popularity score of 8.2 points, which is higher than that of 76.3% of products in this category.
8.2
Value for money
Value for money
7.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the graphics card's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a graphics card that offers a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

70%

6.5

Overall score

30%

9.0

Price

7.2
3DMark Time Spy benchmark score
11,337 points
This graphics card scores 11,337 points in 3DMark Time Spy, which is lower than 64.6% of graphics cards and equal to 0.7% of graphics cards.
3DMark Port Royal score
6,165 points
This graphics card scores 6,165 points in 3DMark Port Royal, which is lower than 64% of graphics cards and equal to 0.9% of graphics cards.
PassMark (G3D) result
17,292 points
This graphics card scores 17,292 points in PassMark G3D, which is lower than 67.3% of graphics cards and equal to 0.2% of graphics cards.
PassMark (DirectCompute) result
8,536 points
This graphics card scores 8,536 points in PassMark DirectCompute, which is lower than 68% of graphics cards and equal to 0.1% of graphics cards.
Floating-point performance
13.4 TFLOPS
This graphics card delivers 13.4 TFLOPS floating-point performance, which is lower than that of 67.3% of graphics cards and equal to that of 0.4% of graphics cards.
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VRAM
8 GB
This graphics card has 8 GB of VRAM, which is less than 57.5% of graphics cards and equal to 25.1% of graphics cards.
Memory type
GDDR6
GDDR version
GDDR6
This graphics card uses GDDR6 memory, which is newer than on 15.9% of graphics cards and equal to 40.3% of graphics cards.
Memory bus width
128 bit
This graphics card uses a 128 bit memory bus, which is narrower than that of 69.6% of graphics cards and equal to that of 26% of graphics cards.
Maximum memory bandwidth
320 GB/s
This graphics card reaches 320 GB/s memory bandwidth, which is lower than that of 66.4% of graphics cards and equal to that of 3.1% of graphics cards.
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PCI Express (PCIe) version
5
This graphics card supports PCIe 5, which is newer than on 74.5% of graphics cards and equal to 25.6% of graphics cards.
PCIe lanes
x8
This graphics card uses x8 PCIe lanes, which is fewer than 76.7% of graphics cards and equal to 22.2% of graphics cards.
DirectX version
12 Ultimate
This graphics card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is more advanced than on 22.6% of graphics cards and equal to 77.4% of graphics cards.
Vulkan version
1.4
This graphics card supports Vulkan 1.4, which is more advanced than on 20.7% of graphics cards and equal to 79.3% of graphics cards.
OpenGL version
4.6
This graphics card supports OpenGL 4.6, which is more advanced than on 1.9% of graphics cards and equal to 98.1% of graphics cards.
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Max displays supported
4
This graphics card supports up to 4 displays, which is more than 8.3% of graphics cards and equal to 88.9% of graphics cards.
Max digital resolution
7680x4320
This graphics card supports a maximum digital resolution of 7680x4320, which is higher than that of 9% of graphics cards and equal to that of 91% of graphics cards.
DisplayPort outputs
3
This graphics card offers 3 DisplayPort outputs, which is more than 21% of graphics cards and equal to 76.8% of graphics cards.
DisplayPort version
2.1b
This graphics card supports DisplayPort 2.1b, which is more advanced than on 78.6% of graphics cards and equal to 21.4% of graphics cards.
DisplayPort link rates
80 Gbps
This graphics card supports DisplayPort link rates up to 80 Gbps, which is faster than on 86.3% of graphics cards and equal to 13.5% of graphics cards.
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Thermal Design Power (TDP)
130 W
This graphics card has a TDP of 130 W, which is lower than that of 79.2% of graphics cards and equal to that of 3.2% of graphics cards.
Power consumption while under peak load
130 W
This graphics card draws 130 W under peak load, which is lower than 80.8% of graphics cards and equal to 3.4% of graphics cards.
Recommended PSU wattage
550 W
This graphics card recommends a 550 W PSU, which is lower than that of 62.2% of graphics cards and equal to that of 13.3% of graphics cards.
Board power limit
130 W
This graphics card has a board power limit of 130 W, which is lower than that of 81.6% of graphics cards and equal to that of 3.4% of graphics cards.
PCIe power spec
130 W
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Size
197x 120x 40 mm
This graphics card measures 197x120x 40 mm, which is more compact than 93.8% of graphics cards and equal in size to 0.2% of graphics cards.
Length
197 mm
This graphics card is 197 mm long, which is shorter than 91.1% of graphics cards and equal in length to 0.3% of graphics cards.
Height
120 mm
This graphics card is 120 mm tall, which is shorter than 59.6% of graphics cards and equal in height to 4.7% of graphics cards.
Slot width
2.5 slot/s
This graphics card occupies 2.5 slot/s, which is slimmer than 36.3% of graphics cards and equal in width to 14.7% of graphics cards.
Weight
478 g
This graphics card weighs 478 g, which is lighter than 92.5% of graphics cards and equal in weight to 0.2% of graphics cards.
Show more

MSI GeForce RTX 5050 Shadow 2X OC vs the average graphics card

246810TotalPerformanceMemoryPlatform & FeaturesConnectivity & MediaPower & CoolingDesign
  • 4.5% higher boost clock speed
    This graphics card has a higher boost GPU clock than the average graphics card (2617 MHz vs 2505 MHz). The average graphics card has a boost GPU clock of 2505 MHz.
    2,617 MHz vs 2,505 MHz
  • 20.7% higher base clock speed
    This graphics card has a higher base GPU clock than the average graphics card (2317 MHz vs 1920 MHz). The average graphics card has a base GPU clock of 1920 MHz.
    2,317 MHz vs 1,920 MHz
  • 42.9% faster VRAM clock
    This graphics card has a higher VRAM clock than the average graphics card (2500 MHz vs 1750 MHz). The average graphics card runs its VRAM at 1750 MHz.
    2,500 MHz vs 1,750 MHz
  • Newer PCIe version
    This graphics card supports a newer PCIe version than the average graphics card (5 vs 4).
    5.0 vs 4.0
  • 88 mm shorter card length
    This graphics card is shorter than the average graphics card (197 mm vs 285 mm). The average graphics card has a length of 285 mm.
    197 mm vs 285 mm
  • 39.5% lower TDP
    This graphics card has a lower TDP than the average graphics card (130 W vs 215 W). The average graphics card has a TDP of 215 W.
    130 W vs 215 W
  • Newer DisplayPort version
    This graphics card supports a newer DisplayPort version than the average graphics card (2.1b vs 1.4a).
    2.1b vs 1.4a
  • Newer HDMI version
    This graphics card supports a newer HDMI version than the average graphics card (2.1b vs 2.1).
    2.1b vs 2.1
  • 12.3% higher user score
    User score
    9.0/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the graphics card.
    When it matters
    When you want to understand how a graphics card performs in real use and how reliable it is in terms of performance, temperatures, noise, stability, and long-term ownership.
    Score distribution
    â–¼
    â–¼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    MSI GeForce RTX 5050 Shadow 2X OC
    the average graphics card
    MSI GeForce RTX 5050 Shadow 2X OC has a higher user score than the average graphics card (8.99 vs 8.000).
    8.99 vs 8
  • 4.5% higher boost clock speed
    This graphics card has a higher boost GPU clock than the average graphics card (2617 MHz vs 2505 MHz). The average graphics card has a boost GPU clock of 2505 MHz.
    2,617 MHz vs 2,505 MHz
  • 20.7% higher base clock speed
    This graphics card has a higher base GPU clock than the average graphics card (2317 MHz vs 1920 MHz). The average graphics card has a base GPU clock of 1920 MHz.
    2,317 MHz vs 1,920 MHz
  • 42.9% faster VRAM clock
    This graphics card has a higher VRAM clock than the average graphics card (2500 MHz vs 1750 MHz). The average graphics card runs its VRAM at 1750 MHz.
    2,500 MHz vs 1,750 MHz
  • 8x more Infinity Cache
    This graphics card has more Infinity Cache than the average graphics card (32 MB vs 4 MB). The average graphics card has 4 MB Infinity Cache.
    32 MB vs 4 MB
  • Newer PCIe version
    This graphics card supports a newer PCIe version than the average graphics card (5 vs 4).
    5.0 vs 4.0
  • 2 newer
    This graphics card was released more recently than the average graphics card (2025 vs 2023).
    July 2025
    2,025 vs 2,023
  • Newer encoder generation
    This graphics card uses a newer encoder generation than the average graphics card (9 vs 8). The average graphics card uses encoder generation 8.
    9 vs 8
  • 49.5% smaller GPU die
    This graphics card has a lower GPU die size than the average graphics card (149 mm² vs 295 mm²). The average graphics card has a GPU die size of 295 mm².
    149 mm² vs 295 mm²
  • Newer DisplayPort version
    This graphics card supports a newer DisplayPort version than the average graphics card (2.1b vs 1.4a).
    2.1b vs 1.4a
  • Newer HDMI version
    This graphics card supports a newer HDMI version than the average graphics card (2.1b vs 2.1).
    2.1b vs 2.1
  • 4x higher DisplayPort bandwidth
    This graphics card has a higher DisplayPort bandwidth than the average graphics card (80 Gbps vs 20 Gbps). The average graphics card has DisplayPort bandwidth of 20 Gbps.
    80 Gbps vs 20 Gbps
  • 39.5% lower TDP
    This graphics card has a lower TDP than the average graphics card (130 W vs 215 W). The average graphics card has a TDP of 215 W.
    130 W vs 215 W
  • 15.4% lower PSU requirement
    This graphics card has a lower PSU requirement than the average graphics card (550 W vs 650 W). The average graphics card has a PSU requirement of 650 W.
    550 W vs 650 W
  • 42.2% lower board power limit
    This graphics card has a lower board power limit than the average graphics card (130 W vs 225 W). The average graphics card has a board power limit of 225 W.
    130 W vs 225 W
  • 8 °C higher thermal ceiling
    This graphics card has a higher thermal ceiling than the average graphics card (87 °C vs 95 °C). The average graphics card has a thermal ceiling of 95 °C.
    87 °C vs 95 °C
  • 50% lower idle power draw
    This graphics card has a lower idle power draw than the average graphics card (6 W vs 12 W). The average graphics card has an idle power draw of 12 W.
    6 W vs 12 W
  • 7 °C lower idle temperature
    This graphics card has a lower idle temperature than the average graphics card (30 °C vs 37 °C). The average graphics card has an idle temperature of 37 °C.
    30 °C vs 37 °C
  • 88 mm shorter card length
    This graphics card is shorter than the average graphics card (197 mm vs 285 mm). The average graphics card has a length of 285 mm.
    197 mm vs 285 mm
  • More compact card size
    This graphics card is more compact than the average graphics card (197x120 x 40 mm vs 285x127 x 52 mm). The average graphics card has a size of 285x127 x 52 mm.
    197x120 x 40 mm vs 285x127 x 52 mm
  • 53.2% lighter card weight
    This graphics card is lighter than the average graphics card (478 g vs 1021 g). The average graphics card weighs 1021 g.
    478 g vs 1,021 g
  • 128 bit narrower memory bus
    This graphics card has a narrower memory bus than the average graphics card (128 bit vs 256 bit). The average graphics card has a memory bus width of 256 bit.
    128 bit vs 256 bit
  • 20 fewer compute units
    This graphics card has fewer compute units than the average graphics card (20 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 compute units.
    20 vs 40
  • 4 GB less VRAM
    This graphics card has fewer VRAM than the average graphics card (8 GB vs 12 GB). The average graphics card has 12 GB VRAM.
    8 GB vs 12 GB
  • 104 fewer TMUs
    This graphics card has fewer TMUs than the average graphics card (80 vs 184). The average graphics card has 184 TMUs.
    80 vs 184
  • 1 fewer fans
    This graphics card has fewer fans than the average graphics card (2 vs 3).
    2 vs 3
  • 20 fewer ray tracing cores
    This graphics card has fewer ray tracing cores than the average graphics card (20 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 ray tracing cores.
    20 vs 40
  • 32 fewer ROPs
    This graphics card has fewer ROPs than the average graphics card (32 vs 64). The average graphics card has 64 ROPs.
    32 vs 64
  • No dual BIOS
    This graphics card does not include dual BIOS, the average graphics card does.
  • 20 fewer compute units
    This graphics card has fewer compute units than the average graphics card (20 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 compute units.
    20 vs 40
  • 104 fewer TMUs
    This graphics card has fewer TMUs than the average graphics card (80 vs 184). The average graphics card has 184 TMUs.
    80 vs 184
  • 20 fewer ray tracing cores
    This graphics card has fewer ray tracing cores than the average graphics card (20 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 ray tracing cores.
    20 vs 40
  • 32 fewer ROPs
    This graphics card has fewer ROPs than the average graphics card (32 vs 64). The average graphics card has 64 ROPs.
    32 vs 64
  • 49% lower pixel rate
    This graphics card has a lower pixel rate than the average graphics card (83.3 GPixel/s vs 163.2 GPixel/s). The average graphics card has a pixel rate of 163.2 GPixel/s.
    83.26 GPixel/s vs 163.2 GPixel/s
  • 46% lower texture rate
    This graphics card has a lower texture rate than the average graphics card (205.8 GTexel/s vs 381.2 GTexel/s). The average graphics card has a texture rate of 381.2 GTexel/s.
    205.8 GTexel/s vs 381.2 GTexel/s
  • 64 fewer AI cores
    This graphics card has fewer AI cores than the average graphics card (80 vs 144). The average graphics card has 144 AI cores.
    80 vs 144
  • 40.6% lower FP32 performance
    This graphics card has a lower FP32 performance than the average graphics card (13.4 TFLOPS vs 22.57 TFLOPS). The average graphics card has FP32 performance of 22.57 TFLOPS.
    13.4 TFLOPS vs 22.57 TFLOPS
  • 23.7% lower PassMark score
    This graphics card has a lower PassMark score than the average graphics card (17292 points vs 22653 points). The average graphics card has a PassMark score of 22653 points.
    17,292 points vs 22,653 points
  • 32.7% lower ray tracing score
    This graphics card has a lower ray tracing score than the average graphics card (6165 points vs 9166 points). The average graphics card has a ray tracing score of 9166 points.
    6,165 points vs 9,166 points
  • 22.8% lower gaming score
    This graphics card has a lower gaming score than the average graphics card (11337 points vs 14678.5 points). The average graphics card has a gaming score of 14678.5 points.
    11,337 points vs 14,678.5 points
  • 55.2% lower FP16 performance
    This graphics card has a lower FP16 performance than the average graphics card (13.3 TFLOPS vs 29.7 TFLOPS). The average graphics card has FP16 performance of 29.725 TFLOPS.
    13.32 TFLOPS vs 29.725 TFLOPS
  • 56.3% lower FP64 performance
    This graphics card has a lower FP64 performance than the average graphics card (0.2 TFLOPS vs 0.48 TFLOPS). The average graphics card has FP64 performance of 0.48 TFLOPS.
    0.21 TFLOPS vs 0.48 TFLOPS
  • 128 bit narrower memory bus
    This graphics card has a narrower memory bus than the average graphics card (128 bit vs 256 bit). The average graphics card has a memory bus width of 256 bit.
    128 bit vs 256 bit
  • 4 GB less VRAM
    This graphics card has fewer VRAM than the average graphics card (8 GB vs 12 GB). The average graphics card has 12 GB VRAM.
    8 GB vs 12 GB
  • 28.6% lower memory bandwidth
    This graphics card has a lower memory bandwidth than the average graphics card (320 GB/s vs 448 GB/s). The average graphics card has a memory bandwidth of 448 GB/s.
    320 GB/s vs 448 GB/s
  • 98% smaller L1 cache
    This graphics card has fewer L1 cache than the average graphics card (2.5 vs 128). The average graphics card has 128 L1 cache.
    2.5 vs 128
  • Fewer PCIe lanes
    This graphics card has fewer PCIe lanes than the average graphics card (x8 vs x16). The average graphics card has x16 PCIe lanes.
    x8 vs x16
  • Narrower decode codec support
    This graphics card supports narrower hardware decode codec support than the average graphics card (H.264/H.265/AV1/VP9 vs H.264/H.265/AV1/VP9/MPEG-2/VC-1).
    H.264/H.265/AV1/VP9 vs H.264/H.265/AV1/VP9/MPEG-2/VC-1
  • Narrower encode codec support
    This graphics card supports narrower hardware encode codec support than the average graphics card (H.264/H.265/AV1 vs H.264/H.265/AV1/VP9).
    H.264/H.265/AV1 vs H.264/H.265/AV1/VP9
  • 1 fewer fans
    This graphics card has fewer fans than the average graphics card (2 vs 3).
    2 vs 3
  • No dual BIOS
    This graphics card does not include dual BIOS, the average graphics card does.
  • No RGB lighting
    This graphics card does not include RGB lighting, the average graphics card does.
    No vs yes

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

H
hothardware.com
28/10/2025
Summary of the review
H
hothardware.com
28/10/2025
Summary of the review

Third-party reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
Reviews last updated: June 2026 · How we calculate this

What we like about MSI GeForce RTX 5050 Shadow 2X OC

  • Efficient 1080p performance in AAA titles and high frame rates in eSports games
  • Support for DLSS 4 and Frame Generation significantly boosts smoothness
  • Quiet operation with fans that are often inaudible over system noise
  • Excellent thermal management, maintaining low temperatures even under load
  • Compact two-slot design (197 mm length) fits easily into small-form-factor builds
  • Lower power consumption (130W TDP) compared to previous generation budget cards
  • Straightforward installation and setup process

What we don't like about MSI GeForce RTX 5050 Shadow 2X OC

  • High price relative to performance improvements over previous generations
  • 8GB VRAM can be a limiting factor for 1440p gaming or high-resolution texture mods
  • Plastic backplate and shroud can feel 'inexpensive' or 'plasticky'
  • The plastic backplate may trap heat behind the GPU and memory modules
  • Limited overclocking headroom due to power delivery constraints
  • Underwhelming productivity and AI performance compared to mid-range alternatives

Verdict

The MSI GeForce RTX 5050 Shadow 2X OC is a compact, factory-overclocked graphics card powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture, featuring 2,560 CUDA cores and 8GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with a 20 Gbps speed. Designed for 1080p gaming, this dual-slot card delivers a boost clock of 2602 MHz (reaching 2617 MHz via MSI Center) and utilizes a dual TORX Fan 5.0 cooling system with Zero Frozr technology for silent operation under light loads. Its primary pros include high energy efficiency with a low 130W power draw, a small 197mm form factor ideal for mini-ITX builds, and support for modern features like DLSS 4 and DisplayPort 2.1b. However, notable cons include its plastic shroud and backplate which feel less premium, limited overclocking headroom due to the single 8-pin power connector, and performance that some critics argue is poorly positioned relative to its price point compared to previous-generation mid-range options.

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