GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs GeForce RTX 4070

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB

2018Core: 1392 MHzBoost: 1518 MHz
GTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

2023Core: 1920 MHzBoost: 2475 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs GeForce RTX 4070 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs GeForce RTX 4070 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs GeForce RTX 4070: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB

2018

Why buy it

  • Costs $470 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • Draws 75W instead of 200W, a 125W reduction.
  • Measures 145mm instead of 304mm, a 159mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2018 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 39.7 vs 44.9 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4070

2023

Why buy it

  • 377.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 13.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 39.7 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 3 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 166.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 75W.
  • 109.7% longer card at 304mm vs 145mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4070 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 377.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 426.2% in PassMark G3D (26,919 vs 5,116), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4070 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 3 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 14nm, and 46 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 4070 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $470 more expensive on MSRP at $599 vs $129, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 13.3% (44.9 vs 39.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs GeForce RTX 4070 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB

The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 21 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1392 MHz to 1518 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,116 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

The GeForce RTX 4070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1920 MHz to 2475 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,919 points. Launch price was $599.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB scores 5,116 versus the GeForce RTX 4070's 26,919 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 426.2%. The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 4070 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 14 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070). Raw compute: 2.332 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070). Boost clocks: 1518 MHz vs 2475 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 4070
G3D Mark Score
5,116
26,919+426%
Architecture
Pascal
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
14 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
768
5888+667%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.332 TFLOPS
29.15 TFLOPS+1150%
Boost Clock
1518 MHz
2475 MHz+63%
ROPs
24
64+167%
TMUs
48
184+283%
L1 Cache
0.28 MB
5.8 MB+1971%
L2 Cache
0.75 MB
36 MB+4700%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4070 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4070 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 4070
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB has 3 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4070 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 4070 gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 84 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 504 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4070) — a 500% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 4070. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 4070
VRAM Capacity
3 GB
12 GB+300%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth
84 GB/s
504 GB/s+500%
Bus Width
96-bit
192-bit+100%
L2 Cache
0.75 MB
36 MB+4700%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 4070
DirectX
12 (12_1)
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
3
4+33%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6.0 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4070). Decoder: NVDEC 3.0 vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 4070
Encoder
NVENC 6.0
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
Decoder
NVDEC 3.0
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB draws 75W versus the GeForce RTX 4070's 200W — a 90.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4070). Power connectors: None vs 8-pin. Card length: 145mm vs 304mm, occupying 2 vs 3 slots. Typical load temperature: 65 vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 4070
TDP
75W-63%
200W
Recommended PSU
300W-54%
650W
Power Connector
None
8-pin
Length
145mm
304mm
Height
111mm
137mm
Slots
2-33%
3
Temp (Load)
65-19%
80°C
Perf/Watt
68.2
134.6+97%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB came in at $129, while the GeForce RTX 4070 launched at $599. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1050 3GB was 78.5% cheaper ($470 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 39.7 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) — the GeForce RTX 4070 offers 13.1% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4070 (2023 vs 2018).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 4070
MSRP
$129-78%
$599
Performance per Dollar
39.7
44.9+13%
Codename
GP107
AD104
Release
May 21 2018
April 12 2023
Ranking
#440
#32

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