GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs Radeon HD 8990

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 Radeon HD 8990 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 Radeon HD 8990: 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 $870 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 659.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 39.7 vs 5.2 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Radeon HD 8990 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 75W instead of 375W, a 300W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8990 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2018 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Radeon HD 8990

2013

Why buy it

✅51.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌2013 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
674.4% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$129 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.2 vs 39.7 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
❌400% higher power demand at 375W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 8990 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 51.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.9% in PassMark G3D (5,214 vs 5,116), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 14nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $870 cheaper on MSRP at $129 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 659.9% (39.7 vs 5.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon HD 8990 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs Radeon HD 8990 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon HD 8990

The Radeon HD 8990 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 950 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 2048 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,214 points. Launch price was $999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB scores 5,116 and the Radeon HD 8990 reaches 5,214 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 8990 uses GCN 1.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 8990). Raw compute: 2.332 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 8990). Boost clocks: 1518 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 3GB	Radeon HD 8990
G3D Mark Score	5,116	5,214+2%
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 1.0
Process Node	14 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	768	2048 ×2+167%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.332 TFLOPS	4.096 TFLOPS ×2+76%
Boost Clock	1518 MHz+52%	1000 MHz
ROPs	24	32 ×2+33%
TMUs	48	128 ×2+167%
L1 Cache	288 KB	512 KB+78%
L2 Cache	768 KB	768 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8990 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 3GB	Radeon HD 8990
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 3 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth: 84 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 288 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 8990) — a 3331% advantage for the Radeon HD 8990. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB and 384-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 8990.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 3GB	Radeon HD 8990
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	84 GB/s	288 GB/s x2+243%
Bus Width	96-bit	384-bit x2+300%
L2 Cache	768 KB	768 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 8990's 375W — a 133.3% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 750W (Radeon HD 8990). Power connectors: None vs 2x 8-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 3GB	Radeon HD 8990
TDP	75W-80%	375W
Recommended PSU	300W-60%	750W
Power Connector	None	2x 8-pin
Length	145mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	65	—
Perf/Watt	68.2+391%	13.9

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB came in at $129, while the Radeon HD 8990 launched at $999. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1050 3GB was 87.1% cheaper ($870 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 39.7 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 5.2 (Radeon HD 8990) — the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB offers 663.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1050 3GB (2018 vs 2013).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 3GB	Radeon HD 8990
MSRP	$129-87%	$999
Performance per Dollar	39.7+663%	5.2
Codename	GP107	Malta
Release	May 21 2018	April 24 2013
Ranking	#440	#412

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