GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs Radeon R9 M295X

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB

2018Core: 1392 MHzBoost: 1518 MHz
GTX family
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M295X

2014Core: 723 MHz

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs Radeon R9 M295X 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 Radeon R9 M295X 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 R9 M295X: 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 $171 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
  • Delivers 131% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 39.7 vs 17.2 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
  • Radeon R9 M295X is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 75W instead of 250W, a 175W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M295X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2018 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 14400% longer card at 145mm vs 1mm.

Radeon R9 M295X

2014

Why buy it

  • 50.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
  • Measures 1mm instead of 145mm, a 144mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • 2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 132.6% HIGHER MSRP
    $300 MSRPvs$129 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.2 vs 39.7 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
  • 233.3% higher power demand at 250W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon R9 M295X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 50.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (5,150 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 2014. 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 $171 cheaper on MSRP at $129 vs $300, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 131% (39.7 vs 17.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon R9 M295X still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs Radeon R9 M295X 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.

AMD

Radeon R9 M295X

The Radeon R9 M295X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 23 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 723 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,150 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB scores 5,116 and the Radeon R9 M295X reaches 5,150 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is built on Pascal while the Radeon R9 M295X uses GCN 3.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M295X). Raw compute: 2.332 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 2.961 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M295X).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBRadeon R9 M295X
G3D Mark Score
5,116
5,150
Architecture
Pascal
GCN 3.0
Process Node
14 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
768
2048+167%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.332 TFLOPS
2.961 TFLOPS+27%
ROPs
24
32+33%
TMUs
48
128+167%
L1 Cache
288 KB
512 KB+78%
L2 Cache
768 KB+50%
512 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 M295X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBRadeon R9 M295X
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)

The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M295X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 M295X gives you 33.3% 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 176 GB/s (Radeon R9 M295X) — a 109.5% advantage for the Radeon R9 M295X. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 M295X. L2 Cache: 768 KB (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 512 KB (Radeon R9 M295X) — the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBRadeon R9 M295X
VRAM Capacity
3 GB
4 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
84 GB/s
176 GB/s+110%
Bus Width
96-bit
256-bit+167%
L2 Cache
768 KB+50%
512 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 12 (Radeon R9 M295X). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBRadeon R9 M295X
DirectX
12 (12_1)
12
Max Displays
3
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6.0 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 M295X). Decoder: NVDEC 3.0 vs UVD 4.2.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBRadeon R9 M295X
Encoder
NVENC 6.0
VCE 3.0
Decoder
NVDEC 3.0
UVD 4.2
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB draws 75W versus the Radeon R9 M295X's 250W — a 107.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M295X). Power connectors: None vs Mobile. Card length: 145mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBRadeon R9 M295X
TDP
75W-70%
250W
Recommended PSU
300W-14%
350W
Power Connector
None
Mobile
Length
145mm
1mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
65
Perf/Watt
68.2+231%
20.6
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB came in at $129, while the Radeon R9 M295X launched at $300. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1050 3GB was 57% cheaper ($171 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 39.7 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 17.2 (Radeon R9 M295X) — the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB offers 130.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1050 3GB (2018 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBRadeon R9 M295X
MSRP
$129-57%
$300
Performance per Dollar
39.7+131%
17.2
Codename
GP107
Amethyst
Release
May 21 2018
November 23 2014
Ranking
#440
#437

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.