GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB

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

Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition

2014Core: 850 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition 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 Mac Edition 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 Mac Edition: 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 $321 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).
  • Delivers 256.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 39.7 vs 11.1 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition 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 Mac Edition across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2018 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition

2014

Why buy it

  • 48.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 3 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2014 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 248.8% HIGHER MSRP
    $450 MSRPvs$129 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 11.1 vs 39.7 G3D/$ ($450 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 Mac Edition is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 48.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 1050 3GB instead at 5,116 vs 5,000, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
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: 3 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, a 14nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2014. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1050 3GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $321 cheaper on MSRP at $129 vs $450, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 256.9% (39.7 vs 11.1), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition 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 Mac Edition

The Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 23 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,000 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB scores 5,116 and the Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition reaches 5,000 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is built on Pascal while the Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition uses GCN 3.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition). Raw compute: 2.332 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 3.482 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBRadeon R9 M295X Mac Edition
G3D Mark Score
5,116+2%
5,000
Architecture
Pascal
GCN 3.0
Process Node
14 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
768
2048+167%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.332 TFLOPS
3.482 TFLOPS+49%
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 Mac Edition leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBRadeon R9 M295X Mac Edition
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 Mac Edition carries 2 GB. GeForce GTX 1050 3GB gives you 50% 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 174 GB/s (Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition) — a 107.1% advantage for the Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition. L2 Cache: 768 KB (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 512 KB (Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition) — the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBRadeon R9 M295X Mac Edition
VRAM Capacity
3 GB+50%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
84 GB/s
174 GB/s+107%
Bus Width
96-bit
256-bit+167%
L2 Cache
768 KB+50%
512 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB draws 75W versus the Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition'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 Mac Edition). Power connectors: None vs Mobile.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBRadeon R9 M295X Mac Edition
TDP
75W-70%
250W
Recommended PSU
300W-14%
350W
Power Connector
None
Mobile
Length
145mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
65
Perf/Watt
68.2+241%
20.0
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB came in at $129, while the Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition launched at $450. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1050 3GB was 71.3% cheaper ($321 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 39.7 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 11.1 (Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition) — the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB offers 257.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1050 3GB (2018 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBRadeon R9 M295X Mac Edition
MSRP
$129-71%
$450
Performance per Dollar
39.7+258%
11.1
Codename
GP107
Amethyst
Release
May 21 2018
November 23 2014
Ranking
#440
#436

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