
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
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Radeon HD 7850
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is positioned at rank #76 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Balanced cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is significantly newer (2018 vs 2012). The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 7850 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.7% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 7850.
| Insight | GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q | Radeon HD 7850 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.7%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.7%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2018 / Pascal (2016−2021)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+0%) |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | — | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.
Performance Check
Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.
Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Counter-Strike 2
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q and Radeon HD 7850

GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 3 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1190 MHz to 1328 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,925 points.

Radeon HD 7850
The Radeon HD 7850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,897 points. Launch price was $249.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q scores 3,925 and the Radeon HD 7850 reaches 3,897 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 7850 uses GCN 1.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 1,024 (Radeon HD 7850). Raw compute: 1.7 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7850). Boost clocks: 1328 MHz vs 1000 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q | Radeon HD 7850 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 3,925 | 3,897 |
| Architecture | Pascal | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 14 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 640 | 1024+60% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 1.7 TFLOPS | 1.761 TFLOPS+4% |
| Boost Clock | 1328 MHz+33% | 1000 MHz |
| ROPs | 16 | 32+100% |
| TMUs | 40 | 64+60% |
| L1 Cache | 240 KB | 256 KB+7% |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+100% | 0.5 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q | Radeon HD 7850 |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 2.1 (Compatible) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | FSR 3 (Compatible) | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | Standard | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
Both cards feature 2 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 112.1 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 153.6 GB/s (Radeon HD 7850) — a 37% advantage for the Radeon HD 7850. Bus width: 128-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7850) — the GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q | Radeon HD 7850 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 112.1 GB/s | 153.6 GB/s+37% |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 256-bit+100% |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+100% | 0.5 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 12 (Radeon HD 7850). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q | Radeon HD 7850 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC (6th Gen) (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7850). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs UVD 3.1. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9 (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 7850).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q | Radeon HD 7850 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC (6th Gen) | VCE 1.0 |
| Decoder | NVDEC (3rd Gen) | UVD 3.1 |
| Codecs | H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9 | H.264 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 7850's 130W — a 53.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7850). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q | Radeon HD 7850 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 75W-42% | 130W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W-30% | 500W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | — | 210mm |
| Slots | 0-100% | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 75°C | — |
| Perf/Watt | 52.3+74% | 30.0 |
Value Analysis
The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2012).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q | Radeon HD 7850 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | — | $249 |
| Avg Price (30d) | — | $50 |
| Codename | GP107 | Pitcairn |
| Release | January 3 2018 | March 5 2012 |
| Ranking | #498 | #503 |
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