GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q vs Radeon HD 8970M

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. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is positioned at rank 76 and the Radeon HD 8970M is on rank 78, so the GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q

#25

Radeon RX 7600M XT

MSRP: $329|Avg: $300

91%

#66

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

221%

#68

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

201%

#69

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

200%

#73

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

182%

#74

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

181%

#76

GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#78

Radeon HD 8970M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $170

99%

#82

Arc 7-Core iGPU

MSRP: $199|Avg: N/A

96%

#86

Radeon RX 560 (móvel)

MSRP: $99|Avg: $50

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 8970M

#25

Radeon RX 7600M XT

MSRP: $329|Avg: $300

92%

#68

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

224%

#70

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

203%

#71

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

203%

#75

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

184%

#76

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

183%

#78

Radeon HD 8970M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $170

100%

#82

Arc 7-Core iGPU

MSRP: $199|Avg: N/A

97%

#87

Radeon RX 560 (móvel)

MSRP: $99|Avg: $50

94%

#92

Radeon RX 550 (móvel)

MSRP: $79|Avg: $40

91%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q uses modern memory architecture. 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 8970M 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 1.3% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 8970M offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	Radeon HD 8970M
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+1.3%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.3%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2018 / Pascal (2016−2021))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+100%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	—	—

💎 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.

GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 8970M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q and Radeon HD 8970M

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 8970M

The Radeon HD 8970M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 14 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,876 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q scores 3,925 and the Radeon HD 8970M reaches 3,876 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 8970M uses GCN 1.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 8970M). Raw compute: 1.7 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8970M). Boost clocks: 1328 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	Radeon HD 8970M
G3D Mark Score	3,925+1%	3,876
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 1.0
Process Node	14 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	640	1280+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.7 TFLOPS	2.304 TFLOPS+36%
Boost Clock	1328 MHz+48%	900 MHz
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	40	80+100%
L1 Cache	240 KB	320 KB+33%
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	Radeon HD 8970M
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)

The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8970M has 4 GB. The Radeon HD 8970M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs System. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 8970M) — the GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	Radeon HD 8970M
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR6	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	112.1 GB/s	System
Bus Width	128-bit	System
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 8970M's 100W — a 28.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8970M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.