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.

GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q vs Radeon HD 8970M 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 Max-Q vs Radeon HD 8970M: 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 Max-Q

2018

Why buy it

✅Radeon HD 8970M is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 75W instead of 100W, a 25W reduction.
✅More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8970M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2018 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Radeon HD 8970M

2013

Why buy it

✅29.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌33.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 8970M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 29.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q instead at 3,925 vs 3,876, 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 Max-Q 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 Max-Q makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. Radeon HD 8970M still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q vs Radeon HD 8970M Technical Specifications

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

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.

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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

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8970M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	Radeon HD 8970M
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8970M carries 4 GB. Radeon HD 8970M gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q and System on the Radeon HD 8970M. 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

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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.