GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q vs Radeon R9 M390X

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 R9 M390X 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 R9 M390X: 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 R9 M390X is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is the less risky modern option long term.
✅More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M390X 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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 7.1 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $550 MSRP).

Radeon R9 M390X

2015

Why buy it

✅52.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.1 vs 0 G3D/$ ($550 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 M390X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 52.6% 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 3,895, 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 2015. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 M390X makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 M390X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q vs Radeon R9 M390X 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 R9 M390X

The Radeon R9 M390X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 5 2015. 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 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,895 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q scores 3,925 and the Radeon R9 M390X reaches 3,895 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is built on Pascal while the Radeon R9 M390X uses GCN 3.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M390X). Raw compute: 1.7 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 2.961 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M390X).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	Radeon R9 M390X
G3D Mark Score	3,925	3,895
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 3.0
Process Node	14 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	640	2048+220%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.7 TFLOPS	2.961 TFLOPS+74%
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	40	128+220%
L1 Cache	240 KB	512 KB+113%
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 M390X 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 R9 M390X
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 R9 M390X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 M390X gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 112.1 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 160 GB/s (Radeon R9 M390X) — a 42.7% advantage for the Radeon R9 M390X. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 M390X. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 M390X) — the GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	Radeon R9 M390X
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	112.1 GB/s	160 GB/s+43%
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
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 R9 M390X's 75W — a 0% difference. The Radeon R9 M390X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M390X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	Radeon R9 M390X
TDP	75W	75W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	Mobile
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	52.3	51.9

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q (2018 vs 2015).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	Radeon R9 M390X
MSRP	—	$550
Codename	GP107	Amethyst
Release	January 3 2018	May 5 2015
Ranking	#498	#504

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