GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q vs Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870

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 RX Vega M GL / 870 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 RX Vega M GL / 870: 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

✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs Unknown).
✅Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 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 RX Vega M GL / 870 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2018 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 26.1 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌15.4% higher power demand at 75W vs 65W.

Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870

2018

Why buy it

✅19.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 26.1 vs 0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 75W, a 10W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2018 hardware with Unknown 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 RX Vega M GL / 870 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 19.0% 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 3,922, 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: 2 GB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p, Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 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 RX Vega M GL / 870 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 RX Vega M GL / 870

The Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2018. It features the Vega architecture. The core clock ranges from 931 MHz to 1011 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,922 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q scores 3,925 and the Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 reaches 3,922 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 uses Vega, both on a 14 nm process. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 1,280 (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870). Boost clocks: 1328 MHz vs 1011 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
G3D Mark Score	3,925	3,922
Architecture	Pascal	Vega
Process Node	14 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	640	1280+100%
Boost Clock	1328 MHz+31%	1011 MHz

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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 RX Vega M GL / 870 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 RX Vega M GL / 870
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 RX Vega M GL / 870 carries 0 MB. GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q 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 179.2 GB/s (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870) — a 59.9% advantage for the Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q and 1024-bit on the Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	GDDR6	HBM2
Memory Bandwidth	112.1 GB/s	179.2 GB/s+60%
Bus Width	128-bit	1024-bit+700%

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 12 (12_1) (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12 (12_1)
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	6+50%

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (6th Gen) (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9 (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q	Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
Encoder	NVENC (6th Gen)	VCE 3.0
Decoder	NVDEC (3rd Gen)	UVD 6.3
Codecs	H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9	H.264,H.265,VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q draws 75W versus the Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870's 65W — a 14.3% difference. The Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs 1W (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Integrated. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80.