GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB vs Radeon HD 7870

CPU

GPU

GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB

2019Core: 1366 MHzBoost: 1442 MHz

GTX family

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Radeon HD 7870

2012Core: 1000 MHz

Similar parts

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GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB vs Radeon HD 7870 Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB

2 GB 75

4,800

+5.1%

GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design

GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU

RTX 4000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

Radeon HD 7870

2 GB 200

4,568

0.0%

Radeon HD 6850 X2

Radeon R9 260

Radeon RX 550 (móvel)

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.

GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB vs Radeon HD 7870 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 Mobile 3 GB vs Radeon HD 7870: 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 Mobile 3 GB

2019

Why buy it

✅Radeon HD 7870 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 75W instead of 200W, a 125W reduction.
✅More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7870 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Older hardware, 2 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 13.1 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Radeon HD 7870

2012

Why buy it

✅23.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 13.1 vs 0 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌166.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 7870 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 23.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB instead at 4,800 vs 4,568, 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 Mobile 3 GB is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 14nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2012. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 7870 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 HD 7870 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB vs Radeon HD 7870 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB

The GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 1 2019. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1366 MHz to 1442 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,800 points.

Radeon HD 7870

The Radeon HD 7870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,568 points. Launch price was $349.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB scores 4,800 versus the Radeon HD 7870's 4,568 — the GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB leads by 5.1%. The GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 7870 uses GCN 1.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 7870). Raw compute: 2.215 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB) vs 2.56 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB	Radeon HD 7870
G3D Mark Score	4,800+5%	4,568
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 1.0
Process Node	14 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	768	1280+67%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.215 TFLOPS	2.56 TFLOPS+16%
ROPs	24	32+33%
TMUs	48	80+67%
L1 Cache	288 KB	320 KB+11%
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7870 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB	Radeon HD 7870
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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth: 84 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB) vs 153.6 GB/s (Radeon HD 7870) — a 82.9% advantage for the Radeon HD 7870. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB and 256-bit on the Radeon HD 7870. L2 Cache: 768 KB (GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 7870) — the GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB	Radeon HD 7870
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	84 GB/s	153.6 GB/s+83%
Bus Width	96-bit	256-bit+167%
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7870). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB	Radeon HD 7870
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12 (11_1)
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (6th Gen) (GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7870). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs UVD 4.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9 (GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 7870).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB	Radeon HD 7870
Encoder	NVENC (6th Gen)	VCE 1.0
Decoder	NVDEC (3rd Gen)	UVD 4.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 7870's 200W — a 90.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7870). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB	Radeon HD 7870
TDP	75W-63%	200W
Recommended PSU	350W-30%	500W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	2x 6-pin
Length	—	241mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	80°C
Perf/Watt	64.0+181%	22.8

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB (2019 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB	Radeon HD 7870
MSRP	—	$349
Codename	GP107	Pitcairn
Release	February 1 2019	March 5 2012
Ranking	#453	#460

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