GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB vs Radeon Sky 500

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB

2019Core: 1366 MHzBoost: 1442 MHz
GTX family
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VS
AMD

Radeon Sky 500

2013Core: 950 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB vs Radeon Sky 500 Performance Spectrum

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 Sky 500 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 Sky 500: 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 Sky 500 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 150W, a 75W reduction.
  • More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon Sky 500 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 9.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $500 MSRP).

Radeon Sky 500

2013

Why buy it

  • 24.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($500 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 100% higher power demand at 150W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon Sky 500 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 24.9% 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 4,723, 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 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon Sky 500 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 Sky 500 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 Sky 500 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

AMD

Radeon Sky 500

The Radeon Sky 500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 27 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 950 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,723 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB scores 4,800 and the Radeon Sky 500 reaches 4,723 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB is built on Pascal while the Radeon Sky 500 uses GCN 1.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB) vs 1,280 (Radeon Sky 500). Raw compute: 2.215 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB) vs 2.432 TFLOPS (Radeon Sky 500).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GBRadeon Sky 500
G3D Mark Score
4,800+2%
4,723
Architecture
Pascal
GCN 1.0
Process Node
14 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
768
1280+67%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.215 TFLOPS
2.432 TFLOPS+10%
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 Sky 500 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GBRadeon Sky 500
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 bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB and 64-bit on the Radeon Sky 500. L2 Cache: 768 KB (GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB) vs 512 KB (Radeon Sky 500) — the GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GBRadeon Sky 500
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
96-bit+50%
64-bit
L2 Cache
768 KB+50%
512 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB draws 75W versus the Radeon Sky 500's 150W — a 66.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB) vs 350W (Radeon Sky 500). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GBRadeon Sky 500
TDP
75W-50%
150W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
64.0+103%
31.5
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB (2019 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GBRadeon Sky 500
MSRP
$500
Codename
GP107
Pitcairn
Release
February 1 2019
March 27 2013
Ranking
#453
#455

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