GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile) vs Radeon HD 7870 XT

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

2025
GTX family
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon HD 7870 XT

2012Core: 925 MHzBoost: 975 MHz

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile) vs Radeon HD 7870 XT 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) vs Radeon HD 7870 XT 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) vs Radeon HD 7870 XT: 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)

2025

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Blackwell (2024−2025) on 3nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 50W instead of 185W, a 135W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7870 XT across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 16.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $270 MSRP).

Radeon HD 7870 XT

2012

Why buy it

  • 11.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 16.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($270 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 270% higher power demand at 185W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 7870 XT is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 11.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.2% in PassMark G3D (4,470 vs 4,463), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile) is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, a 3nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2025 generation instead of 2012. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 7870 XT 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 XT is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile) has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile) vs Radeon HD 7870 XT Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

The GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile) is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 2 2025. It features the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 3 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,463 points.

AMD

Radeon HD 7870 XT

The Radeon HD 7870 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 19 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 925 MHz to 975 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 185W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,470 points. Launch price was $270.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile) scores 4,463 and the Radeon HD 7870 XT reaches 4,470 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile) is built on Blackwell 2.0 while the Radeon HD 7870 XT uses GCN 1.0, both on 3 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)) vs 1,536 (Radeon HD 7870 XT).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)Radeon HD 7870 XT
G3D Mark Score
4,463
4,470
Architecture
Blackwell 2.0
GCN 1.0
Process Node
3 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
3584+133%
1536

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)Radeon HD 7870 XT
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)

The GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile) has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7870 XT carries 2 GB. GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile) gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 112 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)) vs 192 GB/s (Radeon HD 7870 XT) — a 71.4% advantage for the Radeon HD 7870 XT. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile) and 256-bit on the Radeon HD 7870 XT.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)Radeon HD 7870 XT
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+100%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
112 GB/s
192 GB/s+71%
Bus Width
128-bit
256-bit+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

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

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)Radeon HD 7870 XT
DirectX
12 (12_1)
12 (11_1)
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (6th Gen) (GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7870 XT). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs UVD 3.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9 (GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 7870 XT).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)Radeon HD 7870 XT
Encoder
NVENC (6th Gen)
VCE 1.0
Decoder
NVDEC (3rd Gen)
UVD 3.2
Codecs
H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile) draws 50W versus the Radeon HD 7870 XT's 185W — a 114.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7870 XT). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)Radeon HD 7870 XT
TDP
50W-73%
185W
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
2x 6-pin
Length
267mm
Height
111mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
80
Perf/Watt
89.3+269%
24.2
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile) (2025 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)Radeon HD 7870 XT
MSRP
$270
Codename
GN22-X2
Tahiti
Release
January 2 2025
November 19 2012
Ranking
#não classificado
#469

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