GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design
VS
Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design vs Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design

2018Core: 1152 MHzBoost: 1417 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

2013Boost: 1000 MHz

Performance Spectrum - GPU

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design is positioned at rank #15 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Excellent cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design

#6
Radeon RX 550X (móvel)
MSRP: $35|Avg: $35
123%
#8
111%
#9
111%
#13
GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50
101%
#14
Radeon RX 6300
MSRP: $60|Avg: $40
100%
#15
100%
#18
Radeon RX 560X (móvel)
MSRP: $55|Avg: $55
99%
Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design uses modern memory architecture. The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.2% higher G3D Mark score and 33.3% more VRAM (4 GB vs 3 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X.

InsightGeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q DesignRadeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
Performance
Leading raw performance (+1.2%)
Lower raw frame rates (-1.2%)
Longevity
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2018 / Pascal (2016−2021))
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))
Ecosystem
Supports FSR Upscaling
Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM
✅ More VRAM (+33.3%)
❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency
💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit
Standard Size (275mm)

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design and Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 3 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1152 MHz to 1417 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,310 points.

AMD

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,248 points. Launch price was $299.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design scores 5,310 and the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X reaches 5,248 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X uses GCN 1.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Raw compute: 2.177 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Boost clocks: 1417 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q DesignRadeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
G3D Mark Score
5,310+1%
5,248
Architecture
Pascal
GCN 1.0
Process Node
14 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
768
2048+167%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.177 TFLOPS
4.096 TFLOPS+88%
Boost Clock
1417 MHz+42%
1000 MHz
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
48
128+167%
L1 Cache
288 KB
512 KB+78%
L2 Cache
1 MB+33%
0.75 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q DesignRadeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
Upscaling Tech
FSR 2.1 (Compatible)
FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation
FSR 3 (Compatible)
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X has 3 GB. The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 112 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs 264 GB/s (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — a 135.7% advantage for the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X. Bus width: 128-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q DesignRadeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+33%
3 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
112 GB/s
264 GB/s+136%
Bus Width
128-bit
384-bit+200%
L2 Cache
1 MB+33%
0.75 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q DesignRadeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
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 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs UVD 3.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9 (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q DesignRadeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
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,MPEG-4
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X's 200W — a 90.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 80 C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q DesignRadeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
TDP
75W-63%
200W
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
6-pin + 8-pin
Length
275mm
Height
111mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
70°C-13%
80 C
Perf/Watt
70.8+170%
26.2
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q DesignRadeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
MSRP
$299
Avg Price (30d)
$40
Codename
GP107
Tahiti
Release
January 3 2018
October 8 2013
Ranking
#429
#404