GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design vs Radeon HD 8990

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 Ti with Max-Q Design vs Radeon HD 8990 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 Ti with Max-Q Design vs Radeon HD 8990: 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 Ti with Max-Q Design

2018

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Radeon HD 8990 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 75W instead of 375W, a 300W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8990 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2018 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 5.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $999 MSRP).

Radeon HD 8990

2013

Why buy it

✅38.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌400% higher power demand at 375W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 8990 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 38.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design instead at 5,310 vs 5,214, 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 Ti with Max-Q Design is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 3 GB of VRAM, a 14nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2013. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 8990 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 8990 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design vs Radeon HD 8990 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon HD 8990

The Radeon HD 8990 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 950 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 2048 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,214 points. Launch price was $999.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design scores 5,310 and the Radeon HD 8990 reaches 5,214 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.8% 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 8990 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 8990). Raw compute: 2.177 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 8990). Boost clocks: 1417 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design	Radeon HD 8990
G3D Mark Score	5,310+2%	5,214
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 1.0
Process Node	14 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	768	2048 ×2+167%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.177 TFLOPS	4.096 TFLOPS ×2+88%
Boost Clock	1417 MHz+42%	1000 MHz
ROPs	32	32 ×2
TMUs	48	128 ×2+167%
L1 Cache	288 KB	512 KB+78%
L2 Cache	1 MB+33%	0.75 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8990 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design	Radeon HD 8990
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 Ti with Max-Q Design has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8990 carries 3 GB. GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 112 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs 288 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 8990) — a 2473.2% advantage for the Radeon HD 8990. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design and 384-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 8990. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 8990) — the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design	Radeon HD 8990
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+33%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	112 GB/s	288 GB/s x2+157%
Bus Width	128-bit	384-bit x2+200%
L2 Cache	1 MB+33%	0.75 MB

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 8990's 375W — a 133.3% 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 750W (Radeon HD 8990). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 8-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design	Radeon HD 8990
TDP	75W-80%	375W
Recommended PSU	350W-53%	750W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	2x 8-pin
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	70°C	—
Perf/Watt	70.8+409%	13.9

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Value Analysis

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design	Radeon HD 8990
MSRP	—	$999
Codename	GP107	Malta
Release	January 3 2018	April 24 2013
Ranking	#429	#412

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