GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design vs Radeon HD 7800-serie

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 with Max-Q Design vs Radeon HD 7800-serie 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 with Max-Q Design vs Radeon HD 7800-serie: 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 with Max-Q Design

2018

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Radeon HD 7800-serie is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 75W instead of 200W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7800-serie 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 11.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Radeon HD 7800-serie

2012

Why buy it

✅17.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($349 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.
❌166.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 7800-serie is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 17.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.6% in PassMark G3D (4,029 vs 3,925), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, a 14nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2018 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 7800-serie 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 7800-serie is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design vs Radeon HD 7800-serie Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1050 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: 3,925 points.

Radeon HD 7800-serie

The Radeon HD 7800-serie 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: 4,029 points. Launch price was $349.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design scores 3,925 and the Radeon HD 7800-serie reaches 4,029 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 7800-serie uses GCN 1.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 7800-serie). Raw compute: 2.177 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design) vs 2.56 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7800-serie).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design	Radeon HD 7800-serie
G3D Mark Score	3,925	4,029+3%
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 1.0
Process Node	14 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	768	1280+67%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.177 TFLOPS	2.56 TFLOPS+18%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	48	80+67%
L1 Cache	288 KB	320 KB+11%
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7800-serie leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design	Radeon HD 7800-serie
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 with Max-Q Design has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7800-serie carries 2 GB. GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 80 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design) vs 153.6 GB/s (Radeon HD 7800-serie) — a 92% advantage for the Radeon HD 7800-serie. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design and 256-bit on the Radeon HD 7800-serie. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7800-serie) — the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design	Radeon HD 7800-serie
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+100%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	80 GB/s	153.6 GB/s+92%
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 7800-serie's 200W — a 90.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7800-serie). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design	Radeon HD 7800-serie
TDP	75W-63%	200W
Recommended PSU	350W-30%	500W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	2x 6-pin
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	70°C	—
Perf/Watt	52.3+160%	20.1

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design (2018 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design	Radeon HD 7800-serie
MSRP	—	$349
Codename	GP107	Pitcairn
Release	January 3 2018	March 5 2012
Ranking	#429	#460

Search GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design on Amazon

Search Radeon HD 7800-serie on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.