Radeon HD 7850 vs GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design
Radeon HD 7850
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GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design
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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. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design is significantly newer (2018 vs 2012). The GeForce GTX 1050 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 7850 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.7% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (4 GB vs 2 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 7850.
| Insight | Radeon HD 7850 | GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.7%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.7%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2018 / Pascal (2016−2021)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Although it costs $50 (vs $50), its significant performance lead justifies the premium, offering 0.7% better value per dollar than the Radeon HD 7850.
| Insight | Radeon HD 7850 | GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+0.7%) |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 Radeon HD 7850 and GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design
Radeon HD 7850
The Radeon HD 7850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,897 points. Launch price was $249.
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.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 7850 scores 3,897 and the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design reaches 3,925 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7850 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (Radeon HD 7850) vs 768 (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design). Raw compute: 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7850) vs 2.177 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1417 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon HD 7850 | GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 3,897 | 3,925 |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Pascal |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 14 nm |
| Shading Units | 1024+33% | 768 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 1.761 TFLOPS | 2.177 TFLOPS+24% |
| Boost Clock | 1000 MHz | 1417 MHz+42% |
| ROPs | 32 | 32 |
| TMUs | 64+33% | 48 |
| L1 Cache | 256 KB | 288 KB+13% |
| L2 Cache | 0.5 MB | 1 MB+100% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 7850 | GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 2.1 (Compatible) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | FSR 3 (Compatible) |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | Standard |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Radeon HD 7850 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 153.6 GB/s (Radeon HD 7850) vs 80 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design) — a 92% advantage for the Radeon HD 7850. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7850) vs 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design) — the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD 7850 | GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 4 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 153.6 GB/s+92% | 80 GB/s |
| Bus Width | 256-bit+100% | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 0.5 MB | 1 MB+100% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (Radeon HD 7850) vs 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | Radeon HD 7850 | GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 | 12 (12_1) |
| Max Displays | 4 | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7850) vs NVENC (6th Gen) (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design). Decoder: UVD 3.1 vs NVDEC (3rd Gen). Supported codecs: H.264 (Radeon HD 7850) vs H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9 (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design).
| Feature | Radeon HD 7850 | GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | VCE 1.0 | NVENC (6th Gen) |
| Decoder | UVD 3.1 | NVDEC (3rd Gen) |
| Codecs | H.264 | H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 7850 draws 130W versus the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design's 75W — a 53.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 7850) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.
| Feature | Radeon HD 7850 | GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 130W | 75W-42% |
| Recommended PSU | 500W | 350W-30% |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 210mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | — | 70°C |
| Perf/Watt | 30.0 | 52.3+74% |
Value Analysis
Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 77.9 (Radeon HD 7850) vs 78.5 (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design) — the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design offers 0.8% better value. The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2012).
| Feature | Radeon HD 7850 | GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $249 | — |
| Avg Price (30d) | $50 | $50 |
| Performance per Dollar | 77.9 | 78.5 |
| Codename | Pitcairn | GP107 |
| Release | March 5 2012 | January 3 2018 |
| Ranking | #503 | #429 |
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