Radeon HD 8970M vs GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design

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. The Radeon HD 8970M is positioned at rank 78 and the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design is on rank 66, so the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

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

Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 8970M

#25

Radeon RX 7600M XT

MSRP: $329|Avg: $300

92%

#68

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

224%

#70

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

203%

#71

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

203%

#75

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

184%

#76

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

183%

#78

Radeon HD 8970M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $170

100%

#82

Arc 7-Core iGPU

MSRP: $199|Avg: N/A

97%

#87

Radeon RX 560 (móvel)

MSRP: $99|Avg: $50

94%

#92

Radeon RX 550 (móvel)

MSRP: $79|Avg: $40

91%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design

#19

Radeon RX 5600

MSRP: $229|Avg: $150

98%

#22

Radeon RX 7700

MSRP: $449|Avg: $399

94%

#56

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

207%

#58

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

188%

#59

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

188%

#63

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

171%

#64

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

169%

#66

GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

100%

#68

GeForce GTX 850M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $40

97%

#78

Radeon HD 8970M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $170

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design uses modern memory architecture. 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 8970M 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 1.3% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 8970M.

Insight	Radeon HD 8970M	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.3%)	✅Leading raw performance (+1.3%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2018 / Pascal (2016−2021))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+0%)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	—	—

💎 Value Proposition

The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $50 versus $170 for the Radeon HD 8970M, it costs 71% less. While it maintains basic entry-level capabilities, this results in a 244.3% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon HD 8970M	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+244.3%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($170)	✅More affordable ($50)

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.

Radeon HD 8970M Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 8970M and GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design

Radeon HD 8970M

The Radeon HD 8970M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 14 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,876 points.

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 8970M scores 3,876 and the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design reaches 3,925 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8970M 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: 1,280 (Radeon HD 8970M) vs 768 (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design). Raw compute: 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8970M) vs 2.177 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1417 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 8970M	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design
G3D Mark Score	3,876	3,925+1%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	Pascal
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	1280+67%	768
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.304 TFLOPS+6%	2.177 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	900 MHz	1417 MHz+57%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	80+67%	48
L1 Cache	320 KB+11%	288 KB
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8970M	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)

Both cards feature 4 GB of video memory. Bus width: System vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 8970M) 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 8970M	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	Shared	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	System	80 GB/s
Bus Width	System	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8970M draws 100W versus the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design's 75W — a 28.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 8970M) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 8970M	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design
TDP	100W	75W-25%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Slots	—	0
Temp (Load)	—	70°C
Perf/Watt	38.8	52.3+35%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design costs 70.6% less ($120 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 22.8 (Radeon HD 8970M) vs 78.5 (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design) — the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design offers 244.3% better value. The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2013).