GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Laptop vs Radeon R9 280

Speed and memory

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Laptop and the Radeon R9 280 are within a few percent of each other for gaming in our model, so you will not see a difference in play.

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Laptop has 4 GB of video memory and the Radeon R9 280 has 3 GB. That is a small difference and unlikely to decide anything.

In our estimates for popular games at 1080p on High, the biggest gap is in Call of Duty (10 against 7 fps), and the smallest is in ELDEN RING (15 against 12 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Laptop is rated at 75 W and the Radeon R9 280 at 250 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 450 W for the first and 650 W for the second. A gap of 175 W shows up in heat and fan noise, and in your electricity use over a few years.

We do not have launch prices for both cards, so we cannot compare value. Check current listings for both.

Which one to buy

Choose the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Laptop if you want the faster card, and it also has at least as much memory. It makes the most sense at 1440p and above, or on a monitor with a high refresh rate.

Choose the Radeon R9 280 if the price gap matters more than the small speed difference. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.