Radeon HD 7950 vs GeForce GTX 1050

Speed and memory

The Radeon HD 7950 and the GeForce GTX 1050 are within a few percent of each other for gaming in our model, so you will not see a difference in play.

The Radeon HD 7950 has 3 GB of video memory and the GeForce GTX 1050 has 2 GB. That difference matters at 1440p and in new games at High textures, and it can outweigh a small speed advantage as the card ages.

In our estimates for popular games at 1080p on High, the biggest gap is in Red Dead Redemption 2 (14 against 10 fps), and the smallest is in Fortnite (56 against 55 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The Radeon HD 7950 is rated at 200 W and the GeForce GTX 1050 at 75 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 550 W for the first and 450 W for the second. A gap of 125 W shows up in heat and fan noise, and in your electricity use over a few years.

At launch the Radeon HD 7950 cost $449 and the GeForce GTX 1050 $109. Per dollar, the GeForce GTX 1050 gave more performance (4.1 points per $100 against 1.0). Current prices differ, so run the same sum on what you can actually buy today.

Which one to buy

Choose the Radeon HD 7950 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 GeForce GTX 1050 if the price gap matters more than the small speed difference, or if you want lower power draw and a quieter PC. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.