Geforce GTX 1050 vs Radeon R9 380
On performance, the Geforce GTX 1050 and Radeon R9 380 are effectively a dead heat — under a few percent apart. Value tips toward the Radeon R9 380, though: $23 USD cheaper for what you get.
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Geforce GTX 1050 vs Radeon R9 380: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Geforce GTX 1050 vs Radeon R9 380
The Geforce GTX 1050 and Radeon R9 380 post nearly the same score in our performance index, so neither holds a meaningful raw-speed advantage. Both are best suited to entry-level 1080p gaming.
Price & Value
Right now the Radeon R9 380 starts at $42 USD against $65 USD for the Geforce GTX 1050. Despite being slower, the Radeon R9 380 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~53% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon R9 380 is trading below its $199 USD MSRP — a genuine deal. The Geforce GTX 1050 is trading below its $109 USD MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
The Geforce GTX 1050 sips power at 75W next to the Radeon R9 380's 190W, and still leads on performance-per-watt — quieter, cooler, and gentler on your PSU. Its more modern Pascal architecture on a Samsung 14nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the Geforce GTX 1050 brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon R9 380 offers AMD FSR upscaling and strong rasterization value. If you lean on upscaling or ray tracing, that ecosystem difference can matter as much as the frame-rate gap.
Which should you buy: Geforce GTX 1050 or Radeon R9 380?
Choose the Geforce GTX 1050 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon R9 380 stretches your money further for near-identical performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Geforce GTX 1050 better than the Radeon R9 380?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the Geforce GTX 1050 or the Radeon R9 380?
Is the Geforce GTX 1050 worth the extra $23 USD over the Radeon R9 380?
Which should you buy: Geforce GTX 1050 or Radeon R9 380?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | Geforce GTX 1050 | Radeon R9 380 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Pascal | GCN 3.0 |
| Process Node | Samsung 14nm | TSMC 28nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 640 | 1,792✓ |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | Geforce GTX 1050 | Radeon R9 380 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,354 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,455 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | Geforce GTX 1050 | Radeon R9 380 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 128-bit | 256-bit✓ |
| Memory Speed | 7 Gbps✓ | 5.5 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 112 GB/s | 176 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | Geforce GTX 1050 | Radeon R9 380 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 75 W✓ | 190 W |
| Power Connectors | None | 2x 6-pin |
| Released | Oct 2016 | Jun 2015 |