GeForce GTX 1050 vs Radeon R9 280

When comparing GeForce GTX 1050 and Radeon R9 280, we look primarily at benchmarks and game tests. But it is not only about the numbers. Often you can find third-party models with higher clock speeds, better cooling, or a customizable RGB lighting. Not all of them will have all the features you need. Another thing to consider is the port selection. Most graphics cards have at least one DisplayPort and HDMI interface, but some monitors require DVI. Before you buy, check the TDP of the graphics card - this characteristic will help you estimate the consumption of the graphics card. You may even have to upgrade your PSU to meet its requirements. An important factor when choosing between GeForce GTX 1050 and Radeon R9 280 is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Main Specs

  GeForce GTX 1050 Radeon R9 280
Power consumption (TDP) 75 Watt 200 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors None 1 x 6-pin + 1 x 8-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 4 GB 3 GB
Display Connectors 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 2x mini-DisplayPort
Recommended system power (PSU) 300 Watt
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  • Radeon R9 280 has 166% more power consumption, than GeForce GTX 1050.
  • Both video cards are using PCIe 3.0 x16 interface connection to a motherboard.
  • GeForce GTX 1050 has 1 GB more memory, than Radeon R9 280.
  • Both cards are used in Desktops.
  • GeForce GTX 1050 is build with Pascal architecture, and Radeon R9 280 - with GCN 1.0.
  • GeForce GTX 1050 is manufactured by 14 nm process technology, and Radeon R9 280 - by 28 nm process technology.
  • Radeon R9 280 is 270 mm longer, than GeForce GTX 1050.
  • Memory clock speed of GeForce GTX 1050 is 5758 MHz higher, than Radeon R9 280.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 35−40 35−40
ultra / 1080p 21−24 21−24
QHD / 1440p 16−18 16−18
4K / 2160p 10−11 10−11
low / 720p 60−65 60−65
medium / 1080p 40−45 40−45
GeForce GTX 1050 and Radeon R9 280 have the same average FPS in Assassin's Creed Odyssey.

Full Specs

  GeForce GTX 1050 Radeon R9 280
Architecture Pascal GCN 1.0
Code name N17P-G1 Tahiti
Type Desktop Desktop
Release date 25 October 2016 4 March 2014
Pipelines 640 1792
Core clock speed 1290 MHz
Boost Clock 1392 MHz 933 MHz
Transistor count 3,300 million 4,313 million
Manufacturing process technology 14 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 58.20 104.5
Floating-point performance 1,862 gflops 3,344 gflops
Length 5.7" (14.5 cm) 275 mm
Memory bus width 128 Bit 384 Bit
Memory clock speed 7008 MHz 1250 MHz
Memory bandwidth 112 GB/s 240 GB/s
Shared memory -
G-SYNC support +
VR Ready +
DirectX 12 (12_1)
Shader Model 6.4 5.1
OpenGL 4.5 4.6
OpenCL 1.2 1.2
Vulkan 1.2.131 +
CUDA +
Monero / XMR (CryptoNight) 0.3 kh/s
FreeSync +
CUDA cores 640
Bus support PCIe 3.0 PCIe 3.0
Height 4.38" (11.1 cm)
Multi monitor support +
HDMI +
HDCP 2.2
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 279 Mh/s 408 Mh/s
Eyefinity +
HD3D +
TrueAudio +
Design reference
CrossFire +
DDMA audio +
Decred / DCR (Decred) 0.85 Gh/s
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 21.5 Mh/s
Zcash / ZEC (Equihash) 143.76 Sol/s
Width 2-slot
GameStream +
GPU Boost 3.0
LiquidVR +
TressFX +
UVD +
SLI -
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