Is a GTX 1050 Ti better than a GTX 980?

The GTX 1060 6GB might be the entry-level flagship of the latest Pascal set of graphics cards, but their prices keep them out of the reach of most budget PC gamers. On the other hand, the GTX 1050 Ti is closer to being reasonably affordable at a price tag of $ 169. NVIDIA ’s xx50 cards have always been defined by budget prices with performance that knocks on the door of entry-level graphics cards – especially when overclocked. After taking the time to fully test the Pascal graphics card inside the GTX 1050 Ti, we can say without a doubt that it continues the trend.

The GTX 1050 Ti has 4 GB RAM compared to the GTX 950 's 2 GB video memory. In our synthetic benchmarks, the GTX 1050 Ti blows past the GTX 950 and, amazingly, even the GTX 960 as well.

Unfortunately, gaming performance was not quite as impressive. Even if the GTX 1050 Ti consistently delivers frame rate increases over the GTX 950, the gain is not much to justify an upgrade. Whether it is a justifiable upgrade depends on what graphics card you are upgrading from. Users with a GTX 950 will not see a remarkable increase in frame rates after paying more for this GTX 1050 Ti. Similarly, those holding onto R9 380 's R9 280 graphics cards will not have a reason to jump teams yet.

For 1080p Full HD, we were able to play Valorant at 80 fps to 80 fps and kept frame rates hovering around 80 fps. For 1440p Quad HD, we were able to play Valorant at 66 fps to 66 fps and kept frame rates hovering around 66 fps.

The good news is, with the release of the GTX 980 Ti, the GTX 980 's price is getting more discount. The GTX 980 is much more cheaper than the GTX 780 as it costs $ 549. Compare this to the GTX 780, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti, which came originally at a price of $ 649, $ 699. Meanwhile, the AMD closest equivalent card is the R9 Nano which costs $ 649.

The GTX 980 has 4 GB RAM compared to the GTX 780 's 3 GB video memory. Unfortunately, gaming performance was not quite as impressive. Even if the GTX 980 consistently delivers frame rate increases over the GTX 780, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti, the gain is not much to justify an upgrade.

Whether it is a justifiable upgrade depends on what graphics card you are upgrading from. Users with a GTX 780, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti will not see a remarkable increase in frame rates after paying more for this GTX 980. Similarly, those holding onto R9 Nano 's R9 390 graphics cards will not have a reason to jump teams yet. For 1080p Full HD, we were able to play Final Fantasy XV, Godfall, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, GreedFall, Death Stranding at 61 fps to 63 fps and kept frame rates hovering around 62 fps.

For 1440p Quad HD, we were able to play Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Forza Horizon 4, Overwatch 2, Strange Brigade, Fallout 76 at 61 fps to 67 fps and kept frame rates hovering around 63 fps. For 2160p 4K, we were able to play Valorant at 100 fps to 100 fps and kept frame rates hovering around 100 fps.

Price now 416$

Games supported 95%

Price now 200$

Games supported 80%

General info

Comparison of graphics card architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters.

Place in performance rating	134	248
Place by popularity	no data	1
Value for money	12.76	15.85
Architecture	Maxwell (2014−2018)	Pascal (2016−2021)
GPU code name	GM204	N17P-G1
Market segment	Desktop	Desktop
Release date	19 September 2014 (8 years ago)	25 October 2016 (6 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$549	$139
Current price	$416 (0.8x MSRP)	$200 (1.4x MSRP)

Value for money

To calculate the index we compare the characteristics of graphics cards against their prices.

Technical specs

General performance parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. These parameters indirectly speak of performance, but for precise assessment you have to consider their benchmark and gaming test results. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.

Pipelines / CUDA cores	2048	768
CUDA cores	2048	768
Core clock speed	1064 MHz	1290 MHz
Boost clock speed	1216 MHz	1392 MHz
Number of transistors	5,200 million	3,300 million
Manufacturing process technology	28 nm	16 nm
Thermal design power (TDP)	165 Watt	75 Watt
Maximum GPU temperature	no data	97 °C
Texture fill rate	144 billion/sec	66.82
Floating-point performance	4,981 gflops	2,138 gflops

Compatibility, dimensions and requirements

Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop video cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).

Bus support	PCI Express 3.0	no data
Interface	PCIe 3.0 x16	PCIe 3.0 x16
Length	10.5" (26.7 cm)	145 mm
Height	4.376" (11.1 cm)	no data
Width	2-slot	2-slot
Recommended system power (PSU)	500 Watt	no data
Supplementary power connectors	2x 6-pins	None
SLI options	+	no data

Memory

Parameters of memory installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Note that GPUs integrated into processors have no dedicated VRAM and use a shared part of system RAM.

Memory type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount	4 GB	4 GB
Memory bus width	256 Bit	128 Bit
Memory clock speed	7.0 GB/s	7 GB/s
Memory bandwidth	224 GB/s	112 GB/s
Shared memory	-	-

Video outputs and ports

Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.

Display Connectors	Dual Link DVI-I, HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2	1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort
Multi monitor support	4 displays	no data
VGA аnalog display support	+	no data
DisplayPort Multimode (DP++) support	+	no data
HDMI	+	+
HDCP	+	no data
Maximum VGA resolution	2048x1536	no data
G-SYNC support	+	+
Audio input for HDMI	Internal	no data

Technologies

Supported technological solutions. This information will prove useful if you need some particular technology for your purposes.

GameStream	+	no data
GeForce ShadowPlay	+	no data
GPU Boost	2.0	no data
GameWorks	+	no data
H.264, VC1, MPEG2 1080p video decoder	+	no data
Optimus	+	no data
BatteryBoost	+	no data
VR Ready	no data	+
Ansel	no data	+

API support

APIs supported, including particular versions of those APIs.

DirectX	12 (12_1)	12 (12_1)
Shader Model	6.4	6.4
OpenGL	4.5	4.6
OpenCL	1.2	1.2
Vulkan	1.1.126	1.2.131
CUDA	+	+

Benchmark performance

Non-gaming benchmark performance comparison. Note that overall benchmark performance is measured in points in 0-100 range.

Overall score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

Passmark
3DMark 11 Performance GPU
3DMark Cloud Gate GPU
3DMark Fire Strike Score
3DMark Fire Strike Graphics
GeekBench 5 OpenCL
3DMark Ice Storm GPU
GeekBench 5 Vulkan
GeekBench 5 CUDA

This is probably the most ubiquitous benchmark, part of Passmark PerformanceTest suite. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.

Benchmark coverage: 26%

3DMark 11 is an obsolete DirectX 11 benchmark by Futuremark. It used four tests based on two scenes, one being few submarines exploring the submerged wreck of a sunken ship, the other is an abandoned temple deep in the jungle. All the tests are heavy with volumetric lighting and tessellation, and despite being done in 1280x720 resolution, are relatively taxing. Discontinued in January 2020, 3DMark 11 is now superseded by Time Spy.

Benchmark coverage: 17%

Cloud Gate is an outdated DirectX 11 feature level 10 benchmark that was used for home PCs and basic notebooks. It displays a few scenes of some weird space teleportation device launching spaceships into unknown, using fixed resolution of 1280x720. Just like Ice Storm benchmark, it has been discontinued in January 2020 and replaced by 3DMark Night Raid.

Benchmark coverage: 14%

Fire Strike is a DirectX 11 benchmark for gaming PCs. It features two separate tests displaying a fight between a humanoid and a fiery creature seemingly made of lava. Using 1920x1080 resolution, Fire Strike shows off some realistic enough graphics and is quite taxing on hardware.

Benchmark coverage: 14%

Geekbench 5 is a widespread graphics card benchmark combined from 11 different test scenarios. All these scenarios rely on direct usage of GPU's processing power, no 3D rendering is involved. This variation uses OpenCL API by Khronos Group.

Benchmark coverage: 9%

Ice Storm Graphics is an obsolete benchmark, part of 3DMark suite. Ice Storm was used to measure entry level laptops and Windows-based tablets performance. It utilizes DirectX 11 feature level 9 to display a battle between two space fleets near a frozen planet in 1280x720 resolution. Discontinued in January 2020, it is now superseded by 3DMark Night Raid.

Benchmark coverage: 8%

Benchmark coverage: 5%

Mining hashrates

Cryptocurrency mining performance of GeForce GTX 980 and GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. Usually measured in megahashes per second.

Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256)	579 Mh/s	326 Mh/s
Decred / DCR (Decred)	1.74 Gh/s	1.01 Gh/s
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto)	20.28 Mh/s	12.62 Mh/s
Monero / XMR (CryptoNight)	0.54 kh/s	0.3 kh/s
Zcash / ZEC (Equihash)	312.12 Sol/s	156.48 Sol/s

Gaming performance

Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.

Average FPS

Here are the average frames per second in a large set of popular games across different resolutions:

Full HD	94	51
1440p	51	30
4K	38	25

Popular games

Full HD
Low Preset
Full HD
Medium Preset
Full HD
High Preset
Full HD
Ultra Preset
1440p
High Preset
1440p
Ultra Preset
4K
High Preset
4K
Ultra Preset

Cyberpunk 2077

45−50

24−27

Assassin's Creed Odyssey	69 +43.8%	48 −43.8%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	45−50 +88.5%	24−27 −88.5%
Battlefield 5	109 +73%	63 −73%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	75−80 +85.4%	40−45 −85.4%
Cyberpunk 2077	45−50 +84%	24−27 −84%
Far Cry 5	80 +95.1%	40−45 −95.1%
Far Cry New Dawn	70−75 +47.9%	48 −47.9%
Forza Horizon 4	90 +30.4%	69 −30.4%
Hitman 3	85−90 +100%	40−45 −100%
Horizon Zero Dawn	60−65 +84.8%	30−35 −84.8%
Red Dead Redemption 2	45−50 +31.4%	35 −31.4%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	66 +113%	31 −113%
Watch Dogs: Legion	50−55 +85.7%	27−30 −85.7%

Assassin's Creed Odyssey	58 +45%	40 −45%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	45−50 +88.5%	24−27 −88.5%
Battlefield 5	90 +73.1%	52 −73.1%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	75−80 +94.9%	39 −94.9%
Cyberpunk 2077	45−50 +84%	24−27 −84%
Far Cry 5	73 +78%	40−45 −78%
Far Cry New Dawn	70−75 +57.8%	45 −57.8%
Forza Horizon 4	83 +29.7%	64 −29.7%
Hitman 3	85−90 +100%	40−45 −100%
Horizon Zero Dawn	60−65 +84.8%	30−35 −84.8%
Metro Exodus	45−50 +76.9%	26 −76.9%
Red Dead Redemption 2	45−50 +156%	18 −156%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	55 +104%	27 −104%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt	85 +73.5%	49 −73.5%
Watch Dogs: Legion	50−55 +85.7%	27−30 −85.7%

Assassin's Creed Odyssey	35 +45.8%	24 −45.8%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	45−50 +88.5%	24−27 −88.5%
Battlefield 5	82 +60.8%	51 −60.8%
Cyberpunk 2077	45−50 +84%	24−27 −84%
Far Cry 5	69 +91.7%	36 −91.7%
Far Cry New Dawn	70−75 +73.2%	41 −73.2%
Forza Horizon 4	59 +31.1%	45 −31.1%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt	46 +76.9%	26 −76.9%
Watch Dogs: Legion	50−55 +85.7%	27−30 −85.7%

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	45−50 +87.5%	24 −87.5%
Hitman 3	50−55 +100%	24−27 −100%
Horizon Zero Dawn	35−40 +81%	21−24 −81%
Metro Exodus	27−30 +92.9%	14−16 −92.9%
Red Dead Redemption 2	21−24 +76.9%	12−14 −76.9%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	34 +78.9%	18−20 −78.9%

Assassin's Creed Odyssey	27 +68.8%	16−18 −68.8%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	27−30 +123%	12−14 −123%
Battlefield 5	62 +72.2%	36 −72.2%
Cyberpunk 2077	18−20 +125%	8−9 −125%
Far Cry 5	48 +92%	24−27 −92%
Far Cry New Dawn	50−55 +82.8%	29 −82.8%
Forza Horizon 4	48 +50%	30−35 −50%
Watch Dogs: Legion	21−24 +120%	10−11 −120%

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	21−24 +91.7%	12−14 −91.7%
Hitman 3	27−30 +75%	16−18 −75%
Horizon Zero Dawn	20−22 +66.7%	12−14 −66.7%
Metro Exodus	16−18 +88.9%	9 −88.9%
Red Dead Redemption 2	16−18 +77.8%	9−10 −77.8%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	17 +70%	10−11 −70%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt	29 +81.3%	16−18 −81.3%

Assassin's Creed Odyssey	14 +55.6%	9−10 −55.6%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	16−18 +129%	7−8 −129%
Battlefield 5	32 +77.8%	18 −77.8%
Cyberpunk 2077	7−8 +133%	3−4 −133%
Far Cry 5	24 +84.6%	12−14 −84.6%
Far Cry New Dawn	27−30 +92.9%	14 −92.9%
Forza Horizon 4	34 +70%	20 −70%
Watch Dogs: Legion	12−14 +100%	6−7 −100%

Advantages and disadvantages

Performance rating	28.61	16.09
Recency	19 September 2014	25 October 2016
Cost	$549	$139
Memory bus width	256	128
Pipelines / CUDA cores	2048	768
Memory bandwidth	224	112
Chip lithography	28 nm	16 nm
Thermal design power (TDP)	165 Watt	75 Watt

Judging by the results of synthetic and gaming tests, Technical City recommends

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980

since it shows better performance.

Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Cast your vote

Do you think we are right or mistaken in our choice? Vote by clicking "Like" button near your favorite graphics card.

Competitors of GeForce GTX 980 by AMD

We believe that the nearest equivalent to GeForce GTX 980 from AMD is Radeon R9 FURY X, which is slower by 10% and lower by 14 positions in our rating.

Here are some closest AMD rivals to GeForce GTX 980:

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 100

Competitors of GeForce GTX 1050 Ti by AMD

We believe that the nearest equivalent to GeForce GTX 1050 Ti from AMD is Radeon R9 380, which is slower by 1% and lower by 1 position in our rating.

Here are some closest AMD rivals to GeForce GTX 1050 Ti:

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 100

Similar GPU comparisons

We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance more or less close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.

User rating

Here you can see the user rating of the graphics cards, as well as rate them yourself.

Rate NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 on a scale of 1 to 5:

Rate NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti on a scale of 1 to 5:

Questions and comments

Here you can ask a question about this comparison, agree or disagree with our judgements, or report an error or mismatch.

Is a GTX 1050 Ti better than a GTX 970?

the 970 is up to 40% FASTER than a 1050ti. The 970 is notably faster in every case. The 1050ti is a smaller card, and takes up considerably less space inside your PC, uses less power, and generates less heat.

What is better than a GTX 980?

GeForce GTX 1660 has 2 GB more memory, than GeForce GTX 980. Both cards are used in Desktops. GeForce GTX 1660 is build with Turing architecture, and GeForce GTX 980 - with Maxwell.

Is GTX 980 better than GTX 1650?

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 boasts a lower Memory Clock, yet it still came out on top. Both have the same amount of Vram and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 boasts higher Memory speed. Through it's 256 bit interface the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 reaches a 224.0 GB/s bandwith, which is higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650.

What is a 1050 TI equivalent to?

AMD equivalent for a 1050ti would be an RX 570 although it is 60% faster than 1050ti. For the 1060 , it would be the RX 580, both are neck and neck in terms of performance.