AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 represent two distinct eras of GPU design, separated by five years of architectural evolution. The data shows a decisive shift in performance, power efficiency, and API support, with the GTX 1050 delivering roughly 3.8 times the OpenCL score of the older dual-GPU card while drawing only a fraction of the power. This analysis walks through the benchmark results, architectural differences, and practical implications of choosing between these two end-of-life products.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 has an average benchmark score of 3977, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 averages 3629. However, this aggregate figure masks the GTX 1050's dominant performance in the head-to-head OpenCL test, where it scores 15233 versus 3977.

Q: How do the two cards compare in the only shared benchmark?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 wins decisively with a score of 15233 against the AMD card's 3977, representing a 73.9% advantage. This single data point shows the GTX 1050 is nearly four times faster in compute workloads.

Q: What are the power consumption requirements for each card?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 has a TDP of 254 W and requires a 600 W power supply with two 8-pin connectors. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, by contrast, has a 75 W TDP, needs no power connectors, and works with a 250 W power supply.

Q: Which card supports newer graphics APIs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 is limited to DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4, with no Vulkan support listed.

Q: How does the memory bandwidth compare between the two?

A: The AMD card has a wider 256-bit memory bus with 134.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the NVIDIA card uses a 128-bit bus with 112.1 GB/s. Both have 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, but the AMD card's wider bus gives it a 19.9% bandwidth advantage.

Q: What is the transistor density difference between the two chips?

A: The NVIDIA GP107 packs 3,300 million transistors into a 132 mm² die, yielding 25.0M transistors per mm². The AMD Barts chip has 1,700 million transistors on a 255 mm² die, resulting in just 6.7M per mm² — a 3.7 times density advantage for the Pascal chip.

The Verdict

The data overwhelmingly favors the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 for any modern workload. Its OpenCL score of 15233 dwarfs the AMD card's 3977, and it does so with a 75 W TDP versus 254 W — a 179 W difference that eliminates the need for external power connectors. The GTX 1050 also supports DirectX 12, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6, while the HD 6850 X2 is stuck at DirectX 11.2 and OpenGL 4.4. For gaming, compute, or general desktop use, the GTX 1050 is the only sensible choice.

The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 retains one theoretical advantage: its 256-bit memory bus provides 134.4 GB/s bandwidth versus 112.1 GB/s, a 19.9% margin that could help in bandwidth-sensitive scenarios. However, this is irrelevant in practice because the card lacks modern API support and its raw compute performance is a fraction of the NVIDIA card's. The HD 6850 X2's percentile ranking of 24 versus the GTX 1050's 21 reflects its overall standing, but the head-to-head result is unambiguous.

Users with legacy systems that require dual-DVI outputs or PCIe 2.0 compatibility might consider the AMD card, but the GTX 1050's superior performance, lower power draw, and newer feature set make it the default recommendation. The GTX 1050 also offers a smaller physical footprint at 145 mm length versus unspecified dimensions for the AMD card, and its launch MSRP of 109 USD positions it as a mainstream product.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single head-to-head benchmark paints a stark picture. In Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 scores 15233 versus the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2's 3977, a delta of 73.9%. This translates to the GTX 1050 being approximately 3.83 times faster in raw compute throughput. The GTX 1050's FP32 performance of 1.862 TFLOPS exceeds the AMD card's 1.536 TFLOPS by 21.2%, and its pixel rate of 46.56 GPixel/s is 81.9% higher than the AMD card's 25.60 GPixel/s.

The texture rate tells a similar story: 58.20 GTexel/s for the GTX 1050 versus 38.40 GTexel/s for the AMD card, a 51.6% advantage. Despite having fewer shading units (640 versus 960) and TMUs (40 versus 48), the Pascal architecture's efficiency allows it to dominate. The AMD card's only numerical wins are memory bandwidth (134.4 GB/s versus 112.1 GB/s, a 19.9% margin) and memory bus width (256-bit versus 128-bit). These bandwidth advantages do not translate into compute performance, as the OpenCL result demonstrates.

The GTX 1050 also shows broader benchmark coverage in the fact pack, with scores across DirectX 9 through 12, Metal, Vulkan, and compute workloads. Its PassMark G3D score of 5028 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 8995 indicate solid general-purpose performance, while the AMD card has no comparable data points. The GTX 1050's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 6770 (deltaPct -0.5%) and NVIDIA RTX 5000 Mobile Ada Generation (deltaPct 0.9%), showing it sits in a competitive mid-range bracket.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every measurable specification. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 uses a 40 nm process from TSMC, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 uses Samsung's 14 nm node. This process advantage yields a transistor density of 25.0M/mm² for the GTX 1050 versus 6.7M/mm² for the AMD card. The NVIDIA chip contains 3,300 million transistors on a 132 mm² die, whereas the AMD chip has 1,700 million on 255 mm² — the GTX 1050 is 48.2% smaller while packing 94.1% more transistors.

Clock speeds differ dramatically: the GTX 1050 has a base clock of 1354 MHz and boost of 1455 MHz, while the AMD card lists no base or boost clocks, only a memory clock of 1050 MHz (4.2 Gbps effective). The GTX 1050's memory runs at 1752 MHz (7 Gbps effective). Both use 2 GB of GDDR5, but the AMD card has a 256-bit bus versus 128-bit, giving it 134.4 GB/s versus 112.1 GB/s bandwidth.

Power requirements are starkly different: 254 W TDP with 2x 8-pin connectors and a 600 W PSU recommendation for the AMD card, versus 75 W TDP with no connectors and a 250 W PSU suggestion for the NVIDIA card. The GTX 1050 also supports PCIe 3.0 x16 versus the AMD card's PCIe 2.0 x16. Display outputs differ: the AMD card offers 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.1, while the GTX 1050 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a. The GTX 1050 measures 145 mm in length and 111 mm in height; the AMD card's dimensions are not listed.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 is built on TeraScale 2 architecture, codenamed Barts, from the Northern Islands generation (HD 6800). It uses 960 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 uses Pascal architecture with the GP107 chip from the GeForce 10-series, featuring 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Despite having 33.3% fewer shading units and 16.7% fewer TMUs, the GTX 1050 achieves higher throughput due to architectural efficiency.

The Pascal architecture brings support for DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while TeraScale 2 only reaches DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4. The GTX 1050 also lists FP16 performance of 29.10 GFLOPS (1:64 ratio), whereas the AMD card has no FP16 capability listed. The GTX 1050's pixel rate of 46.56 GPixel/s and texture rate of 58.20 GTexel/s both exceed the AMD card's 25.60 GPixel/s and 38.40 GTexel/s, despite the latter having more texture units.

Process technology is the fundamental differentiator: 14 nm Samsung versus 40 nm TSMC. This enables the GTX 1050 to deliver higher clock speeds (1354 MHz base) while consuming only 29.5% of the AMD card's power (75 W versus 254 W). The AMD card's dual-GPU design (implied by the X2 suffix) likely contributes to its high power draw, but the fact pack lists it as a single Barts chip with 960 shading units. The GTX 1050's predecessor is GeForce 900, while the AMD card's predecessor is Evergreen; their successors are GeForce 20 and Southern Islands, respectively.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 wins in every performance category with measurable data. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 15233 is 73.9% higher than the AMD card's 3977. It achieves higher pixel rates (46.56 versus 25.60 GPixel/s), higher texture rates (58.20 versus 38.40 GTexel/s), and higher FP32 throughput (1.862 versus 1.536 TFLOPS). The GTX 1050 also wins on power efficiency, requiring 75 W versus 254 W, and on API support, covering DirectX 12, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6 versus the AMD card's older standards.

The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 wins only on memory bandwidth (134.4 GB/s versus 112.1 GB/s, a 19.9% margin) and memory bus width (256-bit versus 128-bit). It also has more shading units (960 versus 640) and TMUs (48 versus 40), though these do not translate into benchmark victories. The AMD card supports more display outputs (4 versus 3) and includes dual DVI ports, which could benefit users with older monitors. Its PCIe 2.0 interface is backward compatible with older motherboards, though it lacks the bandwidth of PCIe 3.0.

For users prioritizing compute performance, modern API compatibility, low power draw, or compact size (145 mm length), the GTX 1050 is the clear winner. For those with legacy display requirements (dual DVI) or bandwidth-sensitive workloads that can leverage a 256-bit bus, the AMD card offers a niche advantage, but its 24th percentile ranking and single benchmark score of 3977 suggest limited real-world utility. The GTX 1050's 21st percentile ranking, despite a lower average score, reflects broader benchmark coverage and consistent performance across multiple APIs.