AMD Radeon R5 Graphics vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Comparison

AMD Radeon R5 Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 occupy completely different tiers of the graphics hardware spectrum. The data shows a decisive performance gap, with the GTX 1050 winning both head-to-head benchmark comparisons, yet the Radeon R5 holds a narrow edge in average benchmark score across all recorded tests due to the specific workloads included. The Radeon R5 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) built into a 2014 APU, while the GTX 1050 is a dedicated 2016 discrete graphics card. This fundamental difference in design purpose explains the vast chasm in raw compute capability, memory bandwidth, and feature support, even as both parts are classified as end-of-life products.

Where Each One Wins

The performance split between these two GPUs is stark, but not without nuance. In the two directly comparable benchmarks — Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan — the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 is the outright winner. The GTX 1050 scores 15,233 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 194% higher than the Radeon R5's 5,183. In Geekbench Vulkan, the gap widens further: the GTX 1050's 8,995 score represents a 248% advantage over the Radeon R5's 2,582. These are not marginal victories; they are generational leaps.

However, the aggregate data tells a slightly different story. The Radeon R5 Graphics has an average benchmark score of 3,883 across all its recorded tests, which places it in the 23rd percentile of all GPUs. The GTX 1050, despite its dominant head-to-head wins, has a lower average benchmark score of 3,629 and sits in the 21st percentile. This inversion occurs because the GTX 1050's benchmark suite includes several Passmark tests (DirectX 9, DirectX 10, DirectX 11, DirectX 12, G2D, and compute) where scores range from 20 to 5,028, pulling its average down. The Radeon R5 only has two recorded benchmarks, both of which are comparatively strong for its class.

The Radeon R5's nearest rivals in the database — the NVIDIA Quadro 2000 (3,898 avg, -0.4% delta), Quadro K2000D (3,919 avg, -0.9% delta), and Quadro 2000D (3,930 avg, -1.2% delta) — all score slightly higher, while the GeForce MX110 (3,834 avg, 1.3% delta) sits slightly below. The GTX 1050's nearest rivals include the GeForce GT 735M (3,616 avg, 0.4% delta), AMD Radeon HD 6770 (3,649 avg, -0.5% delta), and notably the RTX 5000 Mobile Ada Generation (3,596 avg, 0.9% delta), which shows how benchmark averages can flatten massive architectural differences.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two parts is profound. The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics is built on the GCN 2.0 architecture, specifically the Spectre SL chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It uses 2,410 million transistors across a 245 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 9.8 million per mm². The GTX 1050, in contrast, employs the Pascal architecture with the GP107 chip, manufactured on Samsung's 14 nm process. It packs 3,300 million transistors into a much smaller 132 mm² die, achieving 25.0 million transistors per mm² — over 2.5 times the density of the Radeon part.

Core configuration differences are equally dramatic. The Radeon R5 has 256 shading units, 16 texture mapping units (TMUs), and only 4 render output units (ROPs). The GTX 1050 fields 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. This translates to a pixel rate of 3.032 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 12.13 GTexel/s for the Radeon, versus 46.56 GPixel/s and 58.20 GTexel/s for the GTX 1050. The FP32 compute performance tells the same story: 388.1 GFLOPS for the Radeon R5 versus 1.862 TFLOPS for the GTX 1050 — a 4.8x difference.

Memory architecture is where the Radeon R5's integrated nature becomes its biggest limitation. The Radeon R5 uses system shared memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent" and a bus width of "System Shared." The GTX 1050 has dedicated 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 112.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 1050 also has explicit clock speeds: a 1354 MHz base clock, 1455 MHz boost, and 1752 MHz memory clock (7 Gbps effective), while the Radeon R5's clocks are tied to the host system.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics has a higher average benchmark score of 3,883 compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050's 3,629, despite the GTX 1050 winning every direct head-to-head comparison.

Q: How large is the performance gap in Vulkan compute?

A: In the Geekbench Vulkan test, the GTX 1050 scores 8,995 versus the Radeon R5's 2,582, representing a delta of -71.3% for the Radeon R5 — meaning the GTX 1050 is roughly 3.5 times faster in this workload.

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

A: The GTX 1050's GP107 chip has a transistor density of 25.0 million per mm² on a 14 nm process, while the Radeon R5's Spectre SL chip achieves 9.8 million per mm² on a 28 nm process — a 2.55x density advantage for the NVIDIA part.

Q: Does the Radeon R5 have any dedicated video memory?

A: No. The Radeon R5 Graphics uses system shared memory for both capacity and bandwidth, with memory type listed as "System Shared" and bandwidth described as "System Dependent."

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the GTX 1050?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 had a launch MSRP of 109 USD.

Q: Which GPU has a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The Radeon R5 Graphics sits in the 23rd percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 1050 sits in the 21st percentile, despite the GTX 1050's superior raw performance in direct comparisons.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon R5 Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | GCN 2.0 | Pascal |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | Samsung |

| Transistors | 2,410 million | 3,300 million |

| Die Size | 245 mm² | 132 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 9.8M / mm² | 25.0M / mm² |

| Shading Units | 256 | 640 |

| TMUs | 16 | 40 |

| ROPs | 4 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 3.032 GPixel/s | 46.56 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 12.13 GTexel/s | 58.20 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 388.1 GFLOPS | 1.862 TFLOPS |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 112.1 GB/s |

| TDP | 15 W | 75 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | None |

| Bus Interface | IGP | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Motherboard Dependent | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_0) | 12 (12_1) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.2.170 | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2014-09-16 | 2016-10-24 |

| Launch MSRP | None | 109 USD |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark data is limited to two tests, but both decisively favor the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050. In Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 1050 scores 15,233 against the Radeon R5's 5,183. The delta of -66% for the Radeon R5 means the GTX 1050 delivers roughly three times the OpenCL compute performance. This is consistent with the raw specification gap: the GTX 1050 has 2.5x more shading units (640 vs 256), 4.8x the FP32 throughput (1.862 TFLOPS vs 388.1 GFLOPS), and over 4.8x the pixel rate (46.56 GPixel/s vs 3.032 GPixel/s).

The Geekbench Vulkan result is even more lopsided. The GTX 1050 posts 8,995 points versus the Radeon R5's 2,582, a delta of -71.3%. Vulkan's lower-level API overhead tends to favor architectures with more dedicated compute resources, and the Pascal-based GP107 clearly benefits. The GTX 1050's 40 TMUs and 32 ROPs provide substantially more geometry and fill-rate headroom than the Radeon R5's 16 TMUs and 4 ROPs. Additionally, the GTX 1050's dedicated 112.1 GB/s GDDR5 bandwidth eliminates the memory contention that plagues shared-memory IGPs.

It is importantly despite losing both head-to-head tests, the Radeon R5's average benchmark score remains higher. This is because the Radeon R5's two benchmark results (5,183 and 2,582) average to 3,883, while the GTX 1050's 11 benchmark results include several low-scoring Passmark tests. For instance, the GTX 1050 scores just 20 in Passmark DirectX 12, 24 in DirectX 10, and 38 in DirectX 11, which drag down its overall average. The GTX 1050's Passmark G3D score of 5,028 and Geekbench Metal score of 7,823 are strong, but they cannot compensate for the low API-specific tests in the aggregate.

The performance tiering is unambiguous: the GTX 1050 is a dedicated gaming GPU with modern API support (DirectX 12_1, Vulkan 1.4) and dedicated GDDR5 memory, while the Radeon R5 is a low-power IGP (15 W TDP) intended for basic desktop tasks. The GTX 1050's 75 W TDP, dual-slot cooler, and PCIe 3.0 x16 interface reflect its discrete design, whereas the Radeon R5 draws power from the host processor and outputs through the motherboard. For any workload involving 3D rendering, GPU compute, or modern game APIs, the data overwhelmingly favors the GTX 1050. The Radeon R5's only advantage lies in its lower power footprint and the fact that it requires no additional hardware purchase beyond the APU itself.