NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Comparison

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and the GeForce GT 545 occupy very different corners of the database. The data shows a clear generational gap, with the newer Pascal-based card outperforming the older Fermi part in every measurable category. This analysis relies strictly on recorded benchmark scores and architectural specifications to determine which card holds up in 2016 terms and which remains a relic of an earlier era.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test. The results are decisive. The GTX 1050 Ti scores 18,129, while the GT 545 scores 3,594. This represents a delta of 404.4% in favor of the GTX 1050 Ti. In practical terms, this means the newer card delivers roughly five times the compute performance of the older model in this specific workload.

The margin is so large that the GT 545 does not directly compete with the GTX 1050 Ti in the database's nearest rivals list. Instead, the GT 545 sits alongside other low-end parts: it is within 0.1% of the NVIDIA RTX 5000 Mobile Ada Generation (which scores 3,596), 0.6% below the GeForce GT 735M (3,616), and 1% below the GeForce GTX 1050 (3,629). The GTX 1050 Ti, meanwhile, is grouped with a different class of hardware: it is 0.6% above the AMD Radeon R5 M330 (4,170), 1% above the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M (4,151), and only 1.1% below the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (4,241).

The average benchmark score tells a similar story. The GTX 1050 Ti has an average score of 4,193 across all recorded tests, placing it in the 25th percentile of all GPUs. The GT 545 has an average score of 3,594, which puts it in the 21st percentile. While both are low in the overall distribution, the GTX 1050 Ti's average is 16.7% higher than the GT 545's single recorded score. The GTX 1050 Ti also has a much wider benchmark profile, with scores ranging from 26 in the Passmark DirectX 12 test to 18,129 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the GT 545 only has a single Geekbench OpenCL entry.

Looking at specific workload types, the GTX 1050 Ti shows strength in older APIs. Its Passmark DirectX 9 score of 104 is notable, and its Passmark DirectX 11 score of 45 is 73% higher than its DirectX 12 score of 26. The GT 545 has no such granular data, so direct comparisons on those sub-tests are impossible. However, the OpenCL result alone provides a sufficient verdict: the GTX 1050 Ti is the clear winner, with a performance advantage that dwarfs any other comparison in this dataset.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two cards is vast, reflecting five years of GPU development. The GTX 1050 Ti uses the GP107 chip built on the Pascal architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process by Samsung. The GT 545 uses the GF116 chip based on the older Fermi 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 40 nm process by TSMC. The process node difference alone explains much of the efficiency and density gap: the GTX 1050 Ti packs 3,300 million transistors onto a 132 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 25.0M per mm². The GT 545 has only 1,170 million transistors on a much larger 238 mm² die, resulting in a density of just 4.9M per mm².

Shading units differ dramatically. The GTX 1050 Ti has 768 shading units, while the GT 545 has only 144. Texture mapping units are 48 versus 24, and render output units are 32 versus 16. These counts directly explain the computed throughput figures. The GTX 1050 Ti achieves a pixel rate of 44.54 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 66.82 GTexel/s. The GT 545 manages only 4.320 GPixel/s and 17.28 GTexel/s. In raw FP32 compute, the GTX 1050 Ti delivers 2.138 TFLOPS, which is over five times the GT 545's 414.7 GFLOPS. The GTX 1050 Ti also has a listed FP16 rate of 33.41 GFLOPS (at a 1:64 ratio), while the GT 545 has no FP16 capability recorded.

Memory architecture differs as well. The GTX 1050 Ti uses 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 112.1 GB/s. The GT 545 uses 1.5 GB (1536 MB) of DDR3 memory on a wider 192-bit bus, but the older memory type limits its bandwidth to just 38.40 GB/s. The effective memory clock is 7 Gbps for the GTX 1050 Ti versus 1.6 Gbps for the GT 545. Despite the narrower bus, the GTX 1050 Ti's bandwidth advantage is 192% higher, which is critical for modern textures and compute workloads.

API support also separates the two. The GTX 1050 Ti supports DirectX 12 with feature level 12_1, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The GT 545 lists DirectX 12 with feature level 11_0, OpenGL 4.6, and no Vulkan support. This means the GTX 1050 Ti can handle newer rendering paths and compute features that the GT 545 cannot. The bus interface differs too: PCIe 3.0 x16 for the GTX 1050 Ti versus PCIe 2.0 x16 for the GT 545, which affects data transfer rates with the host system.

Physical characteristics also differ. The GTX 1050 Ti is a dual-slot card with dimensions of 145 mm in length and 111 mm in height. The GT 545 is a single-slot card with the same 145 mm length but no recorded height. Both cards require no external power connectors, and both have a suggested PSU of 250 W. The TDP is nearly identical: 75 W for the GTX 1050 Ti and 70 W for the GT 545.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The GTX 1050 Ti is the superior product for any workload that can use its compute, memory bandwidth, or modern API features. Its 404.4% lead in the OpenCL benchmark is not a marginal difference; it is a category-level gap. The GTX 1050 Ti also has a higher average benchmark score (4,193 versus 3,594) and a higher percentile ranking (25th versus 21st). For users running discrete GPU compute tasks, DirectX 12 titles, or Vulkan applications, the GTX 1050 Ti is the only viable choice between these two.

The GT 545 should only be considered for legacy scenarios where its single-slot form factor or older API compatibility is a strict requirement. Its 192-bit memory bus and 1.5 GB of DDR3 are inadequate for modern game assets, and its lack of Vulkan support removes it from many current compute APIs. The GT 545's only advantage is its lower TDP (70 W versus 75 W), but that difference is negligible in practice. The database records no benchmark where the GT 545 wins, and its nearest rivals are all low-end parts that the GTX 1050 Ti outperforms by double-digit percentages.

For a system builder choosing between these two, the GTX 1050 Ti is the clear recommendation. It offers a 16.7% higher average benchmark score, a 192% higher memory bandwidth, and a 416% higher FP32 compute rate. The GT 545 is an end-of-life product with no recorded wins in any head-to-head comparison. The verdict, strictly from the data, is that the GTX 1050 Ti is a capable entry-level card for modern applications, while the GT 545 is a historical artifact best suited for retro or very low-demand tasks.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two cards in the database:

• Process node: 14 nm (GTX 1050 Ti) versus 40 nm (GT 545)
• Foundry: Samsung versus TSMC
• Transistors: 3,300 million versus 1,170 million
• Die size: 132 mm² versus 238 mm²
• Transistor density: 25.0M / mm² versus 4.9M / mm²
• Memory size: 4 GB versus 1536 MB
• Memory type: GDDR5 versus DDR3
• Memory bus width: 128 bit versus 192 bit
• Memory bandwidth: 112.1 GB/s versus 38.40 GB/s
• Memory clock: 1752 MHz (7 Gbps effective) versus 800 MHz (1600 Mbps effective)
• Shading units: 768 versus 144
• TMUs: 48 versus 24
• ROPs: 32 versus 16
• Pixel rate: 44.54 GPixel/s versus 4.320 GPixel/s
• Texture rate: 66.82 GTexel/s versus 17.28 GTexel/s
• FP32 compute: 2.138 TFLOPS versus 414.7 GFLOPS
• FP16 compute: 33.41 GFLOPS (1:64) versus not listed
• TDP: 75 W versus 70 W
• Slot width: Dual-slot versus Single-slot
• Height: 111 mm versus not listed
• Bus interface: PCIe 3.0 x16 versus PCIe 2.0 x16
• Display outputs: 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a versus 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, 1x VGA
• DirectX support: 12 (12_1) versus 12 (11_0)
• Vulkan support: 1.4 versus not listed
• Release date: 2016-10-24 versus 2011-05-13
• Launch MSRP: 139 USD versus 149 USD

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in compute workloads?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti is significantly faster. In the only shared benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 18,129 versus the GT 545's 3,594, a delta of 404.4% in favor of the GTX 1050 Ti.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti has an average benchmark score of 4,193, while the GT 545 has an average score of 3,594. The GTX 1050 Ti also ranks in the 25th percentile of all GPUs, compared to the GT 545's 21st percentile.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti has a memory bandwidth of 112.1 GB/s using GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus. The GT 545 has 38.40 GB/s using DDR3 on a 192-bit bus. The GTX 1050 Ti's bandwidth is 192% higher despite the narrower bus.

Q: Does the GT 545 support modern APIs?

A: The GT 545 supports DirectX 12 with feature level 11_0 and OpenGL 4.6, but it has no Vulkan support. The GTX 1050 Ti supports DirectX 12 with feature level 12_1, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which card uses less power?

A: The GT 545 has a TDP of 70 W, which is 5 W lower than the GTX 1050 Ti's 75 W. Both cards require no external power connectors and have a suggested PSU of 250 W.

Q: What are the release dates of these cards?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti was released on 2016-10-24, while the GT 545 was released on 2011-05-13. Both are now marked as end-of-life in the database.