NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 represent two distinct eras of budget-oriented graphics hardware, separated by three generations of architecture. The benchmark data shows a decisive victory for the newer GTX 1050, which wins all three head-to-head tests by substantial margins. In Geekbench Metal, the GTX 1050 scores 7,823 against the GTX 650's 2,400, a 69.3% advantage. The OpenCL gap is even wider, with the GTX 1050 posting 15,233 versus 4,545, a 70.2% lead. The Vulkan result is comparatively closer but still lopsided, as the GTX 1050's 8,995 beats the GTX 650's 4,524 by 49.7%. These are not incremental improvements; the GTX 1050 roughly triples the GTX 650's compute performance in OpenCL and more than doubles it in Metal.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is in Geekbench OpenCL, where the GTX 1050's score of 15,233 dwarfs the GTX 650's 4,545. This 70.2% delta represents more than a 3.3x raw performance increase, which aligns with the substantial architectural leap between Kepler and Pascal. The GTX 650's 384 shading units and 812.5 GFLOPS FP32 throughput are simply outclassed by the GTX 1050's 640 shading units and 1.862 TFLOPS. In real-world terms, this means compute-heavy workloads like video encoding, physics simulations, or OpenCL-accelerated applications will see dramatic speedups on the newer card.

Geekbench Metal tells a similar story, though with a slightly smaller delta. The GTX 1050 scores 7,823, which is 69.3% higher than the GTX 650's 2,400. Metal is Apple's graphics API, and while both cards support it, the GTX 1050's newer architecture and higher memory bandwidth (112.1 GB/s vs. 80.00 GB/s) give it a clear edge. The GTX 650's 1,024 MB of VRAM is also a limiting factor here, as modern Metal workloads often exceed 1 GB of frame buffer usage.

The Vulkan benchmark shows the smallest relative gap of the three, but it is still a decisive win for the GTX 1050. Its score of 8,995 is 49.7% higher than the GTX 650's 4,524. Vulkan is a low-overhead API that benefits from driver maturity and hardware features; the GTX 1050's Pascal architecture supports Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 650 is limited to 1.2.175. This version difference, combined with the GTX 1050's higher pixel rate (46.56 GPixel/s vs. 8.464 GPixel/s), explains why the newer card excels in Vulkan-based games and applications.

Across all three benchmarks, the GTX 1050 wins 3 out of 3. The GTX 650 has zero wins in this head-to-head comparison. It is worth remembering the GTX 1050's average benchmark score of 3,629 is actually lower than the GTX 650's 3,823, but this is because the average includes a broader set of tests beyond the three shared head-to-head metrics. The GTX 1050's PassMark G3D score of 5,028 and G2D score of 457 are strong, while its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 122 and PassMark DX9 score of 83 indicate specific workload strengths.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The GTX 650 has a higher average benchmark score at 3,823, compared to the GTX 1050's 3,629. However, this average includes different test suites; the GTX 1050 has more total benchmarks recorded, including multiple PassMark tests, which skew the average downward relative to the GTX 650's three Geekbench results.

Q: How do the two cards compare in terms of memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 1050 has 112.1 GB/s of bandwidth, which is 40% higher than the GTX 650's 80.00 GB/s. Both use a 128-bit memory bus, but the GTX 1050's 7 Gbps effective GDDR5 speed versus the GTX 650's 5 Gbps effective speed accounts for the difference.

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

A: The GTX 1050's GP107 chip has a transistor density of 25.0M per mm², more than double the GTX 650's GK106 at 11.5M per mm². This is a direct result of the 14 nm process (Samsung) versus 28 nm (TSMC), allowing the GTX 1050 to pack 3,300 million transistors into a smaller 132 mm² die, while the GTX 650 uses 2,540 million transistors on a larger 221 mm² die.

Q: Which card supports a newer version of DirectX?

A: The GTX 1050 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the GTX 650 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0). This means the GTX 1050 can utilize more advanced DX12 features, such as higher-tier resource binding and better multi-threaded command recording.

Q: What are the power connector requirements?

A: The GTX 650 requires a single 6-pin power connector, while the GTX 1050 has no power connectors at all. Both cards have a 250 W suggested PSU, but the GTX 1050 draws its power entirely from the PCIe slot, simplifying installation.

Q: How do their pixel rates compare?

A: The GTX 1050's pixel rate is 46.56 GPixel/s, which is 5.5 times higher than the GTX 650's 8.464 GPixel/s. This is driven by the GTX 1050's 32 ROPs versus 16 ROPs, plus its higher clock speeds.

Architecture Differences

The GTX 650 is built on NVIDIA's Kepler architecture (chip GK106), fabricated on TSMC's 28 nm process. The GTX 1050 uses the Pascal architecture (chip GP107), manufactured by Samsung on a 14 nm process. This process shrink is the fundamental enabler of the GTX 1050's advantages: it packs 3,300 million transistors into a 132 mm² die, achieving a density of 25.0M transistors per mm². The GTX 650, by contrast, has 2,540 million transistors on a 221 mm² die, with a density of just 11.5M per mm². The smaller, denser chip allows for higher clock speeds without exceeding a similar thermal envelope.

The GTX 1050's Pascal architecture brings several feature-level improvements. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1), whereas the GTX 650 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0), meaning the newer card can handle more sophisticated rendering techniques. Vulkan support also improves, with the GTX 1050 supporting version 1.4 versus the GTX 650's 1.2.175. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6, so that is not a differentiator. The GTX 1050 also has a base clock of 1354 MHz and a boost clock of 1455 MHz, while the GTX 650 has no listed base or boost clocks in the data, only a memory clock of 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective). This clock speed disparity, combined with the GTX 1050's 640 shading units versus 384, explains the massive compute performance gap.

Memory architecture also differs. The GTX 1050 offers 2 GB of GDDR5 versus the GTX 650's 1 GB, and its memory runs at 1752 MHz (7 Gbps effective) versus 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective). Both use a 128-bit bus, but the higher speed yields 112.1 GB/s versus 80.00 GB/s. The GTX 1050's texture rate of 58.20 GTexel/s is 72% higher than the GTX 650's 33.86 GTexel/s, and its pixel rate of 46.56 GPixel/s is 5.5 times higher.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ on nearly every measurable specification. The GTX 1050 has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 32 ROPs; the GTX 650 has 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The GTX 1050's FP32 performance is 1.862 TFLOPS, more than double the GTX 650's 812.5 GFLOPS. The GTX 1050 also lists FP16 performance at 29.10 GFLOPS (1:64 ratio), while the GTX 650 has no FP16 data. Memory capacity doubles from 1,024 MB to 2 GB, and bandwidth increases by 40%.

Physical differences are notable as well. The GTX 650 is a single-slot card measuring 147 mm (5.8 inches) in length, while the GTX 1050 is a dual-slot card at 145 mm (5.7 inches) long and 111 mm (4.4 inches) high. The GTX 650 requires a 1x 6-pin power connector; the GTX 1050 uses none. Both have a 65 W and 75 W TDP respectively, and both have a 250 W suggested PSU. Display outputs differ: the GTX 650 has 1x DVI and 2x DisplayPort 1.2, while the GTX 1050 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a. The GTX 1050 supports newer display standards, allowing for higher refresh rates and resolutions.

The GTX 1050 has a launch MSRP of 109 USD. Production status is end-of-life for both. Release dates are separated by nearly three years: the GTX 650 launched on 2013-11-26, and the GTX 1050 on 2016-10-24. The GTX 650's predecessor is the GeForce 500 series, with the GeForce 700 as its successor; the GTX 1050's predecessor is GeForce 900, with GeForce 20 as its successor.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 1050 wins every shared benchmark, so the use-case split is straightforward. If you need compute performance, the GTX 1050 is the only choice. Its OpenCL score of 15,233 is 3.35x higher than the GTX 650's 4,545, making it far better suited for GPU-accelerated tasks like rendering, scientific computing, or any OpenCL-heavy application. The Vulkan score of 8,995 versus 4,524 means modern games using Vulkan will run significantly better on the GTX 1050, especially at higher settings where its 2 GB VRAM and higher bandwidth prevent frame buffer overflows.

The GTX 650's only "win" is its higher average benchmark score of 3,823 versus 3,629, but this is misleading because it is based on a smaller set of tests (three Geekbench runs) compared to the GTX 1050's eleven recorded benchmarks, which include lower-scoring PassMark DX9 and DX10 tests. In any practical gaming or compute scenario, the GTX 1050 outperforms the GTX 650 by a wide margin. The GTX 650's single-slot design and lower 65 W TDP might appeal to ultra-compact builds, but its 1 GB VRAM and 8.464 GPixel/s pixel rate are severe limitations for anything beyond light 2D workloads. The GTX 1050's dual-slot cooler and 75 W TDP are still modest, and its lack of external power connectors makes it easier to install in pre-built systems with weak power supplies.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the GTX 1050 is the superior card in every shared benchmark, winning 3 out of 3 head-to-head tests. Its 640 shading units, 2 GB VRAM, 112.1 GB/s bandwidth, and 1.862 TFLOPS FP32 performance represent a generational leap over the GTX 650's 384 shading units, 1 GB VRAM, 80.00 GB/s bandwidth, and 812.5 GFLOPS. The 14 nm Pascal architecture is more efficient and feature-rich, supporting DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 650 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175.

If you are choosing between these two for a build, the GTX 1050 is the clear pick for any modern workload. Its 2 GB frame buffer is the minimum for current games, and its compute performance is 3.3x higher in OpenCL. The GTX 650's only advantages are its single-slot form factor, lower 65 W TDP, and lower transistor count, but none of these translate to real performance benefits. The GTX 1050's 109 USD launch MSRP reflects its position as an entry-level card, but it offers roughly triple the compute throughput of the older card. For anyone upgrading from a GTX 650, the GTX 1050 delivers a transformative performance increase that justifies the generational jump. For a new build, the GTX 650 is simply not competitive, as its 22nd percentile ranking versus the GTX 1050's 21st percentile (out of all GPUs) shows both are near the bottom, but the GTX 1050 does so with far more headroom in memory and API support.