AMD Radeon R9 290 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050

The AMD Radeon R9 290 is the faster graphics card, scoring 12/100 on our gaming benchmark versus 10/100 for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 — roughly 20% faster. If your budget allows, the AMD Radeon R9 290 is the better long-term choice.

Winner

AMD Radeon R9 290

12
Gaming score / 100
Check AMD Radeon R9 290 price

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NVIDIA

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050

10
Gaming score / 100
Check NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 price

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Specs compared

SpecAMD Radeon R9 290NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
Gaming score12/10010/100
VRAM4 GB2 GB
Memory typeGDDR5GDDR5
TDP275 W75 W
Boost clock947 MHz1455 MHz
ReleaseNov 2013Oct 2016
MSRP$59.00$99.00

AMD Radeon R9 290 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050: which should you buy?

The AMD Radeon R9 290 is the faster graphics card, scoring 12/100 on our gaming benchmark versus 10/100 for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 — roughly 20% faster. If your budget allows, the AMD Radeon R9 290 is the better long-term choice. For your specific games and resolution, run both through our comparison tool, check pairing with the bottleneck calculator, or see where each lands on the tier list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the AMD Radeon R9 290 better than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050?
The AMD Radeon R9 290 is faster for gaming, scoring 12/100 versus 10/100 for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (about 20% faster).

Should I buy the AMD Radeon R9 290 or the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050?
For raw gaming performance, choose the AMD Radeon R9 290. If it costs notably more for only a small gain, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 can be the better value. Check current prices before deciding.

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