GeForce GTX 1050 and Radeon RX 460 are the mid-range graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD respectively. These graphics cards are very popular among gamers because they are powerful enough to run latest games at decent graphics settings at 1080p and are not expensive either. Both these cards compete against each other in the same price range and performance segment. This makes it very hard for users to decide on which card to get, so here I am going to make a complete comparison between GeForce GTX 1050 and Radeon RX 460 graphics cards.
GeForce GTX 1050 vs AMD Radeon RX 460
Here is a comparison of GeForce GTX 1050 and Radeon RX 460 Graphics Cards based on their specifications and performance in gaming.
GPU Architecture
GeForce GTX 1050 is based on the latest Pascal GPU architecture from Nvidia and comes with 640 CUDA Cores whereas Radeon RX 460 is based on the latest Polaris GPU architecture from AMD and comes with 896 Stream Processors. Both these graphics cards are built on the 14nm fabrication process. CUDA Cores and Stream Processors have different working and processing power so they should not be equated on the basis of their number or quantity.
Must Read: CUDA Cores vs Stream Processors
Memory
GeForce GTX 1050 comes with 2GB GDDR5 memory whereas Radeon RX 460 comes in both 2GB and 4GB GDDR5 memory variants. The memory interface in both these graphics cards is 128-bits. The memory clock speed may vary depending on the graphics card manufacturer but it is generally at around 7000 MHz for both these graphics cards.
Features
Both GeForce GTX 1050 and Radeon RX 460 support all the latest graphics APIs that include DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5 and Vulkan. GeForce GTX 1050 does not support SLI dual-GPU setup but Radeon RX 460 does support dual-GPU setup which is known as CrossFire from AMD.
GeForce GTX 1050 supports G-Sync and Radeon RX 460 supports FreeSync. G-Sync and Free-Sync are variable refresh rate technologies from Nvidia and AMD respectively that prevent screen tearing and stuttering in games.
Gaming Performance
The performance of GTX 1050 and RX 460 is almost similar and both have their ups and downs in different games. In DX11 games or mode, GTX 1050 is a bit faster than Radeon RX 460 but in DX12 & Vulkan games and benchmarks, RX 460 is on the topmost of the time. Also, the 4GB video memory in Radeon RX 460 will help in modern games that demand a huge amount of video memory. Both GTX 1050 and RX 460 graphics cards are meant for 1080p gaming only and they can even run the latest and heavy demanding games at medium graphics settings.
Some Gaming Benchmarks for GTX 1050 and RX 460
| Ultra / Very High Settings @ 1080p | GeForce GTX 1050 | Radeon RX 460 |
| Doom (2016) @ Vulkan | 38 FPS | 65 FPS |
| Hitman (2016) @ DirectX 12 | 24 FPS | 37 FPS |
| GTA V @ DirectX 11 | 58 FPS | 43 FPS |
| Far Cry Primal @ DirectX 11 | 44 FPS | 34 FPS |
Power Consumption
Both these cards consume less power and their power consumption is at around 75 Watts. Both these graphics cards come with or without a 6-pin PCI-Express power connector depending on the manufacturer. Overall they are not power-hungry and require a good 300W to 400W PSU for their working.
Price
In terms of pricing Radeon, RX 460 is considerably cheaper than the GTX 1050 if we compare the 2GB variant of these cards. The price of the 4GB version of Radeon RX 460 can be slightly higher than GTX 1050.
GTX 1050 vs RX 460 Specifications
| Specifications | GeForce GTX 1050 | Radeon RX 460 |
| CUDA Cores / Stream Processors | 640 | 896 |
| GPU Architecture | Pascal | Polaris |
| Memory Size | 2GB GDDR5 | 2GB / 4GB GDDR5 |
| Memory Interface | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 112 GB/s | 112GB/s |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 3.0 | PCI Express 3.0 |
| DirectX | 12 | 12 |
| OpenGL | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Vulkan API | Yes | Yes |
| SLI / CrossFire | No | Yes |
| VR Ready | No | No |
| G-Sync / FreeSync | G-Sync | FreeSync |
| Power Consumption | 75W | <=75W |
| Recommended PSU | 300W | 300W |
See also:
- GTX 1060 vs RX 480 Comparison
- GTX 1050 Ti vs RX 470 Comparison
- RX 560 vs GTX 1050 vs GTX 1050 Ti Comparison
- Radeon RX 560 vs RX 460 Comparison
Final Verdict
In the end, I would like to say that both GTX 1050 and RX 460 are true value for money cards for gaming on a budget. These cards are powerful enough to run modern games at 1080p and also they consume less power. GeForce GTX 1050 is a bit faster than Radeon RX 460 in older versions of APIs i.e. DX11 and OpenGL but in DX12 and Vulkan I would prefer to have Radeon RX 460 on my side. Another advantage of RX 460 is that it also comes in 4GB memory variant whereas you can find GTX 1050 with 2GB memory only, which can seem somewhat low considering the fact the upcoming games will have higher video memory requirements. If you have any doubts or queries regarding these budget graphics cards then feel free to ask me by leaving a comment below.
My Pick: Radeon RX 460 4GB
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