GeForce GTX 1050 vs GeForce GTX 970: specs and benchmark comparison
Short verdict
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 leads in every scenario with comparable benchmarks: rendering and compute. This does not imply an advantage in tasks without benchmarks.
Compare with AIRendering and compute
B +134.8%NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 leads in this scenario (up to 134.8% in comparable benchmarks).
No comparable benchmarks yet: gaming: rasterization, gaming: ray tracing, power efficiency.
Advantages
Only measured and rated values: a noticeable benchmark gap and specs where more is better.
Where GeForce GTX 1050 is better2
Board power 73 W lower75 W (TDP) vs 148 W (TDP)
Launch price $220 lower$109 vs $329
Where GeForce GTX 970 is better2
Blender Benchmark 2.93.1 134.8% lower114 s vs 269 s
Blender Benchmark 4.5.0 46.8% faster255 samples/min vs 174 samples/min
Benchmarks
Results are compared within one benchmark, one version and the same conditions.
- B ahead by 134.8%
Blender Benchmark 2.93.1
GPU, bmw27 (CUDA) · s, lower is better
GeForce GTX 1050268.6 sGeForce GTX 970114.4 sPosition among tested models (31, CUDA)
B · 114A · 2690100200300Each dot is one model’s median in this benchmark. The scale starts at zero, s. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 is ahead by 134.8% in this benchmark.
About the measurement and source
- A · NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
268.6 s · community measurement, sample 28 · November 14, 2026
Blender Open Data (Blender Foundation)
Median of 28 submissions (0 outliers excluded), interquartile range 244.17–271.98; submissions 2021-08-01 to 2022-02-28; CUDA backend. Snapshot 2026-11-14.
- B · NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
114.4 s · community measurement, sample 24 · November 14, 2026
Blender Open Data (Blender Foundation)
Median of 24 submissions (0 outliers excluded), interquartile range 110.31–115.83; submissions 2021-07-15 to 2022-02-28; CUDA backend. Snapshot 2026-11-14.
difference = |A − B| ÷ the smaller value × 100%. The 5% noticeable threshold is a UX heuristic, not statistical significance.
Render time of a single Cycles scene without synchronization. Median of submissions after filtering.
- B ahead by 46.8%
Blender Benchmark 4.5.0
GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) · samples/min, higher is better
GeForce GTX 1050173.5 samples/minGeForce GTX 970254.8 samples/minPosition among tested models (67, OptiX)
A · 174B · 25505,00010,00015,000Each dot is one model’s median in this benchmark. The scale starts at zero, samples/min. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 is ahead by 46.8% in this benchmark.
About the measurement and source
- A · NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
173.5 samples/min · community measurement, sample 34 · November 14, 2026
Blender Open Data (Blender Foundation)
Median of 34 submissions (2 outliers excluded), interquartile range 139.66–178.9; submissions 2025-07-22 to 2026-02-09; OPTIX backend. Snapshot 2026-11-14.
- B · NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
254.8 samples/min · community measurement, sample 22 · November 14, 2026
Blender Open Data (Blender Foundation)
Median of 22 submissions (0 outliers excluded), interquartile range 247.96–284.19; submissions 2025-07-22 to 2026-07-11; OPTIX backend. Snapshot 2026-11-14.
difference = |A − B| ÷ the smaller value × 100%. The 5% noticeable threshold is a UX heuristic, not statistical significance.
Cycles render in Blender Benchmark. Median of the sum of samples per minute over three scenes after removing outliers.
Other comparable benchmarks (4)
| Benchmark | A | B | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blender Benchmark 2.82GPU, bmw27 (CUDA) | 309.3 | 141.2 | B +119.1% |
| Blender Benchmark 2.83GPU, bmw27 (CUDA) | 311.9 | 152.5 | B +104.6% |
| Blender Benchmark 2.90GPU, bmw27 (CUDA) | 336.8 | 149 | B +125.9% |
| Blender Benchmark 4.4.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 162 | 250.9 | B +54.9% |
Each benchmark version has its own scale: numbers are compared only within a row.
Reference results (104)
| Benchmark | A | B | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blender Benchmark 2.81GPU, barbershop_interior (CUDA) | 2,622.5 | 1,843.1 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.81GPU, bmw27 (CUDA) | 272.7 | 146.8 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.81aGPU, bmw27 (CUDA) | 307.6 | 144.6 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.91.2GPU, bmw27 (CUDA) | 321.8 | 165.1 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.92GPU, bmw27 (CUDA) | 315.4 | 179.3 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.90GPU, bmw27 (OPTIX) | 326.9 | 166.6 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.91.2GPU, bmw27 (OPTIX) | 351.1 | 167.4 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.92GPU, bmw27 (OPTIX) | 347.1 | 162.3 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.93.1GPU, bmw27 (OPTIX) | 327.6 | 157.1 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.81GPU, classroom (CUDA) | 952.6 | 475.9 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.81aGPU, classroom (CUDA) | 912.7 | 480 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.82GPU, classroom (CUDA) | 922.4 | 473.5 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.83GPU, classroom (CUDA) | 934.3 | 482.6 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.90GPU, classroom (CUDA) | 950.5 | 482.4 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.91.2GPU, classroom (CUDA) | 834 | 458.5 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.92GPU, classroom (CUDA) | 908.8 | 475.4 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.93.1GPU, classroom (CUDA) | 826.2 | 402.7 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.90GPU, classroom (OPTIX) | 1,133.1 | 673.3 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.92GPU, classroom (OPTIX) | 1,103.1 | 667.8 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.93.1GPU, classroom (OPTIX) | 1,158.6 | 605.8 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.81GPU, fishy_cat (CUDA) | 642 | 314.6 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.81aGPU, fishy_cat (CUDA) | 619.6 | 312.1 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.82GPU, fishy_cat (CUDA) | 636.3 | 309.2 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.83GPU, fishy_cat (CUDA) | 638.6 | 310.9 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.90GPU, fishy_cat (CUDA) | 654 | 303.2 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.92GPU, fishy_cat (CUDA) | 598 | 365.2 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.93.1GPU, fishy_cat (CUDA) | 614.7 | 365 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.90GPU, fishy_cat (OPTIX) | 651.1 | 452.8 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.92GPU, fishy_cat (OPTIX) | 644.2 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.93.1GPU, fishy_cat (OPTIX) | 714.7 | 392.5 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.81GPU, koro (CUDA) | 1,086.1 | 666.3 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.81aGPU, koro (CUDA) | 1,051.1 | 673.6 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.82GPU, koro (CUDA) | 1,070 | 645.5 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.83GPU, koro (CUDA) | 991 | 862.4 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.90GPU, koro (CUDA) | 909.7 | 558.8 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.92GPU, koro (CUDA) | 1,038.8 | 714.1 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.93.1GPU, koro (CUDA) | 938.8 | 619.8 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.90GPU, koro (OPTIX) | 825.9 | 535.2 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.92GPU, koro (OPTIX) | 1,123.1 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.93.1GPU, koro (OPTIX) | 842.9 | 419.4 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.81GPU, pavillon_barcelona (CUDA) | 1,647.4 | 773.7 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.81aGPU, pavillon_barcelona (CUDA) | 1,583.4 | 782.3 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.82GPU, pavillon_barcelona (CUDA) | 1,617.4 | 761.3 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.83GPU, pavillon_barcelona (CUDA) | 1,548.7 | 803.2 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.90GPU, pavillon_barcelona (CUDA) | 1,540.2 | 784 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.92GPU, pavillon_barcelona (CUDA) | 1,737.3 | 927.5 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.93.1GPU, pavillon_barcelona (CUDA) | 1,351.8 | 689.5 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.90GPU, pavillon_barcelona (OPTIX) | 1,866.9 | 1,050.6 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.92GPU, pavillon_barcelona (OPTIX) | 1,848.7 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.93.1GPU, pavillon_barcelona (OPTIX) | 1,958.1 | 903.5 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.81GPU, victor (CUDA) | 12,147.5 | 3,321.1 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.81aGPU, victor (CUDA) | 11,497.6 | 5,776.8 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.82GPU, victor (CUDA) | 12,940.3 | 3,504.1 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.83GPU, victor (CUDA) | 11,171.9 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.90GPU, victor (CUDA) | 31,537.3 | 9,949 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.92GPU, victor (CUDA) | 9,443.5 | 3,277.2 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.93.1GPU, victor (CUDA) | 34,426.4 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.90GPU, victor (OPTIX) | 4,853.3 | 3,604.7 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.93.1GPU, victor (OPTIX) | 4,712.5 | 2,414.8 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 3.0.1GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (CUDA) | 217.3 | 363.4 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 3.1.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (CUDA) | 204.4 | 342 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 3.2.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (CUDA) | 152.1 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 3.2.1GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (CUDA) | 210.3 | 335.6 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 3.3.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (CUDA) | 207.3 | 333.3 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 3.4.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (CUDA) | 203.2 | 320 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 3.5.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (CUDA) | 205 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 3.6.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (CUDA) | 212.7 | 447.6 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 4.0.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (CUDA) | 202.6 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 4.1.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (CUDA) | 180.7 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 4.2.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (CUDA) | 169.2 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 4.3.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (CUDA) | 199.4 | 310.5 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 4.5.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (CUDA) | 224.4 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 5.2.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (CUDA) | 136.5 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 4.2.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 155.9 | 268.8 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 5.1.1GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 121.9 | 218.9 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 5.2.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 142.1 | 244 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 3.0.1GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 197.8 | 333.4 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 3.1.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 173.8 | 302.6 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 3.1.2GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 181.2 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 3.2.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 183.4 | 286.9 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 3.2.1GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 162.7 | 306.3 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 3.3.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 169.3 | 276 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 3.4.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 163.1 | 277.8 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 3.5.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 162.9 | 327.6 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 3.6.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 179.5 | 301.1 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 4.0.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 166.4 | 288.9 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 4.1.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 162.3 | 258.9 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 4.3.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 174.9 | 247.1 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 5.0.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 130 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 5.1.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 137.1 | 249 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 2.81aGPU, barbershop_interior (CUDA) | — | 1,839.1 | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.90.1GPU, bmw27 (CUDA) | — | 149.8 | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.90.1GPU, classroom (CUDA) | — | 487.8 | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.91.2GPU, classroom (OPTIX) | — | 617.5 | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.90.1GPU, fishy_cat (CUDA) | — | 303.8 | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.91.2GPU, fishy_cat (CUDA) | — | 343.7 | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.91.2GPU, fishy_cat (OPTIX) | — | 348 | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.91.2GPU, koro (CUDA) | — | 516.5 | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.91.2GPU, koro (OPTIX) | — | 443.9 | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.91.2GPU, pavillon_barcelona (CUDA) | — | 830 | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.91.2GPU, pavillon_barcelona (OPTIX) | — | 939.8 | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.91.2GPU, victor (CUDA) | — | 9,881.1 | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 2.91.2GPU, victor (OPTIX) | — | 2,482 | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 5.1.1GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (CUDA) | — | 251.5 | no pair |
Each benchmark version has its own scale: numbers are compared only within a row.
Specifications
| Specification | A · GeForce GTX 1050 | B · GeForce GTX 970 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chip | |||
| GPU chip | no data | GM204-200-A1 | no data for A |
| Architecture | Pascal | Maxwell | differs |
| Shader unitsShader unit counts are comparable only within one architecture. | no data | 1,664 (CUDA cores) | no data for A |
| Clocks | |||
| Base clock | no data | 1,050 MHz | no data for A |
| Boost clockClocks of different architectures do not reflect performance directly. For laptop chips, the clock depends on the laptop’s power limit. | no data | 1,178 MHz | no data for A |
| Memory | |||
| Video memory | no data | 4 GB | no data for A |
| Memory type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 | equal |
| Memory bus | no data | 256 bit | no data for A |
| Memory bandwidthExcludes cache (Infinity Cache / L2), which affects effective bandwidth differently. | no data | 224.4 GB/s | no data for A |
| Power and dimensions | |||
| Board powerTGP (NVIDIA) and TBP (AMD/Intel) are calculated differently; higher is not better. For laptops, the chip maker sets the range and the laptop maker picks the value, so the same chip behaves differently in different laptops. | 75 W (TDP) | 148 W (TDP) | B: 73 W higher |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | no data | no data for B |
Chip
GPU chip
Ano data
BGM204-200-A1
no data for AArchitecture
APascal
BMaxwell
differsShader units
Ano data
B1,664 (CUDA cores)
no data for AShader unit counts are comparable only within one architecture.
Clocks
Base clock
Ano data
B1,050 MHz
no data for ABoost clock
Ano data
B1,178 MHz
no data for AClocks of different architectures do not reflect performance directly. For laptop chips, the clock depends on the laptop’s power limit.
Memory
Video memory
Ano data
B4 GB
no data for AMemory type
AGDDR5
BGDDR5
equalMemory bus
Ano data
B256 bit
no data for AMemory bandwidth
Ano data
B224.4 GB/s
no data for AExcludes cache (Infinity Cache / L2), which affects effective bandwidth differently.
Power and dimensions
Board power
A75 W (TDP)
B148 W (TDP)
B: 73 W higherTGP (NVIDIA) and TBP (AMD/Intel) are calculated differently; higher is not better. For laptops, the chip maker sets the range and the laptop maker picks the value, so the same chip behaves differently in different laptops.
Interface
APCIe 3.0 x16
Bno data
no data for B
“More” does not always mean “better”: higher power draw or size is a system requirement, not an advantage (such bars are dimmed).
Compare with AI
An AI model reviews the specs and benchmarks of this pair and gives a plain-language verdict on who each model suits.
Questions and answers
Which is faster: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970?
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 leads in every scenario with comparable benchmarks: rendering and compute. This does not imply an advantage in tasks without benchmarks.
See also
Data sources (2)
- Wikipedia (English) — specifications of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, specifications of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, release date and launch pricechecked November 14, 2026
- Blender Open Data (Blender Foundation) — benchmark Blender Benchmark 2.81, benchmark Blender Benchmark 2.81a, benchmark Blender Benchmark 2.82, benchmark Blender Benchmark 2.83, benchmark Blender Benchmark 2.90, benchmark Blender Benchmark 2.91.2, benchmark Blender Benchmark 2.92, benchmark Blender Benchmark 2.93.1, benchmark Blender Benchmark 2.90.1, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.0.1, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.1.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.2.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.2.1, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.3.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.4.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.5.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.6.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.0.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.1.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.2.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.3.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.5.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 5.2.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 5.1.1, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.1.2, benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.4.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 5.0.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 5.1.0checked November 14, 2026
How we compare: methodology. Where the data comes from: sources.