The AMD Radeon RX 9050, an entry-level graphics card based on AMD's RDNA 4 architecture, has undergone benchmark comparisons against the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050. The RX 9050 is the cheapest RDNA 4 GPU from AMD and is available in 4 GB and 8 GB variants, while the entry-level RTX 5050 features 8 GB of VRAM.
Benchmark tests, attributed by Tom's Hardware to the Japanese outlet GDM though other sources identify the outlet as Hermita, indicate the RX 9050 lags behind the RTX 5050 in most gaming scenarios. In most games, the RX 9050 was reported as 20-30% slower than the RTX 5050, with specific averages reaching 31% at 1080p, 34% at 1440p, and 42% at 4K.
The reported average performance gap at 4K resolution between the RX 9050 and the RTX 5050.
Synthetic benchmarks, including 3DMark Speed Way, Port Royal, Steel Nomad, and Fire Strike, showed a performance difference. In 3DMark Port Royal, the RTX 5050 scored 6,181 points compared to 4,531 points for the RX 9050. In 3DMark Time Spy, the RX 9050 trailed the RTX 5050 by approximately 500 points, which was noted as the smallest gap between the two cards.
Gaming performance and title specifics
In Final Fantasy XIV: Golden Legacy at 1080p, the RX 9050 trailed the RTX 5050 by 23%, with some reports placing the slowdown between 23% and 27%. In Onimusha, the RTX 5050 was reported as almost twice as fast as the RX 9050. Across non-DOOM games, the RX 9050 lost to the RTX 5050 at every tested resolution and preset.
Reports on specific titles vary. In Apex Legends, the RX 9050 delivered nearly 26-30% lower FPS than the RTX 5050, though other reports suggest the GPUs matched at 64 FPS at 4K Ultra+ settings. In Rainbow Six Siege X, the RX 9050 was 20% slower than the RTX 5050, though it was also reported that both GPUs matched at 4K Ultra+ settings.
The performance gap was largest on Medium presets and narrowed on Ultra settings. Tom's Hardware reported the biggest gaming performance difference at 1440p medium, where the RTX 5050 reached 150 FPS and the RX 9050 reached 125 FPS. In 1080p gaming tests, the RTX 5050 provided a smoother experience, while the RX 9050 experienced noticeable frame loss at similar settings.
DOOM: The Dark Ages discrepancy
Results for DOOM: The Dark Ages are disputed. One report states the RX 9050 beat the RTX 5050 at higher resolutions in all settings. However, Wccftech excluded this title from its comparison because the NVIDIA card supports multi-frame generation up to 6x, while the RX 9050's FSR frame generation is limited to 2x, a factor that puts the RTX 5050 ahead.
Power, efficiency, and pricing
The RX 9050 draws approximately 8 watts less than the RTX 5050 while idling and approximately 35 watts less under heavy load. The card is described as running cool and quiet, and is noted as being suitable for small-form-factor (SFF) builds. The 4 GB variant of the RX 9050 is limited to OEMs.
AMD set an official price of $279 for the RX 9050, while the RTX 5050 is sold for approximately $300. Despite the higher price, the RTX 5050 has faced criticism for poor value.
Tom's Hardware noted that these benchmark results are preliminary and come from a single outlet. The test bench utilized a Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU, an ASRock Challenger RX 9050, and a Gigabyte Windforce OC RTX 5050. Regarding the product lineup, Wccftech described the RX 9050 as the worst card in the RX 9000 series, while Tom's Hardware stated the card is fine for 1080p gaming but disappointing against the RTX 5050.
