Home

 › 

Reviews

 › 

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 2GB: Full Review

Nvidia GeForce RTX

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 2GB: Full Review

While most gaming laptops have powerful components, they are often tuned down for thermal design and energy efficiency. Having a laptop with a powerful graphic card like the GTX 1050 mobile 2GB from Nvidia makes all the difference. How powerful is this card? What laptops carry it? Stick around as we dive deep into the specs, product overview and history of the GeForce GTX 1050, and find out how it stacks up against its PC sibling with gaming benchmarks. Ultimately, you’ll know whether this GPU is right for you.

Best Deal Today

Comes with Gears of War and Age of Empires
ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop FX504
$549.00
  • 15.6-inch Full HD IPS-level display
  • 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8300H processor
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 GPU
  • 8GB DDR4 RAM
  • 256GB M.2 SSD
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
11/30/2023 09:03 am GMT

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 mobile 2GB: Product Overview

Release date and price

The GTX 1050 mobile is based on the GP107 graphics architecture and is the natural successor to the aging GTX 950 series cards. It was launched in January of 2017, specifically for use in laptops. 

Some of the largest brands immediately began using the GTX 1050 mobile in their gaming laptops. Acer Aspire Nitro 5, and Acer Predator series laptops featured this GPU. Other brands such as Dell and Asus also used the GTX 1050 mobile in iconic laptops as the Dell XPS 15, and the Asus TUF Gaming series laptops. As an entry-level GPU, some laptops under $1000 used this card.

AMD and Nvidia have been competitors, and things are no different when talking about the GTX 1050 mobile. AMD’s answer to the GTX 1050 is the Radeon RX 460. It was released around the same time as the GTX 1050. According to benchmarks, these two GPUs are extremely similar, although the GTX 1050 does take the lead in some areas.

Laptops that Use this GPU

Some of the biggest laptop brands in the industry use the GTX 1050 as the discrete graphics card in their gaming laptops. Most laptops that use the GTX 1050 use the 4GB model as opposed to the 2GB model, although it is still possible to find laptops with this GPU. One of the best deals today can be found in the Microsoft Surface Book 13.5″ laptop, which comes with a Kaby Lake processor from Intel, and 16GB of RAM.

Another good choice that features the GTX 1050 2GB is from Asus. The Vivobook X560 and Vivobook Pro N705 both use the GTX 1050 2GB. Both laptops feature Kaby Lake processors and can be found for less than $1000.

Gaming

Since the GTX 1050 mobile fully supports DirectX 12, you will have no trouble playing the latest games. Being an entry-level graphics card, we didn’t expect the GTX 1050 mobile to be able to play anything in 4K, especially more demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 or Red Dead Redemption. Where the GTX 1050 mobile shines, however, is when it comes to 1080p gaming.

Additionally, we figured there might be some noticeable discrepancies between the performance offered by the desktop and mobile versions, so we compared both for you here. We compiled benchmarks from some of the most popular games, running on the highest settings to give you a feel for how the GTX 1050 mobile performs compared to its desktop counterpart. Check out the table below to see for yourself:

TitleGTX 1050 (Mobile)GTX 1050 (Desktop)
Counter Strike Global Offensive97 + FPS113+ FPS
Fortnite43+ FPS71+ FPS
PUBG40+ FPS35+ FPS
GTA V38+ FPS39+ FPS
League of Legends115+ FPS122+ FPS
Overwatch63+ FPS64+ FPS
Battlefield 149+ FPS44+ FPS
Minecraft110+ FPS193+ FPS
DOTA 249+ FPS74+ FPS
World of Tanks53+ FPS65+ FPS

As expected, the desktop version of the GTX 1050 is slightly better. But don’t let that dash your hopes for gaming on a laptop. Remember, GTX 1050 mobile is packed into a smaller space and can run on battery power. You can get a decent performance from it.

If you want a gaming graphics card that can perform similarly to a desktop, the GTX 1050 mobile is a solid choice. You won’t be playing the most demanding games, but most games still show decent frame rates.

Specifications

GTX 1050 (Mobile)GTX 1050 (Desktop)
Graphics processorGP107GP107
Shader cores640640
TMUs4040
ROPs1616
Process size14 nm14 nm
Transistors3.3 billion3.3 billion
L2 cache1024 kb1024 kb
Vram typeGDDR5GDDR5
Vram capacity2 GB2 GB
Bus width128 bit128 bit
Graphics clock1354 MHz1354 MHz
Memory clock1752 MHz1752 MHz
Pixel rate23.89 Gpixels45.56 Gpixels
Texture fill rate59.72 GTexel/s58.20 GTexels
FP-32 performance1.911 TFLOPS1.862 TFLOPS

Although you might expect the mobile version of any GPU to be significantly tuned down to fit into a laptop, that is not the case with the GTX 1050 mobile. When comparing the mobile version of the card to the desktop version, you can see that Nvidia kept both chips extremely similar in specs. Additionally, whether you are using the mobile or desktop version of the GTX 1050, you can expect reasonably similar performance. Have a look at the table below to see for yourself:

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile 2GB Review

Black Asus Tuf Fx504 gaming laptop on a table
Asus FX504 TUF Gaming Laptop with a 15.6″ screen features a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti for superior gaming performance.

©fatihakim/Shutterstock.com

As you can tell from the specs, the mobile version is almost identical to the standard desktop version. The only apparent difference is theoretical performance benchmarks, in which the mobile version delivers better results. 

In contrast, there are numerous benefits to going with a full-size desktop graphics card. Unlike the mobile version of the GPU, you have a larger and more efficient cooling system, overclocking abilities, and the ease of upgrading if you desire. The main disadvantage to a mobile GPU is that it is often impossible to upgrade without buying an entirely new laptop.

When shopping around for gaming laptops, an energy-efficient GPU is a necessity. GTX 1050 mobile has a TDP rating of 75 watts and is on par with less powerful GPUs from AMD. The good news is that it can perform at a high level while using very little power.

The cooling system will depend heavily on the specific laptop you buy. Unlike the desktop version of the GTX 1050, which uses a standard heatsink, fans, and dual-slot cooling system, the mobile version needs to be much more condensed. Most laptops will employ a thermal design to cool this GPU, but you will typically experience higher operating temperatures and a potentially shorter lifespan if not taken care of.

If your laptop overheats, try to use a laptop cooling pad. Try to replace the thermal paste between the graphics processor and the heatsink if the cooling pad doesn’t help. Most laptops will need servicing after a few years. This won’t be a concern if you are buying a new laptop.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 mobile 2GB: Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Affordable GPU
  • Decent for gaming
  • It has many modern features

Cons:

  • Older GPU
  • Lower benchmarks than newer GPUs

Buy it if…

You find a good deal on a laptop with this card in it. 1050 GTX is a solid choice for entry-level gaming, and some laptops still have this GPU.

Don’t buy it if…

You need the latest and greatest performance. This GPU is decent if you can find it at a good price, but it does not compare to the latest high-end offerings from Nvidia and AMD. There are better graphics cards if you want the best frame rates.

Check out the Asus TUF Gaming Laptop with a mobile GTX 1050 card on Amazon.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 mobile 2GB?

The GTX 1050 mobile 2GB is a discrete graphics card designed by Nvidia for use in gaming laptops. It is a very popular choice among gamers looking for a solid entry-level GPU for gaming.

Is NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 mobile 2GB good for gaming?

Though not as good as the desktop version, the GTX 1050 mobile 2GB still delivers comparable performance. You won’t be gaming in 4K, but this card is very good at playing most games at full 1080p HD.

Is GTX 1050 mobile good?

For an entry-level card, the GTX 1050 mobile delivers decent benchmark performance. It will get you started with light PC gaming, video editing, and graphic design work, all while staying reasonably priced.

How much does GTX 1050 cost?

Although the desktop version of this card launched with an MSRP of just $109, the mobile version is dependent on which laptop it is installed in. The good news is most laptops that use the GTX 1050 mobile go for less than $1000.

To top