We promised we might get one, and whereas it isn’t the 4GB mannequin, which would require a little bit extra time, we do have AMD’s brand-new Radeon RX 9050 8GB. And boy, is that this factor super-duper smelly. It is actually, actually sluggish and represents very poor worth, however you will wish to see simply how unhealthy it’s. This card is particular, we promise.
We will not even reveal which Radeon RX 9050 8GB mannequin we’ve got, so we’re unable to indicate it. AMD would not present us with a overview pattern, and none of its companions have been permitted to ship us one, that means we needed to depend on a few of our side-channel contacts. Oddly, whereas the RX 9050 is obtainable at retail in Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Japan, Australia and Korea have been excluded.
This can be a totally different Radeon graphics card from a earlier TechSpot overview, solely proven for illustrative functions.
We would not be shocked if AMD excluded Australia simply to dodge us, however we may nearly perceive it given how brutally we mugged the Radeon RX 6500 XT. We’re largely joking, after all. We do not critically consider AMD excluded a complete continent simply to forestall us from reviewing the RX 9050, but when it did, the joke is on them. So, what precisely is the RX 9050, and why are you getting the sense that we would not prefer it?
There are three key points with the RX 9050. First, efficiency is basically unhealthy. That downside is compounded by the value: at $280, it’s miles too costly for the efficiency on provide. Worst of all, it shares its precise product title with a damaged 4GB model that packs not solely half the VRAM, but additionally half the reminiscence bandwidth. It is an actual doozy.
This can be a totally different Radeon graphics card from a earlier TechSpot overview, solely proven for illustrative functions.
In brief, the Radeon RX 9050 is a closely cut-down 9060 XT. Apparently, AMD has fairly a number of faulty RX 9060 XT dies that could not even be repurposed for the RX 9060. Whereas the RX 9060 XT requires 2,048 functioning cores and the vanilla RX 9060 makes use of 1,792, the RX 9050 options simply 1,024. Regardless of utilizing the identical silicon because the RX 9060 XT, the RX 9050 has solely half as many lively cores.
| Radeon 9050 4GB | Radeon 9050 8GB | Radeon 9060 | Radeon 9060 XT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worth (MSRP) | OEM | $280 | OEM | $300 |
| Launch Date | July 28, 2026 | Aug 5, 2025 | Jun 5, 2025 | |
| Course of | TSMC N4P | |||
| Transistors | 29.7 billion | |||
| Die Measurement (mm2) | 199 mm2 | |||
| Core Config | 1024 / 64 / 64 | 1792 / 112 / 64 | 2048 / 128 / 64 | |
| GPU Enhance Clock | 2600 MHz | 2990 MHz | 3130 MHz | |
| Reminiscence Capability | 4 GB | 8 GB | ||
| Reminiscence Pace | 18 Gbps | 20 Gbps | ||
| Reminiscence Sort | GDDR6 | |||
| Bus Sort / Bandwidth | 64-bit : 144 GB/s | 128-bit : 288 GB/s | 128-bit : 288 GB/s | 128-bit : 320 GB/s |
| Complete Board Energy | 92W | 132W | 150W | |
Based on AMD’s reference spec, the RX 9050 cores additionally clock as excessive as simply 2.6 GHz, whereas the RX 9060 XT can attain 3.1 GHz. Our mannequin operated between 2.7 and a pair of.8 GHz, which remains to be decrease than the RX 9060 XT.
Given all of that, we might anticipate the RX 9050 to be round 50% slower than the RX 9060 XT. That would go away it struggling to compete with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5050. It is exhausting to think about that being the case, however primarily based on the specs, it actually seems potential. With that, let’s look at working habits earlier than shifting on to the benchmarks.
Check System Specs
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | ||
| Motherboard | MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi [BIOS 7E49v1A4] Resizable BAR Enabled | ||
| Reminiscence | G.Ability Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6000 CL30 [CL30-38-38-96] | ||
| Graphics Card | GeForce RTX 3050 GeForce RTX 3060 GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GeForce RTX 3070 GeForce RTX 4060 GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16G GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8G GeForce RTX 4070 |
GeForce RTX 5050 GeForce RTX 5060 GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16G GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8G Intel Arc A770 16G Intel Arc B580 Radeon RX 6600 Radeon RX 6650 XT |
Radeon RX 6700 XT Radeon RX 7600 Radeon RX 7600 XT Radeon RX 7700 XT Radeon RX 7800 XT Radeon RX 9050 8G Radeon RX 9060 XT 16G Radeon RX 9060 XT 8G |
| ATX Case | MSI Prospect 700R | ||
| Energy Provide | Kolink Regulator Gold ATX 3.0 1200W | ||
| Storage | TeamGroup T-Power Cardea A440 M.2 PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD 4TB | ||
| Working System | Home windows 11 25H2 | ||
| Show Driver | AMD Radeon Adrenalin 26.7.1 WHQL / GeForce Recreation Prepared Driver 610.88 | ||
Clock Conduct
After half-hour underneath load in an ATX case with its panels put in and an ambient room temperature of 21°C, our RX 9050 mannequin, which we won’t establish, recorded a peak GPU hotspot temperature of simply 59°C.
The hotspot briefly reached 66°C earlier than the followers activated, however as soon as they have been spinning at a whisper-quiet 960 RPM, the height temperature settled at 59°C.
As marketed, the cardboard drew round 90W, with a peak of 92W, whereas the core clock averaged 2,770 MHz. Lastly, the reminiscence peaked at simply 56°C, making this a really cool and quiet graphics card general.
Benchmarks
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
First up is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 at 1080p utilizing the Epic preset, the place the RX 9050 averaged simply 36 fps. That made it 38% quicker than the getting old RTX 3050 and 20% quicker than the RX 6600. The RX 7600 edged forward with 37 fps, whereas the RTX 5050 was 8% quicker at 39 fps.
Stepping as much as the RX 9060 XT 8GB delivered a considerable 50% efficiency improve, elevating the typical body price to a a lot smoother 54 fps.
At 1440p, the RX 9050 8GB managed a mean of simply 22 fps, rendering the sport unplayable. Curiously, it leapfrogged a number of GPUs that usually outperform it, beating each the RX 6600 and RX 7600 whereas simply defeating the RTX 3050. It even left Nvidia’s RTX 5050 behind, outperforming its 16 fps common by 38%.
Nonetheless, unplayable is unplayable, and you will want a a lot quicker GPU for acceptable efficiency. The RX 9060 XT 8GB averaged 36 fps, representing an enormous 64% efficiency improve over the RX 9050.
Marvel Rivals
At 1080p utilizing the Extremely preset, the RX 9050 delivered 41 fps on common, falling properly wanting a easy 60 fps expertise. It outpaced the older RTX 3050 by 28% and comfortably beat the RX 6600 by 41%. Curiously, it additionally managed to edge forward of the older RX 7600, which averaged 40 fps.
Nonetheless, Nvidia’s RTX 5050 held a noticeable 22% lead with 50 fps. For a a lot smoother expertise, the RX 9060 XT 8GB delivered 66 fps on common, representing an enormous 61% efficiency improve over the RX 9050.
Rising the decision to 1440p dropped the RX 9050 to a sluggish 27 fps, making upscaling necessary. It nonetheless held a 23% lead over the RTX 3050 and a 42% benefit over the RX 6600, whereas matching the RX 7600 body for body.
Nvidia’s RTX 5050 remained quicker, outpacing the RX 9050 by 11% with a 30 fps common. In the meantime, the RX 9060 XT 8GB supplied an enormous 70% efficiency improve, lifting the typical to a considerably playable 46 fps.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
In Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the RX 9050 delivered 57 fps on common, offering first rate entry-level efficiency. It comfortably outperformed the RTX 3050 by 27% and narrowly edged forward of the RX 6600.
Nonetheless, the RTX 5050 and RX 7600 remained firmly forward at 70 fps and 72 fps, respectively, giving them a 23% to 26% benefit. Shifting as much as the RX 9060 XT 8GB delivered an enormous 74% efficiency improve, reaching a formidable 99 fps.
Rising the decision to 1440p noticed the RX 9050 common simply 35 fps. That positioned it 30% forward of the bottom-tier RTX 3050 and 6% forward of the RX 6600. Nonetheless, it could not maintain tempo with equally priced options, trailing the RTX 5050 by 15% and the RX 7600 by 19%. Upgrading to the RX 9060 XT 8GB resulted in an 80% efficiency improve, lifting the typical to a way more pleasurable 63 fps.
A Plague Story: Requiem
In A Plague Story: Requiem at 1080p utilizing the Extremely preset, the RX 9050 averaged 53 fps. It managed to flip the script on the older RX 6600, beating it by a slim 6% margin, whereas simply crushing the RTX 3050’s 38 fps consequence.
Nonetheless, it fell behind the trendy entry-level competitors. The RTX 5050 was 15% quicker with a 61 fps common, whereas the RX 7600 remained considerably quicker at 65 fps. As soon as once more, the step as much as the RX 9060 XT 8GB was staggering, with that GPU producing 99 fps for an enormous 87% efficiency improve over the RX 9050.
At 1440p, it grew to become clear that the Radeon RX 9050 8GB was utterly out of its depth, no less than utilizing the Extremely preset. Managing simply 32 fps on common, the expertise was basically unplayable. It narrowly beat the getting old RTX 3050, which sat on the backside of our graph with simply 27 fps.
Extra regarding was that the RX 9050 trailed the a lot older RX 6600 in common body price, though it did provide barely higher 1% lows at 28 fps versus 26 fps. The direct competitors wasn’t sort, both. Nvidia’s RTX 5050 was 31% quicker with a 42 fps common, whereas the RX 7600 delivered 46 fps.
For a genuinely playable 1440p expertise, you will should step as much as the RX 9060 XT 8GB, which delivered a a lot smoother 69 fps common. Good. That represents a staggering 116% efficiency improve over the RX 9050, demonstrating the huge gulf in AMD’s product stack.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Shifting on to Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, we’ll begin with the 1080p outcomes utilizing the marginally dialed-down Excessive preset. Right here, the RX 9050 managed a easy 67 fps. It maintained a strong 31% lead over the RTX 3050 and completed 12% forward of the RX 6600.
Nvidia’s RTX 5050 edged forward by 7% with 72 fps, whereas the RX 7600 prolonged that result in 21% with 81 fps. Stepping as much as the RX 9060 XT 8GB delivered an enormous 66% efficiency improve, reaching a 111 fps common for these looking for high-refresh-rate efficiency on a funds.
At 1440p, the RX 9050 averaged 44 fps. That gave it a wholesome 38% benefit over the RTX 3050 and a 22% lead over the RX 6600. Nonetheless, it fell behind the trendy entry-level competitors. The RTX 5050 was 16% quicker with 51 fps, whereas the RX 7600 held a 20% benefit with 53 fps.
For these concentrating on greater than 60 fps at 1440p, the RX 9060 XT 8GB delivered 76 fps, representing an enormous 73% efficiency improve over the RX 9050.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered
Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered at 1080p utilizing the Very Excessive preset allowed the RX 9050 8GB to sail previous 60 fps, delivering a 104 fps common. That positioned it 33% forward of the RTX 3050 and 27% forward of the RX 6600. In a shocking consequence, it even edged out the RX 7600 by 2%.
Nonetheless, Nvidia’s RTX 5050 retained a 19% lead at 124 fps, whereas the RX 9060 XT 8GB surged to 182 fps, an enormous 75% efficiency improve over the RX 9050.
At 1440p, the RX 9050 8GB remained above the 60 fps threshold with a strong 65 fps common. That positioned it 16% forward of the RTX 3050 and 33% forward of the RX 6600.
Nonetheless, the RX 7600 reclaimed its lead at this decision, outperforming the RX 9050 by 15% with 75 fps, whereas the RTX 5050 was 32% quicker with 86 fps. In the meantime, upgrading to the RX 9060 XT 8GB delivered an 86% efficiency improve, pushing the typical body price to 121 fps.
Hogwarts Legacy
Shifting on to Hogwarts Legacy, the RX 9050 averaged 56 fps at 1080p utilizing the Excessive preset, falling simply wanting the 60 fps mark. It held a 19% benefit over the RTX 3050 and successfully matched the RX 6600.
As soon as once more, nonetheless, the trendy entry-level options pulled away considerably. The RTX 5050 was 25% quicker at 70 fps, whereas the RX 7600 led by 36% with 76 fps. The RX 9060 XT 8GB dominated with 105 fps, providing an 88% efficiency improve over the RX 9050.
At 1440p, we noticed vital pressure on this low-end {hardware}, with the RX 9050 averaging simply 43 fps. It maintained a 19% lead over the RTX 3050 however merely tied the older RX 6600.
Nvidia’s RTX 5050 was 28% quicker with 55 fps, whereas the RX 7600 pulled forward by 37% at 59 fps. The step as much as the RX 9060 XT 8GB was significantly dramatic right here, delivering 84 fps for a staggering 95% efficiency improve.
Starfield
In Starfield at 1080p utilizing the Extremely preset, the RX 9050 8GB delivered simply 34 fps on common. That positioned it 21% forward of each the RTX 3050 and RX 6600, which tied at 28 fps.
Nvidia’s RTX 5050 was 21% quicker with 41 fps, whereas the RX 7600 pulled forward by a major 41% margin. Upgrading to the RX 9060 XT 8GB resulted in a 74% efficiency improve, elevating the typical to 59 fps.
At 1440p, the RX 9050 dropped to a mean of 26 fps. It maintained an 18% benefit over the RTX 3050 and remained 24% forward of the RX 6600.
The RTX 5050 was 23% quicker with 32 fps, whereas the RX 7600 reached 35 fps for a 35% lead. Stepping as much as the RX 9060 XT 8GB delivered an 81% efficiency improve, averaging 47 fps.
Stalker 2: Coronary heart of Chornobyl
Stalker 2 at 1080p utilizing the Epic preset proved extraordinarily demanding, with the RX 9050 managing a modest 33 fps common. That allowed it to match Nvidia’s RTX 5050 body for body whereas beating the RTX 3050 by 18% and the RX 6600 by 10%.
The RX 7600 maintained a noticeable 27% lead with 42 fps, whereas stepping as much as the RX 9060 XT 8GB delivered a 61% efficiency improve, elevating the typical to 53 fps.
At 1440p, we hit a VRAM wall. Practically each card with 8GB or much less utterly collapsed, with the RX 9050 8GB averaging an unplayable 8 fps. The RTX 3050, RX 6600, RTX 5050, and RX 7600 all suffered an analogous destiny.
Remarkably, even the 8GB model of the RX 9060 XT collapsed to only 9 fps, making its 13% lead over the RX 9050 meaningless. In the meantime, the 16GB RX 9060 XT managed 42 fps. That is actually not superb, nevertheless it’s dramatically higher than the 8GB model.
Warhammer 40,000: House Marine 2
Shifting on to Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, we’ll once more begin with the 1080p outcomes utilizing the Extremely preset. Right here, the RX 9050 averaged 56 fps, inserting it in a direct tie with Intel’s Arc B580. It additionally delivered a 22% uplift over the entry-level RTX 3050 and held an 8% benefit over the older RX 6600.
Nonetheless, the newer options pulled away considerably. The RX 7600 was 25% quicker at 70 fps, whereas the RTX 5050 claimed a 38% lead with 77 fps. Shifting as much as the RX 9060 XT 8GB delivered a considerable 68% efficiency improve, reaching 94 fps.
At 1440p, the RX 9050 8GB dropped to a 39 fps common. It maintained a 22% lead over the RTX 3050 and beat the RX 6600 by 11%.
Nonetheless, the newer opponents prolonged their benefit. The RX 7600 reached 48 fps, making it 23% quicker, whereas the RTX 5050 delivered 53 fps for a 36% lead. Stepping as much as the RX 9060 XT 8GB resulted in a formidable 79% efficiency improve, producing a easy 70 fps.
10 Recreation Common
Lastly, we’ve got our 10-game common information, beginning with the 1080p outcomes. Right here, the Radeon RX 9050 8GB sat firmly in entry-level territory with a 49 fps common. It managed a 23% lead over the getting old RTX 3050 however was simply 11% quicker than the previous Radeon RX 6600.
Nonetheless, the extra trendy entry-level choices have been much more spectacular. The RTX 5050 was 20% quicker on common with 59 fps, whereas the older RX 7600 outpaced the RX 9050 by 22% with a 60 fps common.
For consumers contemplating the present Radeon era, stepping as much as the RX 9060 XT 8GB delivered an enormous 76% efficiency improve, elevating the typical to a much more succesful 86 fps. Total, the RX 9050 landed close to the underside of the trendy 1080p choices.
Wanting on the 1440p 10-game common, the RX 9050 managed simply 33 fps, demonstrating that native 1440p is a tall order for this card, significantly when utilizing higher-quality settings. Even so, it held an enormous 50% benefit over the bottom-tier RTX 3050 and completed 27% forward of the older RX 6600.
Curiously, it matched Nvidia’s RTX 5050 body for body at 33 fps and remained near the RX 7600, which was simply 6% quicker at 35 fps. Nonetheless, upgrading to the RX 9060 XT 8GB delivered a considerable 61% efficiency improve, elevating the typical to 53 fps.
Energy Utilization
Energy consumption may have been a saving grace of types for the Radeon RX 9050, however sadly, no. Had AMD managed a 75W energy restrict, the cardboard may have been powered completely by the PCI Categorical slot. That wasn’t potential, even at this efficiency stage, because the RX 9050 is a 92W graphics card. Its energy necessities are nonetheless very low, nevertheless it does require an exterior PCIe energy connector.
In our testing, when combining PCIe and EPS energy, the RX 9050 configuration consumed round 180W, roughly 80W lower than techniques utilizing the Arc B580 or RTX 4060 Ti. So, the RX 9050 does sip energy, nevertheless it’s additionally actually sluggish, making this consequence much less thrilling than it would initially seem.
Value Per Body
As we famous firstly of this overview, the Radeon RX 9050’s greatest subject is its mixture of poor efficiency and a excessive worth, and that’s greatest illustrated by the cost-per-frame graph. Actually, wow. Thanks, AMD. No matter did funds avid gamers do earlier than the RX 9050 arrived?
Some will argue that it is good to see AMD launch a less expensive, lower-tier RDNA 4 graphics card as a result of that is precisely what funds avid gamers want. Whereas we agree that the market wants extra inexpensive graphics playing cards, that relatively defeats the aim when the brand new merchandise are solely pretty much as good as, or on this case worse than, what’s already out there.
The GeForce RTX 5060 wasn’t precisely superb at its $300 launch MSRP, and at $460, it is a joke. That pricing is disgustingly unhealthy, but someway the RX 9050 solely manages to roughly match it in value per body.
The RTX 5050 was a fair larger joke. It is presupposed to value $250, nevertheless it presently sells for $320, and in our overview, we referred to as it e-waste. Provided that, we’re undecided what to make of the even slower and worse-value RX 9050. Certain, the GeForce GPU is technically dearer, however a $40 distinction is hardly vital.
Even cheaper than the RTX 5050 is Intel’s Arc B580 at $310. Not solely do you obtain a extra applicable 12GB of VRAM, nevertheless it’s additionally 27% quicker than the RX 9050 and gives over 10% higher worth per body.
Then there’s AMD’s personal Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB. Certain, it prices fairly a bit extra at $400, and we do not anticipate everybody to have the ability to discover one other $120. However that is not the purpose. The purpose is that consumers who cannot afford the additional cash are getting screwed, because the RX 9060 XT gives round 20% higher worth.
Funds Avid gamers Deserve A lot Higher Than This
AMD is doing funds avid gamers no favors with the RX 9050. If something, it would as properly be spitting of their faces. The efficiency is horrible for a current-generation product, and the worth is even worse. Realistically, this product cannot be priced above $200 if it is going to make any sense. I do not care how a lot VRAM prices. The product nonetheless must characterize cheap worth, and at $280, the RX 9050 is not sensible and subsequently needn’t exist.
Picture from a earlier TechSpot overview, proven for illustrative functions
We’re additionally evaluating the RX 9050’s $280 MSRP in opposition to actual retail pricing for current GPUs. If the RX 9050 reaches shops at $300 or extra, it is going to be a fair larger catastrophe. It actually does annoy me that consumers on the tightest budgets are being screwed the toughest by AMD and Nvidia. Sadly, all you’ll be able to actually do is refuse to purchase these trash-tier merchandise.
Sadly, the RX 9050 8GB is not even near being the worst information from this launch. Imagine it or not, that is the “good” mannequin. It actually seems to be good in contrast with the OEM-only model that AMD has confirmed will ship in no less than one prebuilt PC.
Picture from a earlier TechSpot overview, proven for illustrative functions
Regardless of sharing the very same product title, the RX 9050 may have a 4GB OEM model with half the VRAM and half the reminiscence bandwidth. Its efficiency goes to be abysmal, and even worse, I think about it is going to be offered for round $250. We will not verify that worth, nonetheless, and it stays an informed guess. Anyway, I plan to do no matter it takes to acquire one. Even when I’ve to fly internationally, I’ll ultimately benchmark the 4GB RX 9050.
For now, although, that concludes our overview of the horrible Radeon RX 9050 8GB. Clearly, do not buy this factor. Both store second-hand, contemplate options such because the Arc B580, or save for the RX 9060 XT, ideally the 16GB model should you can afford it.
