The new $280 AMD Radeon RX 9050 loses to a $260 2023 graphics card in testing

The popular Hardware Unboxed channel has published an independent review of the Radeon RX 9050 graphics card. Although AMD has restrictions on the display and packaging of the graphics card itself, the editors of this channel tested the performance of the new product and evaluated the feasibility of purchasing it.

The sample was obtained through unofficial channels, so Hardware Unboxed did not disclose the manufacturer or specific model. The resource notes that based on test results, the new product’s performance lags significantly behind the Radeon RX 7600 model released in 2023, while the $280 suggested price casts doubt on the wisdom of purchasing a graphics card in the current price segment. video card.

In the test of 10 games, the results of the new product were not ideal, with an average of 49 frames per second in 1080p resolution (Full HD), and dropped to 33 FPS in 1440p mode.

Graphics performance is even less impressive compared to competitors and our own previous generation: At Full HD, the Radeon RX 7600 was 22% faster than the test model, and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 was 20% faster. At higher resolutions, the gap narrows, but the Radeon RX 9050 still can’t beat the performance of the GeForce RTX 5050 and drops two frames per second than the identical Radeon RX 7600.

Considering the price, Hardware Unboxed considers the Radeon RX 9050 8GB to be a poor choice, noting that it only makes sense to buy it if the price doesn’t exceed $200. Reviewers recommend not buying this model and instead considering used hardware, the Intel Arc B580, or saving up for the more powerful Radeon RX 9060 XT. The main conclusion of experts is that, as currently positioned, the Radeon RX 9050 offers too little computing power for the money required and has no chance of competing in this field.

To further complicate matters, the 8GB retail version is only available in Latin America, Asia Pacific and Japan, not even Australia and South Korea. It is this geographical isolation that prevents Australia’s Hardware Unboxed channel from legally obtaining review samples, forcing editors to adopt unconventional methods to find samples.

At the same time, as VideoCardz highlights, the existing 4 GB memory mod cannot be used as an alternative to building a PC yourself, because it is not a retail product at all, but is created specifically for assembly of the off-the-shelf CyberPowerPC sold online through Best Buy.