Best AMD alternative to GTX GeForce 1050

If you've seen my last topic, it's obvious I do my homework and I'm very thorough. Based on reviews and my budget, I'd gone with the GTX GeForce 1050. Sadly, I've encountered the same Nvidia posterization problems (which I mistakenly called color-banding before). I need that smooth as silk dithering in my life, as an artist. I'd like to find a graphics card other than GeForce, with as close to the same specs as possible. I already have AMD in mind, because I'd read that they have a better way of handling dithering. The card I have right now cost me about $120, not counting the warranty, so there's my budget.

Edit: I went ahead and looked at a Radeon alternative, and the RX-550 2GB GDDR5 specs look like the perfect replacement. I now feel a bit dumb that the price is about $30 cheaper for the same specs.

 

this may be of some help to you :
https://www.slant.co/options/15143/alternatives/~nvidia-geforce-gtx-1070-alternatives

 

The RX 550 competes with the 1030, not the 1050. The 1050 and RX 560 perform within a few % of each other. They're about equal in DX11 performance with the RX 560 being a bit faster under DX12 and Vulkan.

 

Ahh, I did notice certain spec differences, but that's where I needed someone else to help me out. On the MicroCenter website, I notice two different RX 560s, one's called the Pulse, with slightly lower specs. But the 560 sounds like exactly what I need.

It would almost help, if it didn't list 4 other Nvidia cards. Nvidia is what I'm having problems with, and there are just too many complaints with the 9 and 10 series of GTX. Nvidia specifically has issues with posterization in how they dither.

 

I have a MSI GTX1060 x6 and have no problems with it. I think unless those compliants can be reproduced I would take those with a grain of salt. I had MSI GTX970OC 4G and had no gaming issues so I think those complaints again unless they can be reproduced and tested is one sided. I only use MSI Nvidia GPU and so far no issues like that. Maybe knowing what GPU makes they are would go along way to knowing which one are problematic and which one aren't and lumping one GPU as problems for others doesn't tell the real issues. MSI AFAIK for their cards come with a price tag that's what I seen for the good one.

 

While I appreciate your desire to help, I already have a hardcore Nvidia loving friend who was very adamant about still trying hard with another GeForce card. The card you mentioned is the GTX 900 series, which is where the dithering problems start, for everyone running into dithering failure/posterization. To be clear, posterization is not the same as color-banding, which even I mistakenly called it before. But, from what I understand, GTX 900 and up do both posterization and color-banding, in an either/or/and circumstance.

However, given the significant amount of evidence I've found that AMD has almost never had dithering issues (which include dozens commenting about AMD working for them over Nvidia), I'd sooner choose a Radeon card over GeForce. As I mentioned in my original post: I'm also on a budget. I'd like to swap out for an equally priced card, and I'm able to do that with the Radeon RX 560. It would be cool to complain about my problems to Nvidia and hopefully get a nice discount on a better-working product, but my gut rarely lets me down. I actually almost went with AMD first.

 

Given this is either/or/and circumstance this doesn't pass muster here. And using "What I Understand" tells me it's purely opinionated not real independent testing to show. I had more luck with Nvidia cards then AMD since AMD provided poor support for it until they found out they were loosing to Nvidia then it was like ops we provided little support drivers update for it now we have to get with the game. That to me doesn't inspire confidence the AMD GPU will improve. Their CPU is another story in itself will give iNtel a run for their money as I have now a 1500X system but a MSI GTX1060 6X and have no problem using it.

I always find it odd when someone says "significant amount of evidence but don't give links to independent test to show it does happen. If this is true you should be able to point to links that are of actual testing in real time not control to show everyone it happens. That way one can truly say look this is what happens in this situation then it will be there for anyone to read on. So I will say again this is take with a "grain of salt".

 

Look, the OP has made up his mind about what he wants and has asked a totally different question. Trying to convince him to go against his original plane for no apparent reason seems a bit counter-productive and bordering spam. Even if he does end up getting a 1050 after several pages of "convincing" - every time he has an issue he will still feel cheated. It's his money in the end of the day, he has the right to spend it howsoever he desires.

 

If you're capable of reading the forum, you're capable of seeing my other thread greatly detailing my process, complete with links. I don't need a Nvidia fanboy trolling my thread. Pardon me for assuming you might actually notice my other thread, or that this current thread is titled "Best AMD Alternative to GeForce." As for AMD support, a good friend of mine had great support from AMD, and they worked hard to give him a working one when 2 proved to be duds. I don't feel like Nvidia would be a good choice given it's the whole GTX line, starting with 900m that's offering people posterization issues, and I currently own something from the 1000 line. There's at least a couple Reddit threads. Go find it yourself if you're so bothered with my use of the phrase "significant amount of evidence." I asked for AMD alternatives, not "GTX works great for me." Two people might have the nearly the exact same build, yet just one difference can change the course of what works for them.

I actually currently own the 1050. I thought I made that clear already, when I said, "I'd gone with the GTX 1050." I live about 40 minutes from the only MicroCenter in my state, and I don't feel like visiting every weekend until I find a working GeForce GTX. The Radeon mentioned would be an easy swap with no extra money involved. The goal here is using a card that treats dithering differently, in hopes of getting the smoothest results, not the crushed colors (posterization) I notice in color blending, and color-banding (look up a thread describing DirectX and color-banding) I notice in quite a few games.

 

Definitely the RX560, if you're looking for the closest overall performance.

 

^ That's all I'm looking for.

I'm not sure if I've linked to it in my other thread, but my only reason for wanting an AMD alternative is what I'd found deep within a reddit thread. Someone described how AMD handles dithering. If there's a way I can fix that issue on my Nvidia between now and Saturday, please post on my other thread. The photos and info on this thread, though 2 years old, explain my current situation better. I did notice adjusting gamma kind of helped, but I need card-output accuracy for realism in my art. I can't create smooth blending if color blending looks crushed.

Edit: Giant Reddit thread that spells out all the issues I'm currently having. He has a different card, but the details of his issues are also my own. This is and the thread on Hardforum have helped me understand more about what and why things are happening, which have helped me trouble-shoot my issue. I've read that AMD may not have 100% color accuracy, but if I'm able to see the accurate blending I'm doing, minor color adjustments won't hurt me since digital art often looks different on other monitors anyway. Adjusting for printwork is always a chore, regardless of what computer build I'm on.

 

An update, and perhaps for both threads I'd started. I now have the Radeon RX 560 that was suggested to me. I did a comparison of the results to my old PC, which had plenty in common with my onboard chipset, and a mental comparison to the GTX 1050 from memory. Both my onboard chipset and my old PC showed me some very easy results, when I tested a couple games that initially showed me serious crushed blacks with gamma from the Nvidia driver. Comparing both the TV and PC monitor, I noticed colors looked much more balanced, and how I expected the onboard to look like.

I am both happy and have misgivings with the RX 560. After I finally got the driver installed (Windows 8 compatibility issues, I'd discovered Crimson ReLive doesn't have Radeon Advanced settings. Not like they did in old drivers. However, going with RGB Limited does help the HDTV a lot. When switching between Full and Limited, I felt like Full was actually too much for the TV. Too much depth, to where the TV just wasn't handling it properly. Going in Limited sadly showed the lack of Brightness/Contrast/Gamma in Advanced settings. The good news is I've found a different program that fills in the gaps. I do prefer Nvidia's no-frills control panel, but it sounds like AMD is in some kind of transition. Perhaps one day I'll get super rich and buy Professional gpu's from both parties, but for now I'll have to settle for budget consumer until I can upgrade to something nicer.

Thanks to all who have offered me the simple help I was asking for. To those who've offered me the opposite: You're not impressing anyone by harassing total strangers with pseudo-wisdom. Your parents taught you better, so act like it.