FirePro M5950 vs FirePro M40003

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

FirePro M5950 vs FirePro M40003 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

FirePro M5950 vs FirePro M40003: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

FirePro M5950

2011

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2011 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
33.3% HIGHER MSRP
$200 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 6.6 vs 9.1 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).

FirePro M40003

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
✅Delivers 38.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.1 vs 6.6 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

FirePro M40003 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 3.8% in PassMark G3D (1,364 vs 1,314), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

FirePro M5950 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

FirePro M40003 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 cheaper on MSRP at $150 vs $200, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 38.4% (9.1 vs 6.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, FirePro M40003 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro M5950 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro M5950 vs FirePro M40003 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

FirePro M5950

The FirePro M5950 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 35W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,314 points.

FirePro M40003

The FirePro M40003 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 27 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 675 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,364 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The FirePro M5950 scores 1,314 and the FirePro M40003 reaches 1,364 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro M5950 is built on TeraScale 2 while the FirePro M40003 uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 480 (FirePro M5950) vs 512 (FirePro M40003). Raw compute: 0.696 TFLOPS (FirePro M5950) vs 0.6912 TFLOPS (FirePro M40003).

Feature	FirePro M5950	FirePro M40003
G3D Mark Score	1,314	1,364+4%
Architecture	TeraScale 2	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	480	512+7%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.696 TFLOPS	0.6912 TFLOPS
ROPs	8	16+100%
TMUs	24	32+33%
L1 Cache	48 KB	128 KB+167%
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	FirePro M5950	FirePro M40003
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro M5950 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the FirePro M40003 carries 4 GB. FirePro M40003 gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the FirePro M5950 and 64-bit on the FirePro M40003.

Feature	FirePro M5950	FirePro M40003
VRAM Capacity	1 GB	4 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.2 (FirePro M5950) vs 12 (FirePro M40003). Vulkan: None vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.1 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 5 vs 6.

Feature	FirePro M5950	FirePro M40003
DirectX	11.2	12+7%
Vulkan	None	1.2
OpenGL	4.1	4.6+12%
Max Displays	5	6+20%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FirePro M5950) vs VCE 1.0 (FirePro M40003). Decoder: UVD 3 vs UVD 4.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2 (FirePro M5950) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (FirePro M40003).

Feature	FirePro M5950	FirePro M40003
Encoder	None	VCE 1.0
Decoder	UVD 3	UVD 4.0
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro M5950 draws 35W versus the FirePro M40003's 33W — a 5.9% difference. The FirePro M40003 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro M5950) vs 350W (FirePro M40003). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 82mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75°C.

Feature	FirePro M5950	FirePro M40003
TDP	35W	33W-6%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Length	0mm	82mm
Height	0mm	0mm
Slots	1	1
Temp (Load)	75°C	75°C
Perf/Watt	37.5	41.3+10%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro M5950 came in at $200, while the FirePro M40003 launched at $150. On MSRP, FirePro M40003 was 25% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 6.6 (FirePro M5950) vs 9.1 (FirePro M40003) — the FirePro M40003 offers 37.9% better value. The newer card here is FirePro M40003 (2012 vs 2011).

Feature	FirePro M5950	FirePro M40003
MSRP	$200	$150-25%
Performance per Dollar	6.6	9.1+38%
Codename	Whistler	Chelsea
Release	January 4 2011	June 27 2012
Ranking	#795	#752

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