FirePro M5950 vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

FirePro M5950

2011Core: 725 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz
RTX family
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FirePro M5950 vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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 GeForce RTX 3050 6GB: 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

  • Draws 35W instead of 70W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,314 vs 10,749).
  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2011 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 18.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $200 MSRPvs$169 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

  • +718% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $31 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
  • Delivers 868.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 6.6 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 1 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 100% higher power demand at 70W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 718% in PassMark G3D (10,749 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?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 40nm, and 18 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $31 cheaper on MSRP at $169 vs $200, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 868.1% (63.6 vs 6.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

FirePro M5950 vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Technical Specifications

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

AMD

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.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 2 2024. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1042 MHz to 1470 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 18 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,749 points. Launch price was $179.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the FirePro M5950 scores 1,314 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 10,749 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 718%. The FirePro M5950 is built on TeraScale 2 while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB uses Ampere, both on 40 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 480 (FirePro M5950) vs 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Raw compute: 0.696 TFLOPS (FirePro M5950) vs 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB).

FeatureFirePro M5950GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
G3D Mark Score
1,314
10,749+718%
Architecture
TeraScale 2
Ampere
Process Node
40 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
480
2304+380%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.696 TFLOPS
6.774 TFLOPS+873%
ROPs
8
32+300%
TMUs
24
72+200%
L1 Cache
0.05 MB
2.3 MB+4500%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
2 MB+700%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FirePro M5950 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureFirePro M5950GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro M5950 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB carries 6 GB. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gives you 500% 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 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (FirePro M5950) vs 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro M5950GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
6 GB+500%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Bus Width
64-bit
96-bit+50%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
2 MB+700%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.2 (FirePro M5950) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Vulkan: None vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.1 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 5 vs 4.

FeatureFirePro M5950GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
DirectX
11.2
12 Ultimate+7%
Vulkan
None
1.3
OpenGL
4.1
4.6+12%
Max Displays
5+25%
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FirePro M5950) vs NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Decoder: UVD 3 vs NVDEC (7th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2 (FirePro M5950) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB).

FeatureFirePro M5950GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Encoder
None
NVENC (5th Gen)
Decoder
UVD 3
NVDEC (7th Gen)
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro M5950 draws 35W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 70W — a 66.7% difference. The FirePro M5950 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro M5950) vs 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs None. Card length: 0mm vs 160mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75°C.

FeatureFirePro M5950GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
TDP
35W-50%
70W
Recommended PSU
350W
300W-14%
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
None
Length
0mm
160mm
Height
0mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
75°C
Perf/Watt
37.5
153.6+310%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro M5950 came in at $200, while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB launched at $169. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB was 15.5% cheaper ($31 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 6.6 (FirePro M5950) vs 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 863.6% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2011).

FeatureFirePro M5950GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
MSRP
$200
$169-16%
Performance per Dollar
6.6
63.6+864%
Codename
Whistler
GA107
Release
January 4 2011
February 2 2024
Ranking
#795
#252

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