FirePro M5950
GeForce RTX 3060
FirePro M5950 vs GeForce RTX 3060 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 3060 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
FirePro M5950 vs GeForce RTX 3060: 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
2011Why buy it
- ✅Costs $129 less on MSRP ($200 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
- ✅Draws 35W instead of 170W, a 135W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,314 vs 16,995).
- ❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
- ❌2011 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 6.6 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
GeForce RTX 3060
2021Why buy it
- ✅+1193.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
- ✅Delivers 686.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 6.6 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
- ✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
- ✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 1 GB).
- ✅Better long-term bet: Ampere on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
Trade-offs
- ❌385.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 35W.
Quick Answers
Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Which GPU is the better buy today?
FirePro M5950 vs GeForce RTX 3060 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.
GeForce RTX 3060
The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the FirePro M5950 scores 1,314 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 1193.4%. The FirePro M5950 is built on TeraScale 2 while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 40 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 480 (FirePro M5950) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 0.696 TFLOPS (FirePro M5950) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060).
| Feature | FirePro M5950 | GeForce RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 1,314 | 16,995+1193% |
| Architecture | TeraScale 2 | Ampere |
| Process Node | 40 nm | 8 nm |
| Shading Units | 480 | 3584+647% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.696 TFLOPS | 12.74 TFLOPS+1730% |
| ROPs | 8 | 48+500% |
| TMUs | 24 | 112+367% |
| L1 Cache | 0.05 MB | 3.5 MB+6900% |
| L2 Cache | 0.25 MB | 3 MB+1100% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce RTX 3060 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.
| Feature | FirePro M5950 | GeForce RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 1100% 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 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (FirePro M5950) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | FirePro M5950 | GeForce RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB | 12 GB+1100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Bus Width | 64-bit | 192-bit+200% |
| L2 Cache | 0.25 MB | 3 MB+1100% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 11.2 (FirePro M5950) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: None vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.1 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 5 vs 4.
| Feature | FirePro M5950 | GeForce RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: UVD 3 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2 (FirePro M5950) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).
| Feature | FirePro M5950 | GeForce RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | None | NVENC 7th Gen |
| Decoder | UVD 3 | NVDEC 5th Gen |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2 | AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 |
Power & Dimensions
The FirePro M5950 draws 35W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 131.7% difference. The FirePro M5950 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro M5950) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 242mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75.
| Feature | FirePro M5950 | GeForce RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 35W-79% | 170W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W-36% | 550W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | 8-pin |
| Length | 0mm | 242mm |
| Height | 0mm | 112mm |
| Slots | 1-50% | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 75°C | 75 |
| Perf/Watt | 37.5 | 100.0+167% |
Value Analysis
At launch, the FirePro M5950 came in at $200, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, FirePro M5950 was 39.2% cheaper ($129 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 6.6 (FirePro M5950) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 683.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2011).
| Feature | FirePro M5950 | GeForce RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $200-39% | $329 |
| Performance per Dollar | 6.6 | 51.7+683% |
| Codename | Whistler | GA106 |
| Release | January 4 2011 | January 12 2021 |
| Ranking | #795 | #114 |
Affiliate Disclosure
ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar GPU comparisons based on FirePro M5950 and GeForce RTX 3060
