FirePro M5950 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

FirePro M5950

2011Core: 725 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz

FirePro M5950 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 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 Laptop GPU: 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

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Draws 35W instead of 170W, a 135W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,314 vs 13,170).
  • 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.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

  • +902.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 1 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 6.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
  • 385.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 902.3% in PassMark G3D (13,170 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 3060 Laptop GPU 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 28 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?
FirePro M5950 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, FirePro M5950 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro M5950 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 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 3060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 12 2022. 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: 13,170 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the FirePro M5950 scores 1,314 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 13,170 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 902.3%. The FirePro M5950 is built on TeraScale 2 while the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on 40 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 480 (FirePro M5950) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 0.696 TFLOPS (FirePro M5950) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU).

FeatureFirePro M5950GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score
1,314
13,170+902%
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 Laptop GPU 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 3060 Laptop GPU
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 Laptop GPU carries 6 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 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 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (FirePro M5950) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro M5950GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
6 GB+500%
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 Laptop GPU). Vulkan: None vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.1 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 5 vs 4.

FeatureFirePro M5950GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
DirectX
11.2
12 Ultimate+7%
Vulkan
None
1.4
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 Laptop GPU). Decoder: UVD 3 vs NVDEC (5th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2 (FirePro M5950) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU).

FeatureFirePro M5950GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
Encoder
None
NVENC (7th Gen)
Decoder
UVD 3
NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro M5950 draws 35W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 170W — a 131.7% difference. The FirePro M5950 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro M5950) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75°C.

FeatureFirePro M5950GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
TDP
35W-79%
170W
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
Mobile
Length
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
1
Temp (Load)
75°C
75°C
Perf/Watt
37.5
77.5+107%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (2022 vs 2011).

FeatureFirePro M5950GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
MSRP
$200
Codename
Whistler
GA106
Release
January 4 2011
October 12 2022
Ranking
#795
#147

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.