FirePro M5950 vs Tesla M2070

FirePro M5950

2011Core: 725 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

Tesla M2070

2011Core: 574 MHz
Similar parts
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FirePro M5950 vs Tesla M2070 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 Tesla M2070: 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

  • Costs $2,899 less on MSRP ($200 MSRP vs $3,099 MSRP).
  • Delivers 1460.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.6 vs 0.4 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs $3,099 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Draws 35W instead of 225W, a 190W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2011 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Tesla M2070

2011

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2011 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 1449.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $3,099 MSRPvs$200 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.4 vs 6.6 G3D/$ ($3,099 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
  • 542.9% higher power demand at 225W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
FirePro M5950 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (1,314 vs 1,305), 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. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. 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 to buy today. It is $2,899 cheaper on MSRP at $200 vs $3,099, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1460.2% (6.6 vs 0.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

FirePro M5950 vs Tesla M2070 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

Tesla M2070

The Tesla M2070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 25 2011. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 574 MHz. It has 448 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,305 points. Launch price was $3,099.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro M5950 scores 1,314 and the Tesla M2070 reaches 1,305 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro M5950 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Tesla M2070 uses Fermi, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 480 (FirePro M5950) vs 448 (Tesla M2070). Raw compute: 0.696 TFLOPS (FirePro M5950) vs 1.03 TFLOPS (Tesla M2070).

FeatureFirePro M5950Tesla M2070
G3D Mark Score
1,314
1,305
Architecture
TeraScale 2
Fermi
Process Node
40 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
480+7%
448
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.696 TFLOPS
1.03 TFLOPS+48%
ROPs
8
48+500%
TMUs
24
56+133%
L1 Cache
48 KB
896 KB+1767%
L2 Cache
256 KB
768 KB+200%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro M5950Tesla M2070
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 Tesla M2070 carries 512 MB. FirePro M5950 gives you 100% 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 Tesla M2070. L2 Cache: 256 KB (FirePro M5950) vs 768 KB (Tesla M2070) — the Tesla M2070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro M5950Tesla M2070
VRAM Capacity
1 GB+100%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
256 KB
768 KB+200%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro M5950 draws 35W versus the Tesla M2070's 225W — a 146.2% difference. The FirePro M5950 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro M5950) vs 350W (Tesla M2070). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureFirePro M5950Tesla M2070
TDP
35W-84%
225W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
1
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
37.5+547%
5.8
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro M5950 came in at $200, while the Tesla M2070 launched at $3099. On MSRP, FirePro M5950 was 93.5% cheaper ($2899 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 6.6 (FirePro M5950) vs 0.4 (Tesla M2070) — the FirePro M5950 offers 1550% better value.

FeatureFirePro M5950Tesla M2070
MSRP
$200-94%
$3099
Performance per Dollar
6.6+1550%
0.4
Codename
Whistler
GF100
Release
January 4 2011
July 25 2011
Ranking
#795
#698

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