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FirePro R5000 vs Radeon HD 6950

CPUCPUGPUGPU

FirePro R5000

2013Core: 825 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6950

2010Boost: 800 MHz
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FirePro R5000 vs Radeon HD 6950 Performance Spectrum

FirePro R5000
4 GB 150
2,647
+2.1%
brand logoRadeon R9 M365X
brand logoRadeon HD 5830
brand logoRadeon R9 M385
brand logoRadeon R9 M470
brand logoRadeon RX 6500M
brand logoRadeon RX 7400
brand logoRadeon RX 7800M
brand logoRadeon RX 6750 XT
Radeon HD 6950
1 GB 200
2,593
0.0%
brand logoRadeon R7 M370
brand logoRadeon HD 5830
brand logoRadeon R9 350
brand logoRadeon HD 5970
brand logoRadeon RX 6500M
brand logoRadeon RX 7400
brand logoRadeon RX 7800M
brand logoRadeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB

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 R5000 vs Radeon HD 6950: 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 R5000

2013

Why buy it

  • ✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).
  • ✅Draws 150W instead of 200W, a 50W reduction.
  • ✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • ❌2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • ❌
    267.6% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,099 MSRPvs$299 MSRP
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.4 vs 8.7 G3D/$ ($1,099 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Radeon HD 6950

2010

Why buy it

  • ✅Costs $800 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $1,099 MSRP).
  • ✅Delivers 260.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.7 vs 2.4 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $1,099 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • ❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • ❌2010 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 power demand at 200W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
FirePro R5000 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.1% in PassMark G3D (2,647 vs 2,593), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
FirePro R5000 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2013 generation instead of 2010. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 6950 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $800 cheaper on MSRP at $299 vs $1,099, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 260.1% (8.7 vs 2.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6950 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro R5000 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro R5000 vs Radeon HD 6950 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro R5000

The FirePro R5000 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in February 25 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 825 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,647 points. Launch price was $1,099.

AMD

Radeon HD 6950

The Radeon HD 6950 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 14 2010. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The boost clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,593 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The FirePro R5000 scores 2,647 and the Radeon HD 6950 reaches 2,593 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro R5000 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon HD 6950 uses TeraScale 3, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 768 (FirePro R5000) vs 1,408 (Radeon HD 6950). Raw compute: 1.267 TFLOPS (FirePro R5000) vs 2.253 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6950).

FeatureFirePro R5000Radeon HD 6950
G3D Mark Score
2,647+2%
2,593
Architecture
GCN 1.0
TeraScale 3
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
768
1408+83%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.267 TFLOPS
2.253 TFLOPS+78%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
48
88+83%
L1 Cache
192 KB
352 KB+83%
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro R5000Radeon HD 6950
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro R5000 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6950 carries 1 GB. FirePro R5000 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 R5000 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6950.

FeatureFirePro R5000Radeon HD 6950
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+300%
1 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro R5000) vs 11_2 (Radeon HD 6950). Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

FeatureFirePro R5000Radeon HD 6950
DirectX
12+9%
11_2
Max Displays
6+50%
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro R5000) vs UVD 3 (Radeon HD 6950). Decoder: UVD vs UVD 3.

FeatureFirePro R5000Radeon HD 6950
Encoder
VCE 1.0
UVD 3
Decoder
UVD
UVD 3
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
—
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro R5000 draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 6950's 200W — a 28.6% difference. The FirePro R5000 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro R5000) vs 500W (Radeon HD 6950). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 279mm vs 275mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots.

FeatureFirePro R5000Radeon HD 6950
TDP
150W-25%
200W
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
2x 6-pin
Length
279mm
275mm
Height
111mm
—
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
85°C
—
Perf/Watt
17.6+35%
13.0
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro R5000 came in at $1099, while the Radeon HD 6950 launched at $299. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6950 was 72.8% cheaper ($800 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.4 (FirePro R5000) vs 8.7 (Radeon HD 6950) — the Radeon HD 6950 offers 262.5% better value. The newer card here is FirePro R5000 (2013 vs 2010).

FeatureFirePro R5000Radeon HD 6950
MSRP
$1099
$299-73%
Performance per Dollar
2.4
8.7+262%
Codename
Pitcairn
Cayman
Release
February 25 2013
December 14 2010
Ranking
#619
#623
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