GeForce FX 5950 Ultra vs RADEON 9800 XT

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar RADEON 9800 XT

#1

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

MSRP: $399|Avg: $280

65945%

#2

GeForce RTX 5060

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

63355%

#3

Radeon RX 5600 XT

MSRP: $279|Avg: $180

62618%

#4

Radeon RX 9060

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

62509%

#5

GeForce RTX 5050

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

62382%

#6

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

MSRP: $249|Avg: $150

62027%

#7

Arc A580

MSRP: $179|Avg: $179

61245%

#8

Radeon RX 9060 XT

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

61018%

#9

Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

60455%

#10

Radeon RX 7600

MSRP: $269|Avg: $250

60291%

#11

Radeon RX 6600

MSRP: $329|Avg: $180

59564%

#12

GeForce RTX 4060

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

59436%

#13

Arc B570

MSRP: $219|Avg: $219

58364%

#14

Arc B580

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

58327%

#359

Radeon R5 430 OEM

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $13

72727%

#374

RADEON 9800 XT

MSRP: $499|Avg: $30

100%

#375

GeForce FX 5200

MSRP: $70|Avg: $25

100%

#376

GeForce PCX 5300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $15

91%

#377

GeForce FX 5900

MSRP: $399|Avg: $20

82%

#378

GeForce FX 5600 Ultra

MSRP: $199|Avg: $20

82%

#379

GeForce FX 5100

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

73%

#380

GeForce FX 5600

MSRP: $200|Avg: $10

64%

#381

GeForce FX 5600XT

MSRP: $129|Avg: $10

64%

#382

GeForce3 Ti 200

MSRP: $149|Avg: $49

27%

#383

GeForce4 Ti 4200

MSRP: $199|Avg: $5

27%

#384

GeForce4 MX 460

MSRP: $179|Avg: $15

18%

#385

GeForce4 Ti 4400

MSRP: $299|Avg: $49

18%

#386

GeForce4 Ti 4800 SE

MSRP: $299|Avg: $30

18%

#387

GeForce4 Ti 4600

MSRP: $399|Avg: $40

18%

#388

GeForce4 Ti 4800

MSRP: $399|Avg: $40

18%

#389

RADEON 7500

MSRP: $199|Avg: $50

18%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The RADEON 9800 XT is significantly newer (2022 vs 2011). The RADEON 9800 XT likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3.5% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the RADEON 9800 XT.

Insight	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON 9800 XT
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+3.5%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-3.5%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / Fermi 2.0 (2010−2014))	RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) (5nm)
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+0%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce FX 5950 Ultra Benchmark Check

RADEON 9800 XT Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce FX 5950 Ultra and RADEON 9800 XT

GeForce FX 5950 Ultra

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 15 2011. It features the Rankine architecture. The core clock speed is 900 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 116W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 59 points. Launch price was $149.

RADEON 9800 XT

The RADEON 9800 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 3 2022. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1387 MHz to 2394 MHz. It has 5376 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 84 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 57 points. Launch price was $899.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra scores 59 and the RADEON 9800 XT reaches 57 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is built on Rankine while the RADEON 9800 XT uses RDNA 3.0, both on 40 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 5,376 (RADEON 9800 XT). Raw compute: 0.6912 TFLOPS (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 51.48 TFLOPS (RADEON 9800 XT).

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON 9800 XT
G3D Mark Score	59+4%	57
Architecture	Rankine	RDNA 3.0
Process Node	40 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	192	5376+2700%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6912 TFLOPS	51.48 TFLOPS+7348%
ROPs	24	192+700%
TMUs	32	336+950%
L1 Cache	0.25 MB	3 MB+1100%
L2 Cache	0.38 MB	6 MB+1479%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON 9800 XT
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 256 MB of GDDR5. Bus width: 128-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 0.38 MB (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 6 MB (RADEON 9800 XT) — the RADEON 9800 XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON 9800 XT
VRAM Capacity	0.25 GB	0.25 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	0.38 MB	6 MB+1479%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0a (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 9_0 (RADEON 9800 XT). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON 9800 XT
DirectX	9.0a	9_0
Max Displays	2	2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra draws 116W versus the RADEON 9800 XT's 300W — a 88.5% difference. The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 350W (RADEON 9800 XT). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy. Card length: 229mm vs 180mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots.

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON 9800 XT
TDP	116W-61%	300W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	Legacy
Length	229mm	180mm
Slots	2	1-50%
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	0.5+150%	0.2

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra launched at $0 MSRP and currently averages $0, while the RADEON 9800 XT launched at $499 and now averages $30. The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra costs 100+% less ($30 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): Infinity (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 1.9 (RADEON 9800 XT) — the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra offers Infinity% better value. The RADEON 9800 XT is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2011).