GeForce FX 5950 Ultra vs RADEON X550

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.

GeForce FX 5950 Ultra vs RADEON X550 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.

GeForce FX 5950 Ultra vs RADEON X550: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce FX 5950 Ultra

2011

Why buy it

✅+15.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.

Trade-offs

❌2011 hardware with 256 MB 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 0 vs 0.8 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
❌132% higher power demand at 116W vs 50W.

RADEON X550

2017

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.8 vs 0 G3D/$ ($60 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 50W instead of 116W, a 66W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 4.0 (2016−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (51 vs 59).
❌2017 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 15.7% in PassMark G3D (59 vs 51), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

RADEON X550 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, RADEON X550 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce FX 5950 Ultra has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce FX 5950 Ultra vs RADEON X550 Technical Specifications

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

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 X550

The RADEON X550 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 20 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1100 MHz to 1183 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 51 points. Launch price was $79.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra scores 59 versus the RADEON X550's 51 — the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra leads by 15.7%. The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is built on Rankine while the RADEON X550 uses GCN 4.0, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 512 (RADEON X550). Raw compute: 0.6912 TFLOPS (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 1.211 TFLOPS (RADEON X550).

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON X550
G3D Mark Score	59+16%	51
Architecture	Rankine	GCN 4.0
Process Node	40 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	192	512+167%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6912 TFLOPS	1.211 TFLOPS+75%
ROPs	24+50%	16
TMUs	32	32
L1 Cache	256 KB+100%	128 KB
L2 Cache	384 KB+50%	256 KB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The RADEON X550 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON X550
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 256 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra and 64-bit on the RADEON X550. L2 Cache: 384 KB (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 256 KB (RADEON X550) — the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON X550
VRAM Capacity	0.25 GB	0.25 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	384 KB+50%	256 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra draws 116W versus the RADEON X550's 50W — a 79.5% difference. The RADEON X550 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 350W (RADEON X550). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy.

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON X550
TDP	116W	50W-57%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	Legacy
Length	229mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	0.5	1.0+100%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra came in at $0, while the RADEON X550 launched at $60. On MSRP, GeForce FX 5950 Ultra was 100+% cheaper ($60 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): Infinity (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 0.8 (RADEON X550) — the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is RADEON X550 (2017 vs 2011).

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON X550
MSRP	$0-100%	$60
Performance per Dollar	Infinity	0.8
Codename	GF116	Lexa
Release	March 15 2011	April 20 2017
Ranking	#761	#668

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