GeForce FX 5950 Ultra vs RADEON X550XT

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 X550XT 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 X550XT: 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

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

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 256 MB vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌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 1.1 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
❌132% higher power demand at 116W vs 50W.
❌36.3% longer card at 229mm vs 168mm.

RADEON X550XT

2019

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 1.1 vs 0 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 256 MB).
✅GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is already obsolete for modern gaming, so RADEON X550XT is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 50W instead of 116W, a 66W reduction.
✅Measures 168mm instead of 229mm, a 61mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌2019 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

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 5.4% in PassMark G3D (59 vs 56), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

RADEON X550XT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 512 MB vs 256 MB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 14nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2011. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

RADEON X550XT makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. GeForce FX 5950 Ultra still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce FX 5950 Ultra vs RADEON X550XT 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 X550XT

The RADEON X550XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 27 2019. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1218 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 56 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra scores 59 versus the RADEON X550XT's 56 — the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra leads by 5.4%. The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is built on Rankine while the RADEON X550XT uses GCN 4.0, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 512 (RADEON X550XT). Raw compute: 0.6912 TFLOPS (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 1.247 TFLOPS (RADEON X550XT).

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON X550XT
G3D Mark Score	59+5%	56
Architecture	Rankine	GCN 4.0
Process Node	40 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	192	512+167%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6912 TFLOPS	1.247 TFLOPS+80%
ROPs	24+50%	16
TMUs	32	32
L1 Cache	256 KB+100%	128 KB
L2 Cache	384 KB	512 KB+33%

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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 X550XT leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON X550XT
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)

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra has 256 MB of VRAM, while the RADEON X550XT carries 512 MB. RADEON X550XT gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra and 64-bit on the RADEON X550XT. L2 Cache: 384 KB (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 512 KB (RADEON X550XT) — the RADEON X550XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON X550XT
VRAM Capacity	0.25 GB	0.5 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	384 KB	512 KB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0a (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 9.0b (RADEON X550XT). OpenGL: 1.5 vs 2.0. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON X550XT
DirectX	9.0a	9.0b
OpenGL	1.5	2.0+33%
Max Displays	2	2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra draws 116W versus the RADEON X550XT's 50W — a 79.5% difference. The RADEON X550XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 350W (RADEON X550XT). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy. Card length: 229mm vs 168mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 65.

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON X550XT
TDP	116W	50W-57%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	Legacy
Length	229mm	168mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	2	1-50%
Temp (Load)	75°C	65-13%
Perf/Watt	0.5	1.1+120%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra came in at $0, while the RADEON X550XT launched at $50. On MSRP, GeForce FX 5950 Ultra was 100+% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): Infinity (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 1.1 (RADEON X550XT) — the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is RADEON X550XT (2019 vs 2011).

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	RADEON X550XT
MSRP	$0-100%	$50
Performance per Dollar	Infinity	1.1
Codename	GF116	Lexa
Release	March 15 2011	March 27 2019
Ranking	#761	#772

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