GeForce GTX 470M SLI vs Radeon HD 6950

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 GTX 470M SLI vs Radeon HD 6950 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 GTX 470M SLI 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.

GeForce GTX 470M SLI

2010

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Draws 75W instead of 200W, a 125W reduction.
✅More future proof: Fermi (2010−2014) on 40nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 6950 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2010 hardware with 2 GB 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 8.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Radeon HD 6950

2010

Why buy it

✅11.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 2 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.
❌166.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 6950 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 11.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.1% in PassMark G3D (2,593 vs 2,540), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GTX 470M SLI is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM. 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. 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, GeForce GTX 470M SLI has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 470M SLI vs Radeon HD 6950 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 470M SLI

The GeForce GTX 470M SLI is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 1 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 535 MHz. It has 576 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,540 points.

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.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 470M SLI scores 2,540 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 GeForce GTX 470M SLI is built on Fermi while the Radeon HD 6950 uses TeraScale 3, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 576 (GeForce GTX 470M SLI) vs 1,408 (Radeon HD 6950).

Feature	GeForce GTX 470M SLI	Radeon HD 6950
G3D Mark Score	2,540	2,593+2%
Architecture	Fermi	TeraScale 3
Process Node	40 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	576	1408+144%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 470M SLI gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 6950 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470M SLI	Radeon HD 6950
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 GTX 470M SLI has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6950 carries 1 GB. GeForce GTX 470M SLI 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 GTX 470M SLI and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6950.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470M SLI	Radeon HD 6950
VRAM Capacity	2 GB+100%	1 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11 (GeForce GTX 470M SLI) vs 11_2 (Radeon HD 6950). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470M SLI	Radeon HD 6950
DirectX	11	11_2
Max Displays	3	4+33%

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce GTX 470M SLI) vs UVD 3 (Radeon HD 6950). Decoder: VP4 vs UVD 3.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470M SLI	Radeon HD 6950
Encoder	None	UVD 3
Decoder	VP4	UVD 3
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	—

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 470M SLI draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 6950's 200W — a 90.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 470M SLI is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 470M SLI) vs 500W (Radeon HD 6950). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 275mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.