GeForce GTX 950 vs Tesla K80

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 950

2015Core: 1024 MHzBoost: 1188 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

Tesla K80

2014Core: 562 MHzBoost: 824 MHz
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GeForce GTX 950 vs Tesla K80 Performance Spectrum

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.

GeForce GTX 950 vs Tesla K80: 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 950

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $4,841 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $5,000 MSRP).
  • Delivers 3041.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 33.7 vs 1.1 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $5,000 MSRP).
  • Draws 90W instead of 300W, a 210W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Tesla K80

2014

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 3044.7% HIGHER MSRP
    $5,000 MSRPvs$159 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.1 vs 33.7 G3D/$ ($5,000 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
  • 233.3% higher power demand at 300W vs 90W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Tesla K80 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.1% in PassMark G3D (5,363 vs 5,357), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 950 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2015 generation instead of 2014. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 950 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $4,841 cheaper on MSRP at $159 vs $5,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 3041.1% (33.7 vs 1.1), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Tesla K80 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 950 vs Tesla K80 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 950

The GeForce GTX 950 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 20 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1024 MHz to 1188 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 90W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,357 points. Launch price was $159.

NVIDIA

Tesla K80

The Tesla K80 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 17 2014. It features the Kepler 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 562 MHz to 824 MHz. It has 2496 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,363 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 950 scores 5,357 and the Tesla K80 reaches 5,363 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 950 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Tesla K80 uses Kepler 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 950) vs 2,496 (Tesla K80). Raw compute: 1.825 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 950) vs 4.113 TFLOPS ×2 (Tesla K80). Boost clocks: 1188 MHz vs 824 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950Tesla K80
G3D Mark Score
5,357
5,363
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
Kepler 2.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
768
2496 ×2+225%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.825 TFLOPS
4.113 TFLOPS ×2+125%
Boost Clock
1188 MHz+44%
824 MHz
ROPs
32
48 ×2+50%
TMUs
48
208 ×2+333%
L1 Cache
288 KB+38%
208 KB
L2 Cache
1 MB
1.5 MB+50%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 950 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Tesla K80 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950Tesla K80
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 950 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla K80 carries 4 GB. Tesla K80 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 950 and 128-bit on the Tesla K80. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 950) vs 1.5 MB (Tesla K80) — the Tesla K80 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950Tesla K80
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB
1.5 MB+50%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 950 draws 90W versus the Tesla K80's 300W — a 107.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 950 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 950) vs 350W (Tesla K80). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950Tesla K80
TDP
90W-70%
300W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
202mm
Slots
2
Perf/Watt
59.5+232%
17.9
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 950 came in at $159, while the Tesla K80 launched at $5000. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 950 was 96.8% cheaper ($4841 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 33.7 (GeForce GTX 950) vs 1.1 (Tesla K80) — the GeForce GTX 950 offers 2963.6% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 950 (2015 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce GTX 950Tesla K80
MSRP
$159-97%
$5000
Performance per Dollar
33.7+2964%
1.1
Codename
GM206
GK210
Release
August 20 2015
November 17 2014
Ranking
#425
#419

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