GeForce GTX 950M vs Radeon HD 6950

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 950M

2015Core: 914 MHzBoost: 1124 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6950

2010Boost: 800 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 950M vs Radeon HD 6950 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 950M 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 950M 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 950M

2015

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: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 6950 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2015 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

  • 44.0% 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 44.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (2,593 vs 2,575), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 950M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2010. 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 950M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 950M vs Radeon HD 6950 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 950M

The GeForce GTX 950M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 914 MHz to 1124 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,575 points.

AMD

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.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 950M scores 2,575 and the Radeon HD 6950 reaches 2,593 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 950M is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 6950 uses TeraScale 3, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 950M) vs 1,408 (Radeon HD 6950). Raw compute: 1.439 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 950M) vs 2.253 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6950). Boost clocks: 1124 MHz vs 800 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950MRadeon HD 6950
G3D Mark Score
2,575
2,593
Architecture
Maxwell
TeraScale 3
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
640
1408+120%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.439 TFLOPS
2.253 TFLOPS+57%
Boost Clock
1124 MHz+41%
800 MHz
ROPs
16
32+100%
TMUs
40
88+120%
L1 Cache
320 KB
352 KB+10%
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 950M 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.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950MRadeon 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 950M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6950 carries 1 GB. GeForce GTX 950M 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 950M and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6950. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 950M) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6950) — the GeForce GTX 950M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950MRadeon HD 6950
VRAM Capacity
2 GB+100%
1 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB
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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 950M draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 6950's 200W — a 90.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 950M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 950M) vs 500W (Radeon HD 6950). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 2x 6-pin.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950MRadeon HD 6950
TDP
75W-63%
200W
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
2x 6-pin
Length
275mm
Slots
2
Perf/Watt
34.3+164%
13.0
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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 950M (2015 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce GTX 950MRadeon HD 6950
MSRP
$299
Codename
GM107
Cayman
Release
March 13 2015
December 14 2010
Ranking
#626
#623

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