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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

✅+399.1% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 613.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 5.7 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 3 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Radeon HD 8950

2012

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (2,828 vs 14,114).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
43% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$349 MSRP

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Radeon HD 8950

2012

Why buy it

✅+399.1% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 613.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 5.7 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 3 GB).

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (2,828 vs 14,114).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
43% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$349 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 2060 better than Radeon HD 8950?

Yes. GeForce RTX 2060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 14,114 vs 2,828 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 2060 is a 2019 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon HD 8950 is a 2012 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 2060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2012, 399.1% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 3 GB, and the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 2060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 2060 is about $150 cheaper on MSRP at $349 MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and you are getting 399.1% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 613.6%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Radeon HD 8950 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon HD 8950 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $499 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 2060 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce RTX 2060 Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 8950 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 8950
1080p
low	108 FPS	100 FPS
medium	98 FPS	83 FPS
high	82 FPS	66 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	39 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	84 FPS
medium	83 FPS	71 FPS
high	69 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	47 FPS	27 FPS
medium	43 FPS	26 FPS
high	31 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 Open Radeon HD 8950

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 8950
1080p
low	290 FPS	127 FPS
medium	247 FPS	102 FPS
high	197 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	155 FPS	59 FPS
1440p
low	192 FPS	78 FPS
medium	164 FPS	56 FPS
high	131 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	31 FPS
4K
low	108 FPS	29 FPS
medium	91 FPS	20 FPS
high	75 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	57 FPS	12 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 Open Radeon HD 8950

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 8950
1080p
low	635 FPS	127 FPS
medium	508 FPS	102 FPS
high	423 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	64 FPS
1440p
low	476 FPS	95 FPS
medium	381 FPS	76 FPS
high	318 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	48 FPS
4K
low	318 FPS	64 FPS
medium	254 FPS	51 FPS
high	212 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	159 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 Open Radeon HD 8950

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 8950
1080p
low	428 FPS	127 FPS
medium	354 FPS	102 FPS
high	286 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	64 FPS
1440p
low	357 FPS	95 FPS
medium	302 FPS	76 FPS
high	235 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	48 FPS
4K
low	204 FPS	64 FPS
medium	166 FPS	51 FPS
high	154 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 Open Radeon HD 8950

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 2060 and Radeon HD 8950

GeForce RTX 2060

The GeForce RTX 2060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 7 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1365 MHz to 1680 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 30 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 14,114 points. Launch price was $349.

Radeon HD 8950

The Radeon HD 8950 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 31 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1250 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,828 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2060 scores 14,114 versus the Radeon HD 8950's 2,828 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 399.1%. The GeForce RTX 2060 is built on Turing while the Radeon HD 8950 uses GCN 1.0, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 1,792 (Radeon HD 8950). Raw compute: 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 2.867 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8950). Boost clocks: 1680 MHz vs 1250 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 8950
G3D Mark Score	14,114+399%	2,828
Architecture	Turing	GCN 1.0
Process Node	12 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1920+7%	1792
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.451 TFLOPS+125%	2.867 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1680 MHz+34%	1250 MHz
ROPs	48+50%	32
TMUs	120+7%	112
L1 Cache	1.9 MB+332%	0.44 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB+300%	0.75 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon HD 8950 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 8950
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 2060 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8950 has 3 GB. The GeForce RTX 2060 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 8950) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 8950
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+100%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	3 MB+300%	0.75 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 12_0 (Radeon HD 8950). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 8950
DirectX	12 Ultimate (12_2)	12_0
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 8950). Decoder: NVDEC (Turing) vs UVD 3.1.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 8950
Encoder	NVENC (Turing)	VCE 1.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Turing)	UVD 3.1
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2060 draws 160W versus the Radeon HD 8950's 200W — a 22.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 2060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 500W (Radeon HD 8950). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 8950
TDP	160W-20%	200W
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	8-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	229mm	267mm
Height	113mm	—
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	72	—
Perf/Watt	88.2+526%	14.1

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 2060 launched at $349 MSRP, while the Radeon HD 8950 launched at $499. The GeForce RTX 2060 costs 30.1% less ($150 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 5.7 (Radeon HD 8950) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 608.8% better value. The GeForce RTX 2060 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2012).