
Quadro K5000M vs Radeon HD 8950

Quadro K5000M
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Radeon HD 8950
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. The Quadro K5000M is positioned at rank #50 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Great cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Quadro K5000M
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 8950 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.8% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Quadro K5000M offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Quadro K5000M | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.8%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.8%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / Kepler (2012−2018)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+33.3%) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | — | Standard Size (267mm) |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon HD 8950 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 8950 holds the technical lead. Priced at $499 (vs $509), it costs 2% less, resulting in a 2.8% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Quadro K5000M | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+2.8%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($509) | ✅More affordable ($499) |
Performance Check
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 7800X3D 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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Quadro K5000M and Radeon HD 8950

Quadro K5000M
The Quadro K5000M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 7 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 601 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,805 points. Launch price was $329.99.

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
The Quadro K5000M scores 2,805 and the Radeon HD 8950 reaches 2,828 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro K5000M is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 8950 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,344 (Quadro K5000M) vs 1,792 (Radeon HD 8950). Raw compute: 1.615 TFLOPS (Quadro K5000M) vs 2.867 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8950).
| Feature | Quadro K5000M | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 2,805 | 2,828 |
| Architecture | Kepler | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 1344 | 1792+33% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 1.615 TFLOPS | 2.867 TFLOPS+78% |
| ROPs | 32 | 32 |
| TMUs | 112 | 112 |
| L1 Cache | 112 KB | 448 KB+300% |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB | 768 KB+50% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Quadro K5000M | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | Standard | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Quadro K5000M comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8950 has 3 GB. The Quadro K5000M offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Quadro K5000M) vs 768 KB (Radeon HD 8950) — the Radeon HD 8950 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Quadro K5000M | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB+33% | 3 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Bus Width | 64-bit | 256-bit+300% |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB | 768 KB+50% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (Quadro K5000M) vs 12_0 (Radeon HD 8950). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | Quadro K5000M | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12_0 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: 1st Gen NVENC (Kepler) (Quadro K5000M) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 8950). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP5 vs UVD 3.1.
| Feature | Quadro K5000M | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | 1st Gen NVENC (Kepler) | VCE 1.0 |
| Decoder | PureVideo HD VP5 | UVD 3.1 |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 | — |
Power & Dimensions
The Quadro K5000M draws 100W versus the Radeon HD 8950's 200W — a 66.7% difference. The Quadro K5000M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro K5000M) vs 500W (Radeon HD 8950). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin.
| Feature | Quadro K5000M | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 100W-50% | 200W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W-30% | 500W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | 6-pin + 8-pin |
| Length | — | 267mm |
| Slots | 0-100% | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 81°C | — |
| Perf/Watt | 28.1+99% | 14.1 |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 8950 costs 2% less ($10 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 5.5 (Quadro K5000M) vs 5.7 (Radeon HD 8950) — the Radeon HD 8950 offers 3.6% better value.
| Feature | Quadro K5000M | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | — | $499 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $509 | $499-2% |
| Performance per Dollar | 5.5 | 5.7+4% |
| Codename | GK104 | Tahiti |
| Release | August 7 2012 | January 31 2012 |
| Ranking | #600 | #454 |
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