Quadro M1000M vs Radeon HD 8950

NVIDIA

Quadro M1000M

2015Core: 993 MHzBoost: 1072 MHz
Similar parts
VS
AMD

Radeon HD 8950

2012Boost: 1250 MHz
Similar parts
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Quadro M1000M vs Radeon HD 8950 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.

Quadro M1000M vs Radeon HD 8950 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.

Quadro M1000M vs Radeon HD 8950: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

Quadro M1000M

2015

Why buy it

  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
  • Draws 40W instead of 200W, a 160W reduction.
  • More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8950 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2015 hardware with 4 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 5.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Radeon HD 8950

2012

Why buy it

  • 72.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2012 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 400% higher power demand at 200W vs 40W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 8950 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 72.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Quadro M1000M instead at 2,845 vs 2,828, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Quadro M1000M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 3 GB of VRAM and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2012. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 8950 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 8950 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Quadro M1000M has the stronger long-term case.

Quadro M1000M vs Radeon HD 8950 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

Quadro M1000M

The Quadro M1000M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 18 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 993 MHz to 1072 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 40W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,845 points. Launch price was $200.89.

AMD

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 M1000M scores 2,845 and the Radeon HD 8950 reaches 2,828 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro M1000M is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 8950 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 512 (Quadro M1000M) vs 1,792 (Radeon HD 8950). Raw compute: 1.017 TFLOPS (Quadro M1000M) vs 2.867 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8950). Boost clocks: 1072 MHz vs 1250 MHz.

FeatureQuadro M1000MRadeon HD 8950
G3D Mark Score
2,845
2,828
Architecture
Maxwell
GCN 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
512
1792+250%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.017 TFLOPS
2.867 TFLOPS+182%
Boost Clock
1072 MHz
1250 MHz+17%
ROPs
16
32+100%
TMUs
32
112+250%
L1 Cache
256 KB
448 KB+75%
L2 Cache
2 MB+167%
0.75 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureQuadro M1000MRadeon HD 8950
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Quadro M1000M has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8950 carries 3 GB. Quadro M1000M gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Quadro M1000M and 256-bit on the Radeon HD 8950. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Quadro M1000M) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 8950) — the Quadro M1000M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureQuadro M1000MRadeon HD 8950
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+33%
3 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
256-bit+300%
L2 Cache
2 MB+167%
0.75 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro M1000M draws 40W versus the Radeon HD 8950's 200W — a 133.3% difference. The Quadro M1000M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro M1000M) vs 500W (Radeon HD 8950). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin.

FeatureQuadro M1000MRadeon HD 8950
TDP
40W-80%
200W
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
6-pin + 8-pin
Length
267mm
Slots
2
Perf/Watt
71.1+404%
14.1
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Quadro M1000M (2015 vs 2012).

FeatureQuadro M1000MRadeon HD 8950
MSRP
$499
Codename
GM107
Tahiti
Release
August 18 2015
January 31 2012
Ranking
#594
#454

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