RADEON 9800
VS
GeForce FX 5950 Ultra

RADEON 9800 vs GeForce FX 5950 Ultra

AMD

RADEON 9800

2025Core: 1295 MHzBoost: 2900 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce FX 5950 Ultra

2011Core: 900 MHz

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 RADEON 9800 is positioned at rank #740 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar RADEON 9800

#730
Radeon RX 550X (móvel)
MSRP: $35|Avg: $35
72380%
#732
65613%
#733
65440%
#737
GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50
59507%
#738
Radeon RX 6300
MSRP: $60|Avg: $40
59100%
#740
RADEON 9800
MSRP: $399|Avg: $399
100%
#742
RADEON 9200 SE
MSRP: $30|Avg: $15
67%
#743
RADEON 9000
MSRP: $49|Avg: $20
67%
#744
MOBILITY RADEON 7500
MSRP: $49|Avg: $15
53%
#745
MOBILITY RADEON 9200
MSRP: $49|Avg: $15
40%
#746
MOBILITY RADEON 9000
MSRP: $50|Avg: $5
40%
#747
GeForce4 MX 420
MSRP: $99|Avg: $10
33%
#748
RADEON 9250
MSRP: $79|Avg: $25
27%
#749
RADEON 9200
MSRP: $99|Avg: $25
27%
#750
GeForce 256
MSRP: $199|Avg: $20
20%
#751
GeForce4 MX 440
MSRP: $149|Avg: $49
20%
#752
GeForce2 MX/MX 400
MSRP: $129|Avg: $15
20%
#753
RADEON 7200
MSRP: $99|Avg: $45
20%
#754
GeForce2 MX
MSRP: $129|Avg: $49
13%
#755
GeForce4 440
MSRP: $469|Avg: $49
7%
Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The RADEON 9800 is significantly newer (2025 vs 2011). The RADEON 9800 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.7% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (256 MB vs 128 MB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the RADEON 9800.

InsightRADEON 9800GeForce FX 5950 Ultra
Performance
Lower raw frame rates (-1.7%)
Leading raw performance (+1.7%)
Longevity
RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) (4nm)
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / Fermi 2.0 (2010−2014))
Ecosystem
Supports FSR Upscaling
Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM
❌ Less VRAM capacity
✅ More VRAM (+100%)
Efficiency
💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit
📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

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 RADEON 9800 and GeForce FX 5950 Ultra

AMD

RADEON 9800

The RADEON 9800 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 6 2025. It features the RDNA 3.5 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1295 MHz to 2900 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 55W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 58 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce FX 5950 Ultra

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 15 2011. It features the Rankine architecture. The core clock speed is 900 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 116W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 59 points. Launch price was $149.

Graphics Performance

The RADEON 9800 scores 58 and the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra reaches 59 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The RADEON 9800 is built on RDNA 3.5 while the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra uses Rankine, both on 4 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (RADEON 9800) vs 192 (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra). Raw compute: 14.85 TFLOPS (RADEON 9800) vs 0.6912 TFLOPS (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra).

FeatureRADEON 9800GeForce FX 5950 Ultra
G3D Mark Score
58
59+2%
Architecture
RDNA 3.5
Rankine
Process Node
4 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
2560+1233%
192
Compute (TFLOPS)
14.85 TFLOPS+2048%
0.6912 TFLOPS
ROPs
64+167%
24
TMUs
160+400%
32
L2 Cache
8 MB+2005%
0.38 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRADEON 9800GeForce FX 5950 Ultra
Upscaling Tech
FSR 1.0 (Software)
FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The RADEON 9800 comes with 128 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra has 256 MB. The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 8 MB (RADEON 9800) vs 0.38 MB (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) — the RADEON 9800 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRADEON 9800GeForce FX 5950 Ultra
VRAM Capacity
0.125 GB
0.25 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
8 MB+2005%
0.38 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The RADEON 9800 draws 55W versus the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra's 116W — a 71.3% difference. The RADEON 9800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (RADEON 9800) vs 350W (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy.

FeatureRADEON 9800GeForce FX 5950 Ultra
TDP
55W-53%
116W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
Legacy
Length
229mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
1.1+120%
0.5
💰

Value Analysis

The RADEON 9800 launched at $399 MSRP and currently averages $399, while the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra launched at $0 and now averages $0. The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra costs 100+% less ($399 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 0.1 (RADEON 9800) vs Infinity (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) — the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra offers Infinity% better value. The RADEON 9800 is the newer GPU (2025 vs 2011).

FeatureRADEON 9800GeForce FX 5950 Ultra
MSRP
$399
$0-100%
Avg Price (30d)
$399
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
0.1
Infinity
Codename
Strix Halo
GF116
Release
January 6 2025
March 15 2011
Ranking
#98
#761