Radeon HD 8950 vs GRID K280Q

Radeon HD 8950

2012Boost: 1250 MHz

GRID K280Q

2013Core: 745 MHz

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Radeon HD 8950

200

2,828

0.0%

Radeon R9 M275X / M375

Radeon R7 450

Radeon HD 5870

Radeon RX Vega 11 Ryzen 5 3350GE

2,840

+0.4%

RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation

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. 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

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar GRID K280Q

#308

Tesla K20m

MSRP: $3199|Avg: $55

10404%

#323

GRID K280Q

MSRP: $2000|Avg: $50

100%

#324

FirePro M2000

MSRP: $300|Avg: $50

100%

#325

Tesla K20c

MSRP: $3199|Avg: $500

98%

#326

GRID M6-1Q

MSRP: $1500|Avg: $100

97%

#327

Quadro FX 380

MSRP: $129|Avg: $15

96%

#328

Tesla C2050 / C2070

MSRP: $2499|Avg: $30

96%

#329

FirePro M7740

MSRP: $500|Avg: $500

94%

#330

Quadro FX 570

MSRP: $199|Avg: $15

92%

#331

RTXA5000-24Q

MSRP: $3721|Avg: $2100

91%

#332

GRID P40-1Q

MSRP: $3000|Avg: $150

90%

#334

Tesla M10

MSRP: $2500|Avg: $500

89%

#335

Tesla C2050

MSRP: $2499|Avg: $95

89%

#336

FirePro S10000

MSRP: $3599|Avg: $500

89%

#337

Quadro FX 3450

MSRP: $119|Avg: $30

88%

#338

GRID P40-24Q

MSRP: $5699|Avg: $200

87%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GRID K280Q is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.4% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 8950 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon HD 8950	GRID K280Q
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.4%)	✅Leading raw performance (+0.4%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / Kepler (2012−2018))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	✅ More VRAM (+50%)	❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency	Normal Efficiency	Normal Efficiency
Case Fit	Standard Size (267mm)	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The GRID K280Q offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GRID K280Q holds the technical lead. Priced at $50 (vs $499), it costs 90% less, resulting in a 902.2% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon HD 8950	GRID K280Q
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+902.2%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($499)	✅More affordable ($50)

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.

Radeon HD 8950 Benchmark Check

GRID K280Q Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 8950 and GRID K280Q

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.

GRID K280Q

The GRID K280Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 28 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 745 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,840 points. Launch price was $1,875.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8950 scores 2,828 and the GRID K280Q reaches 2,840 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8950 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GRID K280Q uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon HD 8950) vs 1,536 (GRID K280Q). Raw compute: 2.867 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8950) vs 2.289 TFLOPS (GRID K280Q).

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	GRID K280Q
G3D Mark Score	2,828	2,840
Architecture	GCN 1.0	Kepler
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1792+17%	1536
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.867 TFLOPS+25%	2.289 TFLOPS
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	112	128+14%
L1 Cache	448 KB+250%	128 KB
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	GRID K280Q
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 HD 8950 comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the GRID K280Q has 2 GB. The Radeon HD 8950 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 768 KB (Radeon HD 8950) vs 512 KB (GRID K280Q) — the Radeon HD 8950 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	GRID K280Q
VRAM Capacity	3 GB+50%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	256-bit+300%	64-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_0 (Radeon HD 8950) vs 11_0 (GRID K280Q). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	GRID K280Q
DirectX	12_0+9%	11_0
Max Displays	4	0

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8950 draws 200W versus the GRID K280Q's 225W — a 11.8% difference. The Radeon HD 8950 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 8950) vs 350W (GRID K280Q). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	GRID K280Q
TDP	200W-11%	225W
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	1mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Perf/Watt	14.1+12%	12.6

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 8950 launched at $499 MSRP and currently averages $499, while the GRID K280Q launched at $2000 and now averages $50. The GRID K280Q costs 90% less ($449 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 5.7 (Radeon HD 8950) vs 56.8 (GRID K280Q) — the GRID K280Q offers 896.5% better value. The GRID K280Q is the newer GPU (2013 vs 2012).