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.

Radeon HD 8950 vs Radeon Pro WX 4170 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.

Radeon HD 8950 vs Radeon Pro WX 4170: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Radeon HD 8950

2012

Why buy it

✅25.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

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.
❌
24.8% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$400 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.7 vs 7.2 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
❌300% higher power demand at 200W vs 50W.

Radeon Pro WX 4170

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $99 less on MSRP ($400 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 26.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.2 vs 5.7 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Draws 50W instead of 200W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8950 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2016 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

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 25.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon Pro WX 4170 instead at 2,870 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?

Radeon HD 8950 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon Pro WX 4170 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $99 cheaper on MSRP at $400 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 26.6% (7.2 vs 5.7), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon Pro WX 4170 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 8950 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 8950 vs Radeon Pro WX 4170 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon Pro WX 4170

The Radeon Pro WX 4170 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 10 2016. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1125 MHz to 1201 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,870 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8950 scores 2,828 and the Radeon Pro WX 4170 reaches 2,870 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8950 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon Pro WX 4170 uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon HD 8950) vs 1,024 (Radeon Pro WX 4170). Raw compute: 2.867 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8950) vs 2.46 TFLOPS (Radeon Pro WX 4170). Boost clocks: 1250 MHz vs 1201 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	Radeon Pro WX 4170
G3D Mark Score	2,828	2,870+1%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	1792+75%	1024
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.867 TFLOPS+17%	2.46 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1250 MHz+4%	1201 MHz
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	112+75%	64
L1 Cache	448 KB+75%	256 KB
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	1 MB+33%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	Radeon Pro WX 4170
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 8950 has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Pro WX 4170 carries 4 GB. Radeon Pro WX 4170 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon HD 8950 and 64-bit on the Radeon Pro WX 4170. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 8950) vs 1 MB (Radeon Pro WX 4170) — the Radeon Pro WX 4170 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	Radeon Pro WX 4170
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	256-bit+300%	64-bit
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	1 MB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_0 (Radeon HD 8950) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon Pro WX 4170). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	Radeon Pro WX 4170
DirectX	12_0	12 (12_0)
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 8950) vs VCE 3.4 (Polaris) (Radeon Pro WX 4170). Decoder: UVD 3.1 vs UVD 6.3.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	Radeon Pro WX 4170
Encoder	VCE 1.0	VCE 3.4 (Polaris)
Decoder	UVD 3.1	UVD 6.3
Codecs	—	H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Decode Only),AV1 (Decode Only)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8950 draws 200W versus the Radeon Pro WX 4170's 50W — a 120% difference. The Radeon Pro WX 4170 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 8950) vs 350W (Radeon Pro WX 4170). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	Radeon Pro WX 4170
TDP	200W	50W-75%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	—	80°C
Perf/Watt	14.1	57.4+307%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 8950 came in at $499, while the Radeon Pro WX 4170 launched at $400. On MSRP, Radeon Pro WX 4170 was 19.8% cheaper ($99 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.7 (Radeon HD 8950) vs 7.2 (Radeon Pro WX 4170) — the Radeon Pro WX 4170 offers 26.3% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Pro WX 4170 (2016 vs 2012).

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	Radeon Pro WX 4170
MSRP	$499	$400-20%
Performance per Dollar	5.7	7.2+26%
Codename	Tahiti	Baffin
Release	January 31 2012	November 10 2016
Ranking	#454	#526

Search Radeon HD 8950 on Amazon

Search Radeon Pro WX 4170 on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.