Radeon R7 260 vs Radeon HD 8950
Radeon R7 260
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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. 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
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon R7 260 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.3% 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 R7 260 | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+2.3%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.3%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+200%) |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | Standard Size (267mm) |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon R7 260 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon R7 260 holds the technical lead. Priced at $110 (vs $499), it costs 78% less, resulting in a 363.9% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+363.9%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅More affordable ($110) | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($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 Radeon R7 260 and Radeon HD 8950
Radeon R7 260
The Radeon R7 260 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 17 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1100 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 95W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,892 points. Launch price was $109.
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 Radeon R7 260 scores 2,892 and the Radeon HD 8950 reaches 2,828 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R7 260 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon HD 8950 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 768 (Radeon R7 260) vs 1,792 (Radeon HD 8950). Raw compute: 1.536 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 260) vs 2.867 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8950). Boost clocks: 1100 MHz vs 1250 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 2,892+2% | 2,828 |
| Architecture | GCN 2.0 | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 768 | 1792+133% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 1.536 TFLOPS | 2.867 TFLOPS+87% |
| Boost Clock | 1100 MHz | 1250 MHz+14% |
| ROPs | 16 | 32+100% |
| TMUs | 48 | 112+133% |
| L1 Cache | 192 KB | 448 KB+133% |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 768 KB+200% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | 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 | AMD Anti-Lag | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Radeon R7 260 comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8950 has 3 GB. The Radeon HD 8950 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 256 KB (Radeon R7 260) vs 768 KB (Radeon HD 8950) — the Radeon HD 8950 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB | 3 GB+200% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 96 GB/s | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 256-bit+100% |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 768 KB+200% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (12_0) (Radeon R7 260) vs 12_0 (Radeon HD 8950). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (12_0) | 12_0 |
| Max Displays | 3 | 4+33% |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R7 260) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 8950). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs UVD 3.1.
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | VCE 2.0 | VCE 1.0 |
| Decoder | UVD 4.2 | UVD 3.1 |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC | — |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon R7 260 draws 95W versus the Radeon HD 8950's 200W — a 71.2% difference. The Radeon R7 260 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (Radeon R7 260) vs 500W (Radeon HD 8950). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 170mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 95W-53% | 200W |
| Recommended PSU | 400W-20% | 500W |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | 6-pin + 8-pin |
| Length | 170mm | 267mm |
| Height | 112mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 80 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 30.4+116% | 14.1 |
Value Analysis
The Radeon R7 260 launched at $109 MSRP and currently averages $110, while the Radeon HD 8950 launched at $499 and now averages $499. The Radeon R7 260 costs 78% less ($389 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 26.3 (Radeon R7 260) vs 5.7 (Radeon HD 8950) — the Radeon R7 260 offers 361.4% better value. The Radeon R7 260 is the newer GPU (2013 vs 2012).
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon HD 8950 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $109-78% | $499 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $110-78% | $499 |
| Performance per Dollar | 26.3+361% | 5.7 |
| Codename | Bonaire | Tahiti |
| Release | December 17 2013 | January 31 2012 |
| Ranking | #591 | #454 |
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