AMD Radeon HD 6950 vs NVIDIA GeForce 940M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains one shared benchmark between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. In that test, the AMD Radeon HD 6950 scores 6210 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce 940M scores 6018 points. The delta is 3.2% in favor of the AMD part, making it the winner of the only direct comparison available. That 3.2% margin is modest in absolute terms, but it is the only head-to-head result, so it carries the full weight of the comparison.

For context on the AMD side, the HD 6950 sits at the 36th percentile among all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals cluster tightly around it: the AMD FirePro W600 scores 6223 (0.2% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER AD102 and RTX 5070 Ti SUPER both score 6270 (0.9% higher), and the NVIDIA Quadro K620 scores 6282 (1.1% higher). These are all within roughly 1% of the HD 6950, indicating that the HD 6950's performance tier is very tightly packed. The HD 6950's average benchmark score is 6210, identical to its OpenCL score since that is its only recorded benchmark.

On the NVIDIA side, the GeForce 940M sits at the 31st percentile, five points lower than the HD 6950. Its nearest rivals are a mix of mobile and desktop parts: the GeForce GTX 980M scores 5308 (0.4% above the 940M's average), the GeForce 930A scores 5317 (0.6% above), the GeForce 840M scores 5322 (0.7% above), and the GeForce GTX 760M scores 5236 (0.9% below). The 940M's average benchmark score is 5284, which combines its OpenCL score of 6018 and its Vulkan score of 4549. The Vulkan result is notably lower than OpenCL, suggesting that the 940M's Maxwell architecture performs better under the OpenCL compute workload than under Vulkan in this particular test.

The delta between the two GPUs' average scores is larger than the head-to-head OpenCL delta. The HD 6950's average is 6210, while the 940M's average is 5284, a difference of 926 points or roughly 17.5% in favor of the AMD card. However, this comparison mixes different benchmark types, so the more reliable direct comparison remains the OpenCL test, where the HD 6950 leads by 3.2%.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the only direct benchmark comparison?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6950 wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 6210 versus the NVIDIA GeForce 940M's 6018, a 3.2% advantage.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in overall database percentile rankings?

A: The HD 6950 sits at the 36th percentile among all GPUs, while the GeForce 940M sits at the 31st percentile, a gap of five percentile points.

Q: What is the GeForce 940M's Vulkan score, and how does it compare to its OpenCL score?

A: The 940M scores 4549 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is substantially lower than its OpenCL score of 6018. The HD 6950 has no recorded Vulkan benchmark in the database.

Q: Are the HD 6950's nearest rivals closely matched?

A: Yes, the HD 6950's nearest rivals are all within 1.1% of its score. The AMD FirePro W600 is 0.2% higher, the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER AD102 and RTX 5070 Ti SUPER are each 0.9% higher, and the Quadro K620 is 1.1% higher.

Q: What is the GeForce 940M's average benchmark score?

A: The 940M's average benchmark score is 5284, derived from its OpenCL score of 6018 and Vulkan score of 4549. This is lower than its OpenCL score alone because the Vulkan result drags the average down.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor count?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6950 has 2,640 million transistors, while the NVIDIA GeForce 940M has 1,870 million transistors. The HD 6950 also has a larger die size at 389 mm² versus 148 mm².

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 6950 wins the only direct head-to-head benchmark available. In Geekbench OpenCL, it outperforms the GeForce 940M by 3.2%. This suggests that for compute-oriented workloads measured by OpenCL, the HD 6950 holds an edge despite its older architecture. The HD 6950 also has a higher database percentile ranking (36th versus 31st), indicating that its overall performance profile places it higher among all GPUs in the database.

The NVIDIA GeForce 940M does not win any direct benchmark comparison in the recorded data. However, it does have a Vulkan benchmark result (4549), which the HD 6950 lacks entirely. This means the 940M is the only one of the two with demonstrated Vulkan compute capability in the database. The 940M also has a significantly lower power draw (75 W versus 200 W), which is relevant for mobile or low-power applications, though that is a specification difference rather than a benchmark win.

For users prioritizing raw compute performance in OpenCL, the HD 6950 is the stronger choice based on the 3.2% head-to-head delta. For users who need Vulkan support, the 940M is the only option with a recorded Vulkan score, though that score is 24% lower than its own OpenCL performance.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ on nearly every specification field. The AMD Radeon HD 6950 uses a 40 nm process node, while the NVIDIA GeForce 940M uses 28 nm. Both are fabricated by TSMC. The HD 6950 has 2,640 million transistors on a 389 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 6.8M per mm². The 940M has 1,870 million transistors on a 148 mm² die, with a density of 12.6M per mm², more than double the HD 6950's density.

Memory configurations diverge sharply. The HD 6950 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 160.0 GB/s bandwidth and a memory clock of 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective). The 940M uses 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth and a memory clock of 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective). The HD 6950's memory bandwidth is over 11 times higher.

Compute resources also differ. The HD 6950 has 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 32 raster operation units. The 940M has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Pixel rates are 25.60 GPixel/s for the HD 6950 versus 17.57 GPixel/s for the 940M. Texture rates are 70.40 GTexel/s versus 35.14 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 2.253 TFLOPS for the HD 6950 versus 1,124.4 GFLOPS (1.124 TFLOPS) for the 940M.

Power and physical specifications differ as well. The HD 6950 has a TDP of 200 W, requires dual-slot cooling, uses 2x 6-pin power connectors, and has a suggested PSU of 550 W. The 940M has a TDP of 75 W, uses an MXM module form factor, has no power connectors, and lists no suggested PSU. The HD 6950's dimensions are 286 mm in length, 126 mm in height, and 42 mm in width. The 940M has no recorded dimensions.

The HD 6950 uses a PCIe 2.0 x16 bus interface, while the 940M uses MXM-B (3.0). Display outputs also differ: the HD 6950 has 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2, while the 940M's outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent."

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon HD 6950 is built on the Cayman chip using the TeraScale 3 architecture, part of the Northern Islands generation (HD 6900 series). The NVIDIA GeForce 940M is built on the GM107 chip using the Maxwell architecture, part of the GeForce 900M generation. These are fundamentally different design philosophies: TeraScale 3 is AMD's older VLIW-style architecture, while Maxwell is NVIDIA's later, more efficiency-focused design.

The process nodes reflect the generational gap: the HD 6950 uses 40 nm while the 940M uses 28 nm, both from TSMC. The HD 6950's larger die (389 mm² versus 148 mm²) and higher transistor count (2,640 million versus 1,870 million) indicate a much more complex chip, though the 940M's higher transistor density (12.6M per mm² versus 6.8M per mm²) shows the newer process allowed tighter packing.

API support differs meaningfully. The HD 6950 supports DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4, with no Vulkan support listed. The 940M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. This means the 940M has access to newer graphics APIs, including Vulkan, which the HD 6950 cannot use.

Clock behavior also differs. The HD 6950 lists only a memory clock of 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) with no base or boost clock recorded. The 940M has a base clock of 1020 MHz and a boost clock of 1098 MHz, plus a memory clock of 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective). The 940M's boost capability is a feature of the Maxwell architecture's GPU Boost technology.

The release dates show a substantial generational gap: the HD 6950 launched on December 13, 2010, while the 940M launched on March 12, 2015, over four years later. The HD 6950's predecessor is Evergreen and its successor is Southern Islands. The 940M's predecessor is GeForce 800M and its successor is GeForce 10 Mobile.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear if narrow winner in direct performance: the AMD Radeon HD 6950 leads the NVIDIA GeForce 940M by 3.2% in the sole head-to-head Geekbench OpenCL test. The HD 6950 also holds a higher overall database percentile (36th versus 31st) and substantially higher raw specifications in memory bandwidth, shading units, texture units, ROPs, and FP32 throughput. Its 160.0 GB/s memory bandwidth dwarfs the 940M's 14.40 GB/s, and its 2.253 TFLOPS FP32 is nearly double the 940M's 1,124.4 GFLOPS.

However, the 940M has advantages that the HD 6950 cannot match. It supports Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12, while the HD 6950 maxes out at DirectX 11.2 and OpenGL 4.4 with no Vulkan. The 940M's 75 W TDP is dramatically lower than the HD 6950's 200 W, and its MXM form factor makes it suitable for portable devices, whereas the HD 6950 is a dual-slot, 286 mm desktop card requiring 2x 6-pin power connectors and a 550 W PSU.

Users who need maximum compute performance in OpenCL and can accommodate a large, power-hungry desktop card should choose the AMD Radeon HD 6950. Its benchmark lead, though small in percentage terms, is consistent across raw specification advantages. Users who need modern API support, particularly Vulkan, or who require a low-power, mobile-capable GPU should choose the NVIDIA GeForce 940M. The 940M's Vulkan score of 4549 is the only Vulkan result in this comparison, and its 75 W power draw makes it viable for thin-and-light laptops. The verdict, strictly from the data, is that the HD 6950 wins on raw performance and compute throughput, while the 940M wins on efficiency, API modernity, and portability.