AMD Radeon HD 7950 vs AMD Radeon R9 M295X Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7950 has a higher average benchmark score of 33,951, compared to the AMD Radeon R9 M295X's average of 28,580. The HD 7950 also holds a higher percentile ranking, sitting at the 78th percentile versus the R9 M295X's 74th.

Q: How do the two cards compare in a direct Metal benchmark test?

A: In the recorded Geekbench Metal test, the AMD Radeon HD 7950 edges out the R9 M295X with a score of 33,951 versus 33,790. This gives the HD 7950 a 0.5% lead in the head-to-head comparison.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each card according to the data?

A: The HD 7950's closest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 480, with a score of 33,997, a 0.1% difference. The R9 M295X's nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000, which scores 28,421, just 0.6% apart.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference between the two?

A: The HD 7950 uses 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, providing 240.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The R9 M295X uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, providing 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Which architecture does each GPU use?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7950 is built on GCN 1.0 architecture with a Tahiti chip, while the AMD Radeon R9 M295X uses GCN 3.0 architecture with an Amethyst chip.

Q: Do both cards support the same API levels?

A: Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170. However, they differ in DirectX support: the HD 7950 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), while the R9 M295X supports DirectX 12 (12_0).

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent different generations of AMD's Graphics Core Next design. The AMD Radeon HD 7950 belongs to the Southern Islands family (HD 7900) and uses GCN 1.0 architecture. Its chip is codenamed Tahiti, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The R9 M295X belongs to the Gem System (R9 M200) generation and uses the newer GCN 3.0 architecture, with a chip codenamed Amethyst, also built on a 28 nm TSMC process.

The transistor counts and die sizes differ notably. The HD 7950 contains 4,313 million transistors on a 352 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 12.3 million per square millimeter. The R9 M295X contains 5,000 million transistors on a slightly larger 366 mm² die, giving it a higher density of 13.7 million per square millimeter.

The compute configurations are not identical either. The HD 7950 has 1,792 shader units, 112 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. The R9 M295X has 2,048 shader units, 128 TMUs, and the same 32 ROPs. This gives the R9 M295X more raw shading hardware, but the HD 7950 has a higher pixel rate (25.60 GPixel/s versus 23.14 GPixel/s).

Memory architecture also diverges. The HD 7950 has 3 GB of GDDR5 on a wide 384-bit bus, while the R9 M295X has 4 GB on a 256-bit bus. The wider bus on the HD 7950 yields 240.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is significantly higher than the R9 M295X's 160.0 GB/s.

The API support shows a generation gap: the HD 7950 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), while the R9 M295X supports DirectX 12 (12_0), indicating a newer feature set for the mobile part. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single direct comparison between these two GPUs. In the Geekbench Metal test, the AMD Radeon HD 7950 scores 33,951, narrowly defeating the R9 M295X's 33,910. The margin is just 0.5%, which is within the noise of typical benchmark variation.

Looking at the broader benchmark data, the HD 7950's average score of 33,951 is derived from that single Metal test. The R9 M295X has three recorded benchmark results: Metal at 33,910, OpenCL at 22,858, and Vulkan at 29,091. Averaging those three gives 28,580, which pulls its overall average down considerably.

The rivals list puts these scores in context. The HD 7950 is nearly tied with the AMD Radeon RX 480 (33,997, a 0.1% difference) and the AMD Radeon RX 7700S (33,849, a 0.3% difference). The R9 M295X's average sits close to the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 (28,421, a 0.6% difference) and the AMD Radeon RX 570 (28,766, a 0.6% difference).

The key takeaway is that in the only shared test, the HD 7950 wins by a razor-thin margin. However, the R9 M295X shows a different performance profile in its other benchmarks, with OpenCL scores significantly lower than Metal and Vulkan scores in between.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in several key specifications that are recorded in the database.

Chip and Architecture:

• HD 7950: Tahiti, GCN 1.0, Southern Islands generation
• R9 M295X: Amethyst, GCN 3.0, Gem System generation

Transistor count and die:

• HD 7950: 4,313 million transistors, 352 mm², 12.3M / mm² density
• R9 M295X: 5,000 million transistors, 366 mm², 13.7M / mm² density

Memory:

• HD 7950: 3 GB GDDR5, 384-bit bus, 240.0 GB/s bandwidth
• R9 M295X: 4 GB GDDR5, 256-bit bus, 160.0 GB/s bandwidth

Core configuration:

• HD 7950: 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, 32 ROPs
• R9 M295X: 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 32 ROPs

Rates and throughput:

• HD 7950: 25.60 GPixel/s, 89.60 GTexel/s, 2.867 TFLOPS FP32
• R9 M295X: 23.14 GPixel/s, 92.54 GTexel/s, 2.961 TFLOPS FP32
• R9 M295X also has FP16 at 2.961 TFLOPS (1:1), while the HD 7950 does not list FP16

Power and physical:

• HD 7950: 200 W TDP, dual-slot, 2x 6-pin connectors, 550 W suggested PSU
• R9 M295X: 250 W TDP, MXM module, no power connectors, no suggested PSU

Bus and outputs:

• HD 7950: PCIe 3.0 x16, 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2
• R9 M295X: MXM-B (3.0), portable device dependent outputs

Dimensions:

• HD 7950: 278 mm length, 111 mm height, 38 mm width
• R9 M295X: no dimensions listed

Release and status:

• HD 7950: released January 30, 2012, launch MSRP 449 USD, end-of-life
• R9 M295X: released November 22, 2014, no launch MSRP, end-of-life

DirectX support:

• HD 7950: DirectX 12 (11_1)
• R9 M295X: DirectX 12 (12_0)

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 7950 wins on:

• Memory bandwidth: 240.0 GB/s versus 160.0 GB/s
• Pixel fill rate: 25.60 GPixel/s versus 23.14 GPixel/s
• The only Head-to-Head benchmark test (Metal) with a 0.5% lead
• Percentile ranking: 78th versus 74th percentile
• Lower TDP: 200 W versus 250 W
• Desktop form factor with standard display outputs (DVI, HDMI, mini-DisplayPort)

The AMD Radeon R9 M295X wins on:

• Raw shader count: 2,048 versus 1,792
• TMUs: 128 versus 112
• Texture fill rate: 92.54 GTexel/s versus 89.60 GTexel/s
• FP32 compute: 2.961 TFLOPS versus 2.867 TFLOPS
• FP16 support at 1:1 ratio (not listed on HD 7950)
• Memory capacity: 4 GB versus 3 GB
• Newer architecture: GCN 3.0 versus GCN 1.0
• Modern DirectX 12 (12_0) support versus 11_1
• Higher transistor count and density

The HD 7950 is better suited for bandwidth-heavy workloads like high-resolution textures and multi-monitor setups, given its much wider memory bus. The R9 M295X is better for compute tasks, with higher shader counts and FP32 throughput, and it has the capacity advantage to hold larger datasets in memory.

The Verdict

The data clearly shows the AMD Radeon HD 7950 is the stronger performer in the only directly comparable benchmark, the Geekbench Metal test, winning by 0.5%. Its higher percentile ranking (78th versus 74th) and higher average score (33,951 versus 28,580) reinforce that conclusion, though the R9 M295X's average is pulled down by its lower OpenCL and Vulkan results.

Users who value raw memory bandwidth, pixel throughput, and a desktop-friendly form factor with standard display outputs should lean toward the HD 7950. It delivers 240.0 GB/s of bandwidth, 25.60 GPixel/s pixel fill, and end-of-life desktop support with a 200 W TDP.

Users who need more onboard memory, more shader cores, or modern compute features should consider the R9 M295X. It offers 4 GB of VRAM, 2,048 shader units, 2.961 TFLOPS FP32, and FP16 support. Its MXM module form factor makes it specific to portable systems.

The verdict from the numbers is that for most gaming or general GPU workloads, the HD 7950 has a slight edge in the Metal test and a much higher average score. The R9 M295X is a newer architecture with more compute hardware, but its results in the database show it doesn't translate that into higher benchmark scores in the head-to-head metric.

Pick the HD 7950 for a desktop with established display outputs and lower power draw. Pick the R9 M295X if you need the larger memory pool, higher texture throughput, and support for the newer DirectX 12 feature level.