AMD Radeon HD 8950M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 8950M and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 represent two very different eras of GPU design, yet benchmark results place them in a near-dead heat. The HD 8950M is a mobile-first, power-efficient chip from 2013, while the GTX 480 is a legendary desktop behemoth from 2010. Their average benchmark scores are separated by less than 1%, making the choice between them a matter of context and specific strengths rather than raw dominance.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8950M edges out the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 with an average benchmark score of 13,376 compared to the GTX 480's 13,300. The delta is a marginal 0.6% in favor of the AMD card.

Q: How do they perform in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The HD 8950M wins the only head-to-head benchmark test, scoring 13,772 in Geekbench OpenCL against the GTX 480's 13,300. This represents a 3.5% performance advantage for the AMD card.

Q: What is the difference in power consumption?

A: The difference is substantial. The AMD Radeon HD 8950M has a TDP of 100 W, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 draws significantly more at 250 W. The GTX 480 also requires a 600 W suggested PSU and an 8-pin plus 6-pin power connector setup.

Q: Which GPU supports more modern APIs?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8950M supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 only supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no Vulkan support, although both cards support OpenGL 4.6.

Q: How do their memory subsystems compare?

A: They use the same GDDR5 memory type but differ greatly in configuration. The GTX 480 has a wider 384-bit bus with 177.4 GB/s bandwidth and 1536 MB of memory. The HD 8950M has a narrower 128-bit bus with 88.00 GB/s bandwidth but offers 2 GB of memory.

Q: What are their respective transistor counts and die sizes?

A: The NVIDIA GTX 480 packs 3,100 million transistors on a massive 529 mm² die, while the AMD HD 8950M fits 2,080 million transistors on a much smaller 160 mm² die. The HD 8950M achieves a higher transistor density of 13.0M / mm² versus 5.9M / mm² for the GTX 480.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two cards is vast, defined by a generational shift in process technology and design philosophy. The HD 8950M is built on GCN 2.0 architecture using a 28 nm process at TSMC, while the GTX 480 uses the older Fermi architecture on a 40 nm process, also from TSMC. This node advantage allows the HD 8950M to be dramatically more efficient, fitting 2,080 million transistors into a 160 mm² die, achieving a density of 13.0M / mm². In contrast, the GTX 480's 3,100 million transistors occupy a sprawling 529 mm² die with a lower density of 5.9M / mm².

The compute configurations tell a story of different priorities. The HD 8950M fields 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and only 16 ROPs. The GTX 480 counters with fewer shading units at 480, but more TMUs at 60, and a much higher ROP count of 48. This suggests the GTX 480 was built for heavy pixel throughput, while the HD 8950M leans on its shader array. In terms of raw rates, the GTX 480 achieves a higher pixel rate of 21.03 GPixel/s versus 17.20 GPixel/s for the HD 8950M, but the AMD card wins in texture rate at 51.60 GTexel/s versus 42.06 GTexel/s.

Memory architecture also diverges sharply. The GTX 480 uses a 384-bit memory bus to deliver 177.4 GB/s of bandwidth, which is double the 88.00 GB/s of the HD 8950M's 128-bit bus. However, the AMD card offers a larger 2 GB frame buffer compared to the GTX 480's 1536 MB. The GTX 480's memory runs at 924 MHz (3.7 Gbps effective), while the HD 8950M's runs at 1375 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective). Finally, the HD 8950M supports modern APIs like DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170, while the GTX 480 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and lacks Vulkan entirely.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single head-to-head benchmark in the data is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results show a narrow but clear victory for the AMD Radeon HD 8950M. The HD 8950M scores 13,772 against the GTX 480's 13,300, yielding a 3.5% delta in favor of the AMD card. This is a meaningful margin in a synthetic compute test, indicating that the HD 8950M's shader-heavy design and higher clocked memory translate into better raw compute throughput.

Looking at broader averages, the HD 8950M's average benchmark score of 13,376 sits just 0.6% above the GTX 480's 13,300. This near-parity is remarkable given the age difference and the fact that the GTX 480 has no Vulkan result in its data, suggesting it may not be capable of running those workloads at all. The HD 8950M also has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 12,979, a test the GTX 480 cannot participate in due to its lack of Vulkan support. This dual-test capability gives the AMD card a functional advantage beyond the raw OpenCL numbers.

In terms of percentile ranking, both cards are nearly identical. The HD 8950M sits at the 54th percentile among all GPUs, while the GTX 480 is at the 53rd percentile. The nearest rivals for each card reinforce this clustering: the HD 8950M is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5500M and 0.2% ahead of the AMD FirePro M6100, while the GTX 480 is 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 555X and 0.4% behind the FirePro M6100. The data shows a dense pack of mid-range performance where these two cards are effectively interchangeable in average score.

Specification Differences

The specification sheet reveals two cards with opposite design goals. The AMD Radeon HD 8950M uses a 28 nm process, has 2,080 million transistors, and a die size of 160 mm². The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 uses a 40 nm process, has 3,100 million transistors, and a die size of 529 mm². The HD 8950M's memory clock is 1375 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective), while the GTX 480's is 924 MHz (3.7 Gbps effective).

Memory capacity differs: the HD 8950M has 2 GB of GDDR5, while the GTX 480 has 1536 MB. The bus width is a major differentiator, with the GTX 480 using a 384-bit bus versus the HD 8950M's 128-bit bus, resulting in bandwidth of 177.4 GB/s versus 88.00 GB/s. The shading units count is 768 for AMD and 480 for NVIDIA. The TMU count is 48 for AMD and 60 for NVIDIA. The ROP count is 16 for AMD and 48 for NVIDIA.

Pixel rate favors the GTX 480 at 21.03 GPixel/s versus 17.20 GPixel/s, while texture rate favors the HD 8950M at 51.60 GTexel/s versus 42.06 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 1.651 TFLOPS for the HD 8950M and 1,345.0 GFLOPS for the GTX 480. Power consumption is a stark contrast: 100 W TDP for the AMD card versus 250 W for the NVIDIA card. The GTX 480 requires a 600 W suggested PSU and dual power connectors (1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin), while the HD 8950M is an MXM Module with no listed power connector requirement.

The bus interface differs as well: PCIe 3.0 x16 for the AMD card versus PCIe 2.0 x16 for the NVIDIA card. Display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent" for the HD 8950M, while the GTX 480 offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a. The GTX 480 is a dual-slot card measuring 267 mm (10.5 inches) in length, whereas the HD 8950M is an MXM Module. Finally, the GTX 480 has a launch MSRP of 499 USD, while the HD 8950M has no listed launch MSRP.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear verdict for different use cases. The AMD Radeon HD 8950M is the superior choice for anyone prioritizing power efficiency, modern API support, and compute performance. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 3.5%, offers Vulkan support that the GTX 480 completely lacks, and does so at a fraction of the power draw: 100 W versus 250 W. The smaller die and higher transistor density also speak to a more advanced manufacturing process.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480, despite being older and far more power-hungry, remains competitive in raw pixel throughput and memory bandwidth. Its 48 ROPs and 384-bit bus give it a significant edge in fill-rate-bound scenarios, and its 177.4 GB/s bandwidth is double that of the HD 8950M. However, its lack of Vulkan support and higher power requirements make it a difficult recommendation in any modern context.

For a portable or low-power system, the HD 8950M is the obvious pick. For a desktop build where power is not a concern and memory bandwidth is critical, the GTX 480's strengths are worth noting, but its age and API limitations are substantial drawbacks. The benchmark data shows the HD 8950M as the more complete, future-proof option.

Where Each One Wins

AMD Radeon HD 8950M wins in:

• Compute performance: 1.651 TFLOPS FP32 versus 1,345.0 GFLOPS, and a 3.5% lead in Geekbench OpenCL.
• API support: DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170, while the GTX 480 lacks Vulkan and only has DirectX 12 (11_0).
• Power efficiency: 100 W TDP versus 250 W, making it viable for MXM modules and portable devices.
• Texture throughput: 51.60 GTexel/s versus 42.06 GTexel/s.
• Memory capacity: 2 GB versus 1536 MB.
• Bandwidth efficiency: Higher effective memory clock at 5.5 Gbps versus 3.7 Gbps.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 wins in:

• Pixel throughput: 21.03 GPixel/s versus 17.20 GPixel/s, thanks to its 48 ROPs.
• Memory bandwidth: 177.4 GB/s versus 88.00 GB/s, due to the 384-bit bus.
• TMU count: 60 versus 48, though it loses in texture rate.
• Transistor count: 3,100 million versus 2,080 million, indicating a larger, more complex chip.
• Desktop connectivity: Offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a, while the HD 8950M is dependent on the portable device.