AMD Radeon HD 8950M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Comparison
AMD Radeon HD 8950M
GeForce RTX 2060
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: AMD Radeon HD 8950M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
The Verdict
The recorded data positions the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 as the clear performance leader in this matchup, winning both head-to-head benchmark comparisons. The RTX 2060 delivers a Geekbench OpenCL score of 65014 versus 13772 for the AMD Radeon HD 8950M, a 372.1 percent advantage. In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 2060 scores 65846 against 12979, a 407.3 percent lead. The RTX 2060 also carries a higher average benchmark score of 15290, while the HD 8950M averages 13376.
The RTX 2060 belongs to the GeForce 20-series, uses the TU106 chip on the Turing architecture, and ranks at the 58th percentile among all GPUs in the database. The HD 8950M, built on the GCN 2.0 architecture with the Saturn chip, sits at the 54th percentile. The RTX 2060’s nearest rivals include the GeForce GTX 580 (delta 0 percent), AMD Radeon 680M (delta 0.1 percent), GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (delta 0.6 percent), and AMD Radeon RX 7600 (delta 0.8 percent). The HD 8950M’s closest competitors are the AMD Radeon Pro 555 (delta -0.2 percent), Radeon RX 5500M (delta 0.2 percent), FirePro M6100 (delta 0.2 percent), and Radeon Pro 555X (delta 0.4 percent).
For users seeking modern API support, ray tracing capabilities, and substantially higher compute throughput, the RTX 2060 is the only defensible choice from this data. The HD 8950M, with its older architecture and lower scores, suits scenarios where only legacy portable hardware is acceptable, but the benchmark results show no category where it outranks the RTX 2060. The verdict is unambiguous: the RTX 2060 is the superior part across every measured dimension.
Architecture Differences
The RTX 2060 uses a 12 nm process node at TSMC and packs 10,800 million transistors on a 445 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.3M per mm². The HD 8950M uses a 28 nm process at TSMC with 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, giving a density of 13.0M per mm². The RTX 2060’s Turing architecture includes 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores, features entirely absent from the HD 8950M, which lists no RT or tensor core counts. The HD 8950M’s GCN 2.0 design predates those hardware units.
The RTX 2060 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The HD 8950M reaches DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The RTX 2060’s higher DirectX feature level and newer Vulkan revision reflect a more modern API stack. The RTX 2060 also offers 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 raster operation units. The HD 8950M provides 768 shaders, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The RTX 2060’s FP32 throughput is 6.451 TFLOPS, while the HD 8950M manages 1.651 TFLOPS. The RTX 2060 also lists FP16 performance at 12.90 TFLOPS (2:1), a figure not recorded for the HD 8950M.
The RTX 2060’s memory subsystem uses 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192 bit bus, delivering 336.0 GB/s bandwidth. The HD 8950M uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128 bit bus, providing 88.00 GB/s. Memory clocks differ as well: the RTX 2060 runs at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective, while the HD 8950M runs at 1375 MHz with 5.5 Gbps effective. These architectural differences explain the massive performance gap seen in compute benchmarks.
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The Geekbench OpenCL test shows the RTX 2060 scoring 65014 against the HD 8950M’s 13772. This 372.1 percent delta demonstrates a dominant lead in general-purpose compute workloads. The RTX 2060’s higher shading unit count, larger memory bandwidth, and modern Tensor cores contribute to this result. The HD 8950M, despite its GCN 2.0 efficiency, cannot match the raw throughput of the Turing-based part.
In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 2060 scores 65846 versus 12979 for the HD 8950M, a 407.3 percent difference. Vulkan performance benefits from driver maturity and hardware feature support, and the RTX 2060’s newer architecture with dedicated RT and tensor hardware likely explains the larger margin in this test compared to OpenCL. The HD 8950M’s Vulkan 1.2.170 support trails the RTX 2060’s Vulkan 1.4, and the older GCN design has fewer resources to leverage for the API’s explicit control model.
The RTX 2060 wins both recorded head-to-head tests, giving it 2 wins and the HD 8950M 0 wins. While the RTX 2060 also has ten benchmark entries in the database, including Passmark DirectX 9 (190), DirectX 10 (98), DirectX 11 (110), DirectX 12 (53), G2D (745), G3D (14111), and GPU compute (5488), the HD 8950M only has the two Geekbench entries. This limited data means the head-to-head comparison relies solely on those two tests, where the RTX 2060’s superiority is consistent and pronounced.
Specification Differences
The RTX 2060 and HD 8950M differ in nearly every specification category. The RTX 2060 uses a 12 nm process versus 28 nm for the HD 8950M. Transistor counts are 10,800 million versus 2,080 million, and die sizes are 445 mm² versus 160 mm². The RTX 2060’s base clock is 1365 MHz with a boost of 1680 MHz; the HD 8950M lists no base or boost clocks. Memory configuration: the RTX 2060 has 6 GB GDDR6 on a 192 bit bus with 336.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the HD 8950M has 2 GB GDDR5 on a 128 bit bus with 88.00 GB/s.
Shading units are 1920 versus 768, TMUs are 120 versus 48, and ROPs are 48 versus 16. The RTX 2060 includes 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores; the HD 8950M has none. Pixel rates are 80.64 GPixel/s versus 17.20 GPixel/s, and texture rates are 201.6 GTexel/s versus 51.60 GTexel/s. FP32 output is 6.451 TFLOPS versus 1.651 TFLOPS. The RTX 2060 has a TDP of 160 W and is a dual-slot card requiring a single 8-pin power connector with a suggested PSU of 450 W. The HD 8950M has a 100 W TDP, uses an MXM module form factor, and lists no power connectors or suggested PSU.
Display outputs also diverge: the RTX 2060 provides 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C, while the HD 8950M’s outputs are described as portable device dependent. The RTX 2060 measures 229 mm in length, 113 mm in height, and 35 mm in width, while the HD 8950M has no recorded dimensions. Release dates are separated by roughly six years: the RTX 2060 launched on 2019-01-06, while the HD 8950M launched on 2013-05-13. The RTX 2060 lists a launch MSRP of 349 USD, while the HD 8950M has no recorded launch MSRP. Both are end-of-life products, with the RTX 2060 succeeding the GeForce 10 series and preceding GeForce 30, and the HD 8950M succeeding “London” and preceding “Gem System.”
FAQ
Q: Which GPU has higher compute performance in OpenCL?
A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 scores 65014 in Geekbench OpenCL, compared to 13772 for the AMD Radeon HD 8950M, a 372.1 percent advantage.
Q: What is the difference in Vulkan performance between the two?
A: The RTX 2060 scores 65846 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the HD 8950M scores 12979, giving the RTX 2060 a 407.3 percent lead.
Q: Does the HD 8950M support ray tracing or tensor cores?
A: No. The HD 8950M lists no RT cores or tensor cores, while the RTX 2060 includes 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores.
Q: How do memory bandwidth figures compare?
A: The RTX 2060 provides 336.0 GB/s bandwidth from 6 GB GDDR6 on a 192 bit bus. The HD 8950M provides 88.00 GB/s from 2 GB GDDR5 on a 128 bit bus.
Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?
A: The RTX 2060 has a density of 24.3M transistors per mm² on a 12 nm process. The HD 8950M has 13.0M transistors per mm² on a 28 nm process.
Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?
A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 15290, and the HD 8950M has an average of 13376. The RTX 2060 also sits at the 58th percentile among all GPUs, while the HD 8950M sits at the 54th percentile.