AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 represent two very different approaches to graphics processing, one as an integrated processor component and the other as a dedicated expansion card. The recorded data shows a split decision across the three benchmark tests, with each product claiming victories in different application programming interfaces. This analysis examines the benchmark results, architectural foundations, and specification differences to determine where each product stands.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results indicate a clear division of strengths based on the graphics API used. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 wins decisively in the Geekbench Metal test, scoring 17086 against the GTX 950's 7172, a delta of 138.2 percent. This is a substantial margin, placing the AMD integrated solution far ahead in Apple's Metal framework. The data suggests that in Metal-centric workloads, the Vega 11 has a significant advantage that cannot be overlooked.

Conversely, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 dominates the other two recorded benchmarks. In Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 950 scores 15662, which is 20 percent higher than the Vega 11's 12525. The Vulkan test shows a similar pattern, with the GTX 950 achieving 16734 against the Vega 11's 13543, a 19.1 percent advantage. These results indicate that NVIDIA's dedicated card holds a consistent edge in OpenCL and Vulkan environments.

The overall win count favors the GTX 950, which takes 2 out of 3 benchmark victories. However, the magnitude of the AMD win in Metal is larger than either of NVIDIA's wins in the other tests. The average benchmark score tells an interesting story: the Vega 11 averages 14385 across all tests, while the GTX 950 averages 13189. The AMD part's average is boosted significantly by its exceptional Metal performance, while the GTX 950's more balanced scores across OpenCL and Vulkan still leave it behind in the overall average.

Architecture Differences

The architectural foundations of these two graphics processors could hardly be more different. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 uses the Picasso chip built on GCN 5.0 architecture, manufactured on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 uses the GM206 chip based on Maxwell 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The process node difference is substantial, with AMD using a much more advanced 12 nm node compared to NVIDIA's 28 nm.

Transistor counts reveal an interesting inversion. The AMD chip contains 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 23.5 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA chip has 2,940 million transistors on a slightly larger 228 mm² die, giving it a density of only 12.9 million per square millimeter. Despite having fewer total transistors, the GTX 950's die is larger, which reflects the older manufacturing process.

The Vega 11 is an integrated graphics processor, or IGP, meaning it has no dedicated memory of its own. It uses system shared memory for both capacity and bandwidth, with bandwidth described as system dependent. The GTX 950, by contrast, has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128 bit bus with 105.8 GB/s of bandwidth. This fundamental difference in memory architecture affects how each product performs in memory-intensive scenarios.

The Vega 11 features 704 shading units, 44 texture mapping units, and 8 raster operations pipelines. The GTX 950 has 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 32 raster operations pipelines. The higher ROP count on the NVIDIA part is notable, as it directly impacts pixel throughput capabilities.

Power characteristics differ dramatically. The Vega 11 has a thermal design power of 15 W, while the GTX 950 has a TDP of 90 W. The Vega 11 requires no power connectors and occupies an IGP slot, while the GTX 950 is a dual-slot card requiring one 6-pin power connector. The suggested power supply for the GTX 950 is 250 W, whereas the Vega 11 has no such requirement listed.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench Metal test produces the most lopsided result in the comparison. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 scores 17086, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 scores only 7172. The delta of 138.2 percent means the AMD part more than doubles the NVIDIA score in this test. This is a remarkable outcome for an integrated graphics solution against a dedicated graphics card, and the data suggests that Metal workloads heavily favor the Vega 11's architecture.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the tables turn. The GTX 950 scores 15662, beating the Vega 11's 12525 by 20 percent. This result is consistent with what one might expect from a dedicated card with its own memory and higher power envelope. The OpenCL test appears to favor the NVIDIA architecture's compute capabilities.

The Geekbench Vulkan test shows a similar pattern. The GTX 950 achieves 16734, while the Vega 11 achieves 13543, giving NVIDIA a 19.1 percent advantage. The consistency between OpenCL and Vulkan results for the GTX 950 suggests that its performance advantage is stable across these two APIs, while the Vega 11's performance varies more widely depending on the API in use.

Looking at the Vega 11's own benchmark profile, its scores are 17086 in Metal, 12525 in OpenCL, and 13543 in Vulkan. The Metal score stands out as significantly higher than its performance in the other two APIs. For the GTX 950, the scores are 7172 in Metal, 15662 in OpenCL, and 16734 in Vulkan. The NVIDIA part shows a clear weakness in Metal but strong, consistent performance in OpenCL and Vulkan.

The average benchmark scores place these products in different competitive contexts. The Vega 11's average of 14385 places it near the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, which averages 14373, a delta of only 0.1 percent. It also sits close to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M at 14404, the AMD Radeon Vega 11 at 14352, and the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics at 14315. The GTX 950's average of 13189 places it near the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 at 13300, the NVIDIA Tesla M2090 at 13075, the AMD Radeon Pro 555X at 13321, and the AMD FirePro M6100 at 13354.

Specification Differences

The recorded specifications show numerous differences between these two products. The manufacturing process differs, with the AMD part on 12 nm and the NVIDIA part on 28 nm. The foundries also differ, with GlobalFoundries producing the AMD chip and TSMC producing the NVIDIA chip.

The memory configurations are fundamentally different. The Vega 11 uses system shared memory with a system dependent bus width and bandwidth, while the GTX 950 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128 bit bus with 105.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The clock speeds differ as well, with the Vega 11 running at a base of 300 MHz and boost of 1400 MHz, while the GTX 950 runs at 1024 MHz base and 1188 MHz boost. The GTX 950's memory clock is listed as 1653 MHz with 6.6 Gbps effective speed.

Compute capabilities differ across several metrics. The Vega 11 has a pixel rate of 11.20 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 61.60 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 1.971 TFLOPS and FP16 performance of 3.942 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio. The GTX 950 has a pixel rate of 38.02 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 57.02 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 1.825 TFLOPS and no FP16 data recorded. The GTX 950's pixel rate is over three times higher than the Vega 11's, reflecting its 32 ROPs versus the Vega 11's 8 ROPs.

The physical and power specifications differ substantially. The Vega 11 has a TDP of 15 W, while the GTX 950 has a TDP of 90 W. The Vega 11 is an IGP with no power connectors and no suggested PSU, while the GTX 950 is dual-slot, requires one 6-pin connector, and has a suggested PSU of 250 W. The GTX 950 measures 202 mm or 8 inches in length. The bus interface differs, with the Vega 11 using IGP and the GTX 950 using PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs also differ, with the Vega 11 being motherboard dependent and the GTX 950 offering 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.2.

API support shows some differences. Both support DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6. The Vega 11 supports Vulkan 1.3, while the GTX 950 supports Vulkan 1.4. The release dates differ, with the Vega 11 released on 2019-07-06 and the GTX 950 on 2015-08-19. The production status for both is end-of-life.

FAQ

Q: Which product has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 has an average benchmark score of 14385, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 has an average of 13189. The Vega 11's average is higher, largely due to its exceptional Metal performance.

Q: How do the two products compare in Geekbench Metal?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 scores 17086 in Geekbench Metal, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950's 7172. This gives the Vega 11 a 138.2 percent advantage in this test.

Q: What are the transistor and die size differences?

A: The AMD chip has 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, while the NVIDIA chip has 2,940 million transistors on a 228 mm² die. The AMD part achieves a density of 23.5 million transistors per square millimeter, while the NVIDIA part achieves 12.9 million.

Q: Which product has a higher FP32 performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 has an FP32 performance of 1.971 TFLOPS, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 has an FP32 performance of 1.825 TFLOPS. The Vega 11 is slightly ahead in this metric.

Q: What are the memory configurations of each product?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 uses system shared memory, meaning both capacity and bandwidth are system dependent. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128 bit bus with 105.8 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: How does the power consumption compare?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 has a TDP of 15 W and requires no power connectors. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 has a TDP of 90 W and requires one 6-pin power connector, with a suggested PSU of 250 W.

The Verdict

The data presents a nuanced picture for potential users. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11, as an integrated processor, offers the clear advantage in Metal-based workloads, where its 17086 score more than doubles the GTX 950's 7172. For users working within Apple's Metal ecosystem, the Vega 11 is the stronger choice based on the recorded benchmarks. Its 15 W TDP and lack of power connectors also make it suitable for compact, low-power systems where a dedicated card cannot be accommodated.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 is the better option for OpenCL and Vulkan workloads. Its 20 percent advantage in OpenCL and 19.1 percent advantage in Vulkan demonstrate consistent performance across these APIs. The dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory with 105.8 GB/s bandwidth, combined with a much higher pixel rate of 38.02 GPixel/s versus the Vega 11's 11.20 GPixel/s, makes it well suited for applications that utilize these interfaces. The GTX 950 also holds a higher percentile ranking at 53 percent versus the Vega 11's 56 percent, though this metric places the Vega 11 slightly higher.

Users should consider the API requirements of their specific applications. If Metal performance is a priority, the Vega 11's dominance in that test is difficult to ignore. If OpenCL or Vulkan performance matters more, the GTX 950's consistent advantages in those tests make it the logical pick. The GTX 950 carries a launch MSRP of 159 USD, reflecting its position as a dedicated entry-level card at the time of release. The Vega 11, with its integrated nature and system shared memory, offers a different value proposition centered on low power consumption and motherboard-dependent flexibility. The choice ultimately depends on which benchmark workloads align with the user's needs.