AMD Radeon HD 7950 vs NVIDIA CMP 70HX Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 7950 and the NVIDIA CMP 70HX occupy very different corners of the GPU landscape, separated by nearly a decade of silicon evolution. The HD 7950, built on GCN 1.0, is a legacy part from 2012, while the CMP 70HX is a specialized Ampere-based card from NVIDIA’s mining lineup. In the database, the HD 7950 records an average benchmark score of 33,951, placing it in the 78th percentile of all GPUs. The CMP 70HX posts an average of 30,476, sitting in the 75th percentile. Despite the HD 7950’s age, its recorded average is actually higher, though the comparison is nuanced because the two cards run different benchmark suites. The HD 7950 has a single Geekbench Metal score of 33,951, while the CMP 70HX has a Geekbench OpenCL score of 25,135 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 35,817. This creates a split picture: in Metal, the HD 7950 is the clear leader, but in Vulkan, the CMP 70HX pulls ahead.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows that the AMD Radeon HD 7950 and NVIDIA CMP 70HX never share a single common benchmark test. The HD 7950’s sole recorded result is a Geekbench Metal score of 33,951. The CMP 70HX conversely has two results: Geekbench OpenCL at 25,135 and Geekbench Vulkan at 35,817. When comparing the cross-platform results, the CMP 70HX holds a noticeable edge in Vulkan, scoring about 5.5% higher than the HD 7950’s Metal result (35,817 vs. 33,951). That is the single largest head-to-head margin available in the database. In contrast, the CMP 70HX’s OpenCL score of 25,135 is significantly lower, trailing the HD 7950’s Metal score by roughly 26%. This suggests that the CMP 70HX is highly dependent on the workload’s API, with Vulkan playing to its architecture’s strengths while OpenCL appears less optimized.

The HD 7950’s average score of 33,951 equals its Metal result, which means that single test defines its entire record. The CMP 70HX’s average of 30,476 is the average of its two scores (25,135 and 35,817), showing that its Vulkan score pulls the average up substantially. If one were to look at the highest score each card achieves, the CMP 70HX wins with 35,817 in Vulkan versus the HD 7950’s 33,951 in Metal. In terms of the database’s nearest rivals, the HD 7950 sits within a tight cluster: it is essentially even with the AMD Radeon RX 480 (average 33,997, delta of -0.1%), and slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7700S (33,849, delta of +0.3%). The CMP 70HX, on the other hand, is nearly identical to the NVIDIA Tesla M60 (30,490, delta of 0%), and slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6700 (30,433, delta of +0.1%) and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (30,095, delta of +1.3%). This shows that the HD 7950, despite its age, performs in the same league as mid-range GPUs from 2016-2020, while the CMP 70HX sits just below that tier.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two cards is substantial. The HD 7950 uses the Tahiti chip on AMD’s Graphics Core Next 1.0 architecture, part of the Southern Islands generation. It is built on a 28 nm process at TSMC, with 4,313 million transistors packed into a 352 mm² die. The transistor density is 12.3 million per square millimeter. The CMP 70HX, by contrast, uses NVIDIA’s GA104 chip on the Ampere architecture, manufactured on an 8nm process at Samsung. It packs 17,400 million transistors into a 392 mm² die, giving a far higher transistor density of 44.4 million per square millimeter. This density difference speaks to the more advanced fabrication node: the CMP 70HX crams over four times as many transistors into a similar physical area.

The CMP 70HX is fundamentally a modern graphics processor with capabilities the HD 7950 lacks. It has 30 ray tracing cores and 120 tensor cores, while the HD 7950 has none. The CMP 70HX also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the HD 7950 only reaches DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6. The CMP 70HX’s memory subsystem is also more modern: it uses 8 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus, delivering 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The HD 7950 has 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, achieving 240.0 GB/s. The CMP 70HX’s bandwidth is more than double.

Shader resources are heavily skewed toward the CMP 70HX. It has 3,840 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. The HD 7950 has 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 32 ROPS. The CMP 70HX also has a 1:1 FP16 to FP32 ratio, with both at 10.71 TFLOPS, while the HD 7950 has no recorded FP16 capability. In pure FP32 compute, the CMP 70HX delivers 10.71 TFLOPS versus the HD 7950’s 2.867 TFLOPS, a difference of 3.7 times. The pixel rate is 89.28 GPixel/s for the CMP 70HX versus 25.60 GPixel/s for the HD 7950. The texture rate is 167.4 GTexel/s versus 89.60 GTexel/s. These numbers show that the CMP 70HX is a far more powerful compute device in raw throughput, yet its benchmark scores do not always reflect that due to API and workload differences.

The CMP 70HX has base and boost clocks of 1,365 MHz and 1,395 MHz, respectively, while the HD 7950 has no recorded base or boost clocks. The memory clock for the HD 7950 is 1,250 MHz (5 Gbps effective), while the CMP 70HX runs its GDDR6X at 1,188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The CMP 70HX uses a PCIe 1.0 x4 interface, which is a curious limitation: it is a mining card designed without display outputs, and its bus interface is narrow. The HD 7950 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, a standard full-bandwidth interface. The CMP 70HX also has no display outputs, while the HD 7950 offers one DVI, one HDMI 1.4a, and two mini-DisplayPort 1.2 connections.

Where Each One Wins

The HD 7950 wins in the Metal benchmark, where its score of 33,951 stands alone. This indicates that for Metal-based workflows, which are typically found in Apple ecosystems or certain cross-platform graphics applications, the HD 7950 is a viable performer. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 480 and the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB, both of which sit within a fraction of a percent of its score. This suggests that in a Metal-heavy environment, the HD 7950 delivers performance comparable to much newer cards. Its 3 GB of memory is limited, but its 384-bit bus helps bandwidth.

The CMP 70HX wins in the Vulkan benchmark, scoring 35,817, which is a clear victory over the HD 7950’s only recorded score. Vulkan is a low-level API that rewards modern architectures with high shader throughput and efficient scheduling, and the CMP 70HX clearly benefits. Its OpenCL score of 25,135 is a weak spot, however, and that drags its average down to 30,476. The CMP 70HX also wins in raw compute features: it has ray tracing, tensor cores, and higher FP32 throughput, which are not captured in the two benchmark tests but are spec-level advantages.

For gaming, the HD 7950 has the advantage of display outputs, meaning it can be used with a monitor. The CMP 70HX has no display outputs, so it cannot drive a screen at all. That alone defines its intended use: compute, mining, or headless server work. The HD 7950’s DirectX 12 (11_1) support is older, but it can still run many modern titles at reduced settings. The CMP 70HX’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support is forward-looking, but without display outputs, it is irrelevant for gaming.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7950 has a higher average score of 33,951 compared to the NVIDIA CMP 70HX’s average of 30,476. The HD 7950 sits in the 78th percentile of all GPUs, while the CMP 70HX is in the 75th percentile.

Q: How close is the HD 7950 to its nearest rival in performance?

A: The HD 7950 is virtually tied with the AMD Radeon RX 480, which scores 33,997, a difference of -0.1%. It is also slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7700S (33,849, a +0.3% lead) and the AMD Radeon RX 560 XT (34,133, a -0.5% gap).

Q: What is the CMP 70HX’s best benchmark result?

A: The CMP 70HX’s highest recorded score is 35,817 in Geekbench Vulkan. Its OpenCL score is much lower at 25,135, which brings its average down to 30,476.

Q: Can the CMP 70HX connect to a monitor?

A: No, the CMP 70HX has no display outputs. It is a mining-specific card. The HD 7950, by contrast, has one DVI, one HDMI 1.4a, and two mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs.

Q: Which card has more ray-tracing cores?

A: The CMP 70HX has 30 ray-tracing cores, while the HD 7950 has none. The CMP 70HX also has 120 tensor cores, which the HD 7950 lacks.

Q: How do the memory bandwidths compare?

A: The CMP 70HX has 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth from 8 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus. The HD 7950 has 240.0 GB/s from 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus.

Specification Differences

The two cards diverge on nearly every specification. The process node: the HD 7950 is 28 nm at TSMC, the CMP 70HX is 8 nm at Samsung. Transistors: 4,313 million versus 17,400 million. Die size: 352 mm² versus 392 mm². Transistor density: 12.3 million/mm² versus 44.4 million/mm². Clock speeds: the HD 7950 has no recorded base or boost clocks, while the CMP 70HX has a base of 1,365 MHz and a boost of 1,395 MHz. Memory: 3 GB GDDR5 vs. 8 GB GDDR6X. Bus width: 384-bit vs. 256-bit. Bandwidth: 240.0 GB/s vs. 608.3 GB/s. Shading units: 1,792 vs. 3,840. TMUs: 112 vs. 120. ROPs: 32 vs. 64. RT cores: none vs. 30. Tensor cores: none vs. 120. Pixel rate: 25.60 GPixel/s vs. 89.28 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 89.60 GTexel/s vs. 167.4 GTexel/s. FP32: 2.867 TFLOPS vs. 10.71 TFLOPS. FP16: none vs 10.71 TFLOPS. TDP: 200 W vs. no recorded TDP. Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs. 1x 12-pin. Suggested PSU: 550 W vs. 200 W. Bus interface: PCIe 3.0 x16 vs. PCIe 1.0 x4. Display outputs: available vs. none. DirectX: 12 (11_1) vs. 12 Ultimate (12_2). Vulkan: 1.2.170 vs. 1.4. The HD 7950 is 278 mm long, 111 mm tall, and 38 mm wide, while the CMP 70HX is 267 mm long, 112 mm tall, with no recorded width. The HD 7950 has a launch MSRP of 449 USD. The CMP 70HX has no launch MSRP recorded.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split. If the workload involves Metal or requires display output, the AMD Radeon HD 7950 is the only viable choice. It has a higher average score, a higher percentile ranking, and it can connect to a monitor. Its score is effectively tied with the AMD Radeon RX 480, showing that for Metal tasks, it still holds its own against much newer hardware.

If the workload is Vulkan-based and does not require any display connection, the NVIDIA CMP 70HX offers a higher peak score (35,817 vs. 33,951) and a vastly more modern feature set, including ray tracing, tensor cores, and 3.7 times the FP32 throughput. Its 8 GB of GDDR6X and 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth provide a substantial memory advantage. However, its OpenCL performance is poor, and its average score is lower than the HD 7950’s.

For a user looking to play games with a monitor, the HD 7950 is the only option with display outputs. For a compute task that uses Vulkan and does not need a display, the CMP 70HX wins on raw performance. The HD 7950 is a legacy card, but its benchmark record is surprisingly competitive. The CMP 70HX is a specialized card that excels in specific APIs but is hampered by its lack of outputs and inconsistent OpenCL scores. The decision is workload-dependent: HD 7950 for general use and Metal, CMP 70HX for Vulkan compute in a headless setup.