NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM dominates the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 in every shared test. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 3050 OEM scores 60,740 against 15,662 for the GTX 950, a 287.8% advantage. That is not an incremental gain; it is a generational leap that places the newer card in a different performance class entirely.

Vulkan results tell the same story. The RTX 3050 OEM posts 57,103 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the GTX 950 manages 16,734. The delta is 241.2% in favor of the Ampere part. For a user coming from the Maxwell generation, this represents a transformative uplift in compute-oriented workloads, not merely a refresh of similar capabilities.

The average benchmark score reinforces the gap. The RTX 3050 OEM sits at 15,199, while the GTX 950 averages 13,189. This 15.2% difference in aggregate scoring is smaller than the Geekbench deltas, but the average includes different test sets, so direct comparison requires care. The RTX 3050 OEM also benefits from a broader benchmark portfolio: it has recorded scores across PassMark DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12, plus G2D, G3D, and GPU compute tests. The GTX 950 has only three Geekbench entries in the database, with no DirectX or PassMark results recorded.

In percentile terms, the RTX 3050 OEM ranks at the 57th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the GTX 950 sits at the 53rd percentile. Both are mid-pack performers, but the RTX 3050 OEM is positioned above more of the field. The nearest rivals for the RTX 3050 OEM are the AMD Radeon RX 7600 at 15,171 average (0.2% ahead), the AMD Radeon 680M at 15,270 (0.5% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 at 15,283 (0.5% ahead), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 at 15,290 (0.6% ahead). The margin between the RTX 3050 OEM and these competitors is razor-thin, all within a single percentage point. This suggests the RTX 3050 OEM is positioned in a dense cluster of similar-performing GPUs, where individual workload characteristics matter more than raw average.

The GTX 950's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 at 13,300 (0.8% behind), the NVIDIA Tesla M2090 at 13,075 (0.9% ahead), the AMD Radeon Pro 555X at 13,321 (1% behind), and the AMD FirePro M6100 at 13,354 (1.2% behind). Again, the deltas are small, but the entire cluster sits roughly 13% below the RTX 3050 OEM's neighborhood.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are separated by two full GPU generations and a fundamental shift in architecture philosophy. The RTX 3050 OEM uses the GA106 chip built on Ampere architecture, fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. The GTX 950 uses the GM206 chip on Maxwell 2.0, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The process node difference is stark: 8 nm versus 28 nm represents a dramatic reduction in feature size, which explains much of the efficiency and density gap.

Transistor counts amplify the architectural divide. The RTX 3050 OEM packs 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 43.5 million per mm². The GTX 950 has 2,940 million transistors on a 228 mm² die, for a density of 12.9 million per mm². The newer card fits roughly four times the transistors into only 21% more die area. This density enables the RTX 3050 OEM to include hardware features that did not exist in the Maxwell generation: 18 ray tracing cores and 72 tensor cores. The GTX 950 has neither, as those accelerator blocks were introduced in later architectures.

Shader resources differ proportionally. The RTX 3050 OEM has 2,304 shading units, 72 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The GTX 950 has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The RTX 3050 OEM triples the shader count and adds 50% more TMUs while keeping ROPs equal. The FP32 throughput reflects this: 8.087 TFLOPS for the RTX 3050 OEM versus 1.825 TFLOPS for the GTX 950. The newer card also supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio, 8.087 TFLOPS, while the GTX 950 has no recorded FP16 capability.

Clock speeds have risen substantially. The RTX 3050 OEM has a base clock of 1515 MHz and a boost clock of 1755 MHz. The GTX 950 runs at 1024 MHz base and 1188 MHz boost. The 48% higher base clock and 47.7% higher boost clock on the RTX 3050 OEM compound with the shader count advantage to produce the massive throughput lead.

Memory technology also differs. The RTX 3050 OEM uses 8 GB of GDDR6 at 1750 MHz, 14 Gbps effective, on a 128-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 950 has 2 GB of GDDR5 at 1653 MHz, 6.6 Gbps effective, also on a 128-bit bus, for 105.8 GB/s. The RTX 3050 OEM quadruples capacity and more than doubles bandwidth on the same bus width, a direct result of newer memory technology.

API support reflects the architectural gap. The RTX 3050 OEM supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GTX 950 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The DirectX 12 Ultimate designation includes features like ray tracing and mesh shaders that the GTX 950 cannot access.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3050 OEM wins every recorded head-to-head workload. In compute-oriented OpenCL tasks, its 287.8% lead means it finishes in a fraction of the time. This matters for users running GPGPU workloads, video encoding, or any task that leverages raw shader throughput. The 8 GB memory capacity also allows larger datasets to reside on the GPU without spilling to system memory, a practical advantage that the benchmark scores only partially capture.

In Vulkan workloads, the 241.2% lead shows the RTX 3050 OEM is far better equipped for modern graphics APIs. Vulkan is the foundation for many current game engines and compute frameworks, and the newer card's architecture was designed with these workloads in mind.

The GTX 950 has no recorded wins in any shared benchmark. Its only unique benchmark entry is Geekbench Metal, where it scores 7,172, but the RTX 3050 OEM has no Metal result for comparison. This makes the GTX 950's position strictly inferior where data exists.

For use cases, the RTX 3050 OEM is the clear choice for any task involving ray tracing, tensor operations, or modern API features. The GTX 950 remains limited to DirectX 12_1 workloads and has no ray tracing or tensor core support. The GTX 950's lower TDP of 90 W versus 130 W means it draws less power, but the RTX 3050 OEM's 130 W is still modest for the performance on offer.

Specification Differences

The two cards diverge on nearly every specification. The RTX 3050 OEM uses the GA106 chip on Ampere architecture, while the GTX 950 uses GM206 on Maxwell 2.0. Process nodes are 8 nm Samsung for the newer card and 28 nm TSMC for the older one. Transistor counts are 12,000 million versus 2,940 million, on die sizes of 276 mm² versus 228 mm². Transistor density is 43.5 million per mm² versus 12.9 million per mm².

Clocks: the RTX 3050 OEM runs at 1515 MHz base and 1755 MHz boost. The GTX 950 runs at 1024 MHz base and 1188 MHz boost. Memory clocks are 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) versus 1653 MHz (6.6 Gbps effective).

Memory: 8 GB GDDR6 versus 2 GB GDDR5. Both use a 128-bit bus, but bandwidth is 224.0 GB/s versus 105.8 GB/s.

Compute resources: 2,304 shading units versus 768, 72 TMUs versus 48, 32 ROPs for both. The RTX 3050 OEM has 18 RT cores and 72 tensor cores; the GTX 950 has none. Pixel rate is 56.16 GPixel/s versus 38.02 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 126.4 GTexel/s versus 57.02 GTexel/s. FP32 is 8.087 TFLOPS versus 1.825 TFLOPS. FP16 is 8.087 TFLOPS on the RTX 3050 OEM, with no recorded value for the GTX 950.

Power draw is 130 W versus 90 W. The RTX 3050 OEM uses a 1x 8-pin power connector, while the GTX 950 uses 1x 6-pin. Suggested PSU recommendations are 300 W for the RTX 3050 OEM and 250 W for the GTX 950. Bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x8 versus PCIe 3.0 x16. The RTX 3050 OEM measures 242 mm (9.5 inches) in length, while the GTX 950 is 202 mm (8 inches).

Display outputs differ: the RTX 3050 OEM has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1. The GTX 950 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1. DirectX support is 12 Ultimate (12_2) for the RTX 3050 OEM, 12 (12_1) for the GTX 950. Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

Release dates place the RTX 3050 OEM on 2022-01-03, with the GTX 950 on 2015-08-19. Production status for both is end-of-life, with predecessors GeForce 20 for the RTX 3050 and GeForce 700 for the GTX 950.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the RTX 3050 OEM in OpenCL workloads?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM scores 60,740 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 15,620 for the GTX 950, a 287.8% advantage. The GTX 950 trails by a factor of nearly four in this test.

Q: Does the GTX 950 have ray tracing support?

A: No ray tracing cores are listed for the GTX 950. The RTX 3050 OEM has 18 RT cores, which enable hardware-accelerated ray tracing that the GTX 950 cannot perform.

Q: What memory capacities do these two cards offer?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM has 8 GB of GDDR6 with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 950 has 2 GB of GDDR5 with 105.8 GB/s bandwidth. Both use a 128-bit memory bus.

Q: In which API versions do the two cards differ?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GTX 950 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: How do their transistor densities compare?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM has a density of 43.5 million transistors per mm² on its 276 mm² die, while the GTX 950 has 12.9 million per mm² on a 228 mm² die.

Q: Which card ranks higher among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM is at the 57th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 950 is at the 53rd percentile. The newer card sits above a larger share of the database.

The Verdict

The data supports only one conclusion: the RTX 3050 OEM is the superior GPU in every measured dimension. It wins both shared benchmarks by margins of 241.2% and 287.8%, has more memory, higher bandwidth, more shader resources, newer architecture, and support for modern features like ray tracing and tensor cores.

Users who need the GTX 950 should be limited to scenarios where its lower 90 W power draw is essential, or those bound to systems with only a 6-pin power connector. The GTX 950's 202 mm length also makes it easier to fit in compact cases, and its PCIe 3.0 x16 interface is more universally compatible with older motherboards.

For anyone building or upgrading a system today, the RTX 3050 OEM is the rational pick. Its 8 GB memory capacity alone justifies the upgrade over the 2 GB GTX 950, as modern workloads routinely exceed that limit. The 130 W TDP is modest, and the suggested 300 W PSU is within reach of most desktop power supplies.

The GTX 950 is not without merit as a legacy product, but only for legacy use. It supports DirectX 12_1 and OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4, so it remains functional for older games and applications. The data shows the GTX 950 has its own benchmark presence, with Geekbench Metal at 7,172. But that does not change the verdict: the RTX 3050 OEM wins decisively on performance share, and the GTX 950's relevance has been superseded by the Ampere generation.