NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 Low Power
NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
NVIDIANVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 Low Power Specifications
GeForce GTX 950 Low Power GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 Low Power GPU core specifications define its raw processing power for graphics and compute workloads. Shading units (also called CUDA cores, stream processors, or execution units depending on manufacturer) handle the parallel calculations required for rendering. TMUs (Texture Mapping Units) process texture data, while ROPs (Render Output Units) handle final pixel output. Higher shader counts generally translate to better GPU benchmark performance, especially in demanding games and 3D applications.
GTX 950 Low Power Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the GeForce GTX 950 Low Power's performance in GPU benchmarks and real-world gaming. The base clock represents the minimum guaranteed frequency, while the boost clock indicates peak performance under optimal thermal conditions. Memory clock speed affects texture loading and frame buffer operations. The GeForce GTX 950 Low Power by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 950 Low Power Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The GeForce GTX 950 Low Power's memory capacity determines how well it handles high-resolution textures and multiple displays. Memory bandwidth, measured in GB/s, affects how quickly data moves between the GPU and VRAM. Higher bandwidth improves performance in memory-intensive scenarios like 4K gaming. The memory bus width and type (GDDR6, GDDR6X, HBM) significantly influence overall GPU benchmark scores.
GeForce GTX 950 Low Power by NVIDIA Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the GTX 950 Low Power, reducing the need to fetch data from slower VRAM. L1 and L2 caches store frequently accessed data close to the compute units. AMD's Infinity Cache (L3) dramatically increases effective bandwidth, improving GPU benchmark performance without requiring wider memory buses. Larger cache sizes help maintain high frame rates in memory-bound scenarios and reduce power consumption by minimizing VRAM accesses.
GTX 950 Low Power Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 Low Power against other graphics cards. FP32 (single-precision) performance, measured in TFLOPS, indicates compute capability for gaming and general GPU workloads. FP64 (double-precision) matters for scientific computing. Pixel and texture fill rates determine how quickly the GPU can render complex scenes. While real-world GPU benchmark results depend on many factors, these specifications help predict relative performance levels.
Maxwell 2.0 Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 Low Power is built on NVIDIA's Maxwell 2.0 architecture, which defines how the GPU processes graphics and compute workloads. The manufacturing process node affects power efficiency, thermal characteristics, and maximum clock speeds. Smaller process nodes pack more transistors into the same die area, enabling higher performance per watt. Understanding the architecture helps predict how the GTX 950 Low Power will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 950 Low Power Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 Low Power determine PSU requirements and thermal management needs. TDP (Thermal Design Power) indicates the heat output under typical loads, guiding cooler selection. Power connector requirements ensure adequate power delivery for stable operation during demanding GPU benchmarks. The suggested PSU wattage accounts for the entire system, not just the graphics card. Efficient power delivery enables the GeForce GTX 950 Low Power to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
GeForce GTX 950 Low Power by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 Low Power are critical for case compatibility. Card length, height, and slot width determine whether it fits in your chassis. The PCIe interface version affects bandwidth for communication with the CPU. Display outputs define monitor connectivity options, with modern cards supporting multiple high-resolution displays simultaneously. Verify these specifications against your case and motherboard before purchasing to ensure a proper fit.
NVIDIA API Support
Graphics and compute APIs
API support determines which games and applications can fully utilize the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 Low Power. DirectX 12 Ultimate enables advanced features like ray tracing and variable rate shading. Vulkan provides cross-platform graphics capabilities with low-level hardware access. OpenGL remains important for professional applications and older games. CUDA (NVIDIA) and OpenCL enable GPU compute for video editing, 3D rendering, and scientific applications. Higher API versions unlock newer graphical features in GPU benchmarks and games.
GeForce GTX 950 Low Power Product Information
Release and pricing details
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 Low Power is manufactured by NVIDIA as part of their graphics card lineup. Release date and launch pricing provide context for comparing GPU benchmark results with competing products from the same era. Understanding the product lifecycle helps evaluate whether the GeForce GTX 950 Low Power by NVIDIA represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
GeForce GTX 950 Low Power Benchmark Scores
No benchmark data available for this GPU.
About NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 Low Power
Memory Subsystem
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 Low Power is equipped with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory across a 128-bit bus, yielding a peak bandwidth of 105.8 GB/s. For a card positioned in the lower mid-range of the GeForce 900 generation, this configuration is modest but internally consistent. The effective memory speed is 6.6 Gbps, which is derived from a 1653 MHz memory clock. At 1080p, this bandwidth is sufficient for textures and lighting data of the era, but the 2 GB capacity becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions. Benchmark data indicates the card sits at the 50th percentile among all GPUs, which suggests that its memory subsystem is average for the broader market — adequate for 1080p gaming, but not designed to handle 1440p or 4K workloads where capacity and bandwidth demand scale significantly. The 128-bit bus width, in particular, constrains the rate at which data can be fed to the 768 shading units. When compared to wider-bus alternatives from the same generation, the GTX 950 Low Power will exhibit sharper frame-time degradation as resolution increases, primarily due to bandwidth saturation rather than raw compute limits. The pixel rate of 38.08 GPixel/s and texture rate of 57.12 GTexel/s are consistent with the memory throughput; they are balanced enough that neither the ROPs nor the TMUs become a bottleneck before the memory interface does. For users targeting 1080p with medium settings, the memory subsystem holds up. Beyond that, the data suggests a clear ceiling.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The GTX 950 Low Power does not include dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores. Its feature set is defined entirely by the Maxwell 2.0 architecture, which predates hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI-driven upscaling. The card supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The DirectX 12_1 feature level is notable because it includes conservative rasterization and rasterizer-ordered views, which are relevant for certain compute-based rendering techniques, but it does not enable any form of real-time ray tracing. Vulkan 1.4 support is forward-looking for a Maxwell part, allowing access to modern APIs for compute-heavy workloads, but again without traversal or BVH acceleration in hardware. In practice, this means the GTX 950 Low Power relies on traditional rasterization for all rendering. Any ray tracing effects in modern games would need to be computed on the shader units, which are 768 in number and deliver 1.828 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. That is a low compute baseline for software ray tracing, and benchmark results show the card is not positioned to handle such workloads efficiently. The absence of tensor cores also rules out DLSS or any similar AI-based reconstruction. For a card from the GeForce 900 generation, this is expected. The feature set is a snapshot of pre-RTX capabilities: API compliance is solid, but hardware acceleration for ray tracing and neural network inference is entirely absent. Users seeking those features must look to later generations.
Benchmark Performance
The GTX 950 Low Power occupies the 50th percentile among all GPUs, meaning half of all tracked graphics cards perform better and half perform worse. This places it squarely in the middle of the historical performance distribution. Its FP32 compute of 1.828 TFLOPS and texture rate of 57.12 GTexel/s are the raw throughput figures that drive this ranking. The card's boost clock of 1190 MHz and base clock of 1026 MHz are relatively high for a 75 W part, and the 28 nm process from TSMC (with 2,940 million transistors on a 228 mm² die) allows for a transistor density of 12.9 million per square millimeter. That density is moderate by today's standards, but it was sufficient for the era. In practical terms, the 50th percentile ranking indicates that the GTX 950 Low Power can handle esports titles and older AAA games at 1080p with reasonable settings, but it will struggle with modern high-fidelity releases. The absence of nearest rival data in the benchmark results means direct percentage comparisons to specific competitors are not available from the fact pack. However, the percentile position alone provides context: it is neither a low-end outlier nor a high-performance part. The 2 GB memory capacity and 105.8 GB/s bandwidth will cap performance in VRAM-intensive scenarios, and the 768 shading units limit compute-heavy effects. The card's 75 W TDP and lack of external power connectors suggest that performance is thermally and electrically constrained, which is reflected in the modest boost clock behavior. Overall, the benchmark data positions this card as a capable 1080p solution for its time, but with clear limits that emerge under sustained load or with modern software demands.
How It Compares
The fact pack currently lists no nearest rivals for the GTX 950 Low Power. This means there are no direct competitor names, scores, or delta percentages available to analyze. In the absence of such data, the comparison must rely on the card's own specifications and its 50th percentile standing. Relative to the broader GeForce 900 generation, this card is a lower-tier variant, with the "Low Power" designation indicating a 75 W TDP and no power connectors. This distinguishes it from higher-power cards in the same series, which typically require supplementary power and offer higher clock speeds. The 2 GB VRAM is the minimum for the generation, and the 128-bit bus is half the width of higher-end parts. These factors place it below the mid-range of its own family. Against newer generations, the Maxwell 2.0 architecture lacks the hardware RT and tensor features found in later cards, so even where raw rasterization performance might be comparable, feature support will lag. The 50th percentile ranking, however, suggests that for pure rasterization at 1080p, it is not an irrelevant part. It sits at the median of all GPUs ever tested, which includes many newer and older cards. Without rival-specific data, the analysis must conclude that the GTX 950 Low Power is a median performer that is best suited for legacy or low-demand scenarios. Its end-of-life production status and 2016 release date further indicate that it is a historical product, not a current contender.
FAQ
Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the GTX 950 Low Power?
A: The memory bandwidth is 105.8 GB/s, derived from a 128-bit bus and 6.6 Gbps effective GDDR5 memory speed.
Q: Does the GTX 950 Low Power support hardware ray tracing?
A: No. The card has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, so all ray tracing work would fall to the 768 shading units, which deliver 1.828 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.
Q: What API levels does the card support?
A: It supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The DirectX 12_1 feature level includes conservative rasterization but not ray tracing.
Q: What is the power draw and power connector requirement?
A: The TDP is 75 W, and the card has no power connectors. The suggested power supply is 250 W.
Q: How does the GTX 950 Low Power rank among all GPUs?
A: It sits at the 50th percentile among all GPUs, indicating that half of tracked graphics cards perform better and half perform worse.
Q: What is the memory capacity and type?
A: It has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, which is the only capacity and type listed for this card in the fact pack.
Q: What is the release date and production status?
A: The card was released on February 29, 2016, and its production status is end-of-life. The launch MSRP was 159 USD.
The AMD Equivalent of GeForce GTX 950 Low Power
Looking for a similar graphics card from AMD? The AMD Radeon RX 480 offers comparable performance and features in the AMD lineup.
Popular NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 Low Power Comparisons
See how the GeForce GTX 950 Low Power stacks up against similar graphics cards from the same generation and competing brands.
Compare GeForce GTX 950 Low Power with Other GPUs
Select another GPU to compare specifications and benchmarks side-by-side.
Browse GPUs