GeForce FX 5900 Ultra vs FX 5950 Ultra

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Aggregate performance score

We've compared GeForce FX 5950 Ultra and GeForce FX 5900 Ultra, covering specs and all relevant benchmarks.

FX 5950 Ultra
2003
256 MB DDR, 74 Watt
0.15
+36.4%

FX 5950 Ultra outperforms FX 5900 Ultra by a substantial 36% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.

Place in the ranking14171447
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Power efficiency0.140.13
ArchitectureRankine (2003−2005)Rankine (2003−2005)
GPU code nameNV38NV35
Market segmentDesktopDesktop
Release date23 October 2003 (21 year ago)23 October 2003 (21 year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$499 $499

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.

FX 5950 Ultra and FX 5900 Ultra have a nearly equal value for money.

Detailed specifications

General parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.

Core clock speed475 MHz450 MHz
Number of transistors135 million135 million
Manufacturing process technology130 nm130 nm
Power consumption (TDP)74 Watt59 Watt
Texture fill rate3.8003.600
ROPs44
TMUs88

Form factor & compatibility

Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).

InterfaceAGP 8xAGP 8x
Length229 mm218 mm
Width2-slot2-slot
Supplementary power connectors1x Molex1x Molex

VRAM capacity and type

Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated video RAM and use a shared part of system RAM.

Memory typeDDRDDR
Maximum RAM amount256 MB256 MB
Memory bus width256 Bit256 Bit
Memory clock speed475 MHz425 MHz
Memory bandwidth30.4 GB/s27.2 GB/s

Connectivity and outputs

Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.

Display Connectors1x DVI, 1x VGA, 1x S-Video1x DVI, 1x VGA, 1x S-Video

API compatibility

List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.

DirectX9.0a9.0a
OpenGL2.11.5 (2.1)
OpenCLN/AN/A
VulkanN/AN/A

Synthetic benchmark performance

Non-gaming benchmark results comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark score. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

FX 5950 Ultra 0.15
+36.4%
FX 5900 Ultra 0.11

Passmark

This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.

FX 5950 Ultra 59
+43.9%
FX 5900 Ultra 41

Gaming performance

Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 0.15 0.11
Power consumption (TDP) 74 Watt 59 Watt

FX 5950 Ultra has a 36.4% higher aggregate performance score.

FX 5900 Ultra, on the other hand, has 25.4% lower power consumption.

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is our recommended choice as it beats the GeForce FX 5900 Ultra in performance tests.


Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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NVIDIA GeForce FX 5950 Ultra
GeForce FX 5950 Ultra
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 Ultra
GeForce FX 5900 Ultra

Comparisons with similar GPUs

We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.

Community ratings

Here you can see the user ratings of the compared graphics cards, as well as rate them yourself.


3.5 76 votes

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3.5 6 votes

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Questions & comments

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