GeForce GTX 950 vs GTX 1080 Ti
Aggregate performance score
We've compared GeForce GTX 1080 Ti and GeForce GTX 950, covering specs and all relevant benchmarks.
GTX 1080 Ti outperforms GTX 950 by a whopping 248% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
| Place in the ranking | 72 | 380 |
| Place by popularity | 38 | 94 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 20.33 | 8.81 |
| Power efficiency | 13.27 | 10.60 |
| Architecture | Pascal (2016−2021) | Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) |
| GPU code name | GP102 | GM206 |
| Market segment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Release date | 10 March 2017 (7 years ago) | 20 August 2015 (9 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $699 | $159 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
The higher the performance-to-price ratio, the better. We use the manufacturer's recommended prices for comparison.
GTX 1080 Ti has 131% better value for money than GTX 950.
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.
| Pipelines / CUDA cores | 3584 | 768 |
| Core clock speed | 1481 MHz | 1024 MHz |
| Boost clock speed | 1582 MHz | 1188 MHz |
| Number of transistors | 11,800 million | 2,940 million |
| Manufacturing process technology | 16 nm | 28 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 250 Watt | 90 Watt |
| Maximum GPU temperature | 91 °C | no data |
| Texture fill rate | 354.4 | 57.02 |
| Floating-point processing power | 11.34 TFLOPS | 1.825 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 88 | 32 |
| TMUs | 224 | 48 |
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).
| Bus support | no data | PCI Express 3.0 |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| Length | 267 mm | 202 mm |
| Height | no data | 4.376" (11.1 cm) |
| Width | 2-slot | 2-slot |
| Recommended system power (PSU) | 600 Watt | 350 Watt |
| Supplementary power connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin |
| SLI options | + | + |
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 type | GDDR5X | GDDR5 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 11 GB | 2 GB |
| Memory bus width | 352 Bit | 128 Bit |
| Memory clock speed | 1376 MHz | 6.6 GB/s |
| Memory bandwidth | 484.4 GB/s | 105.6 GB/s |
| Shared memory | - | - |
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 Connectors | 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort | Dual Link DVI-I, HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2 |
| Multi monitor support | + | 4 displays |
| HDMI | + | + |
| HDCP | - | + |
| Maximum VGA resolution | no data | 2048x1536 |
| G-SYNC support | + | + |
| Audio input for HDMI | no data | Internal |
Supported technologies
Supported technological solutions. This information will prove useful if you need some particular technology for your purposes.
| GameStream | - | + |
| GeForce ShadowPlay | - | + |
| GPU Boost | 3.0 | 2.0 |
| GameWorks | - | + |
| Ansel | + | no data |
API and SDK compatibility
List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 (12_1) |
| Shader Model | 6.4 | 6.4 |
| OpenGL | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| OpenCL | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| Vulkan | + | 1.1.126 |
| CUDA | + | + |
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.
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.
3DMark 11 Performance GPU
3DMark 11 is an obsolete DirectX 11 benchmark by Futuremark. It used four tests based on two scenes, one being few submarines exploring the submerged wreck of a sunken ship, the other is an abandoned temple deep in the jungle. All the tests are heavy with volumetric lighting and tessellation, and despite being done in 1280x720 resolution, are relatively taxing. Discontinued in January 2020, 3DMark 11 is now superseded by Time Spy.
3DMark Fire Strike Graphics
Fire Strike is a DirectX 11 benchmark for gaming PCs. It features two separate tests displaying a fight between a humanoid and a fiery creature made of lava. Using 1920x1080 resolution, Fire Strike shows off some realistic graphics and is quite taxing on hardware.
3DMark Cloud Gate GPU
Cloud Gate is an outdated DirectX 11 feature level 10 benchmark that was used for home PCs and basic notebooks. It displays a few scenes of some weird space teleportation device launching spaceships into unknown, using fixed resolution of 1280x720. Just like Ice Storm benchmark, it has been discontinued in January 2020 and replaced by 3DMark Night Raid.
GeekBench 5 OpenCL
Geekbench 5 is a widespread graphics card benchmark combined from 11 different test scenarios. All these scenarios rely on direct usage of GPU's processing power, no 3D rendering is involved. This variation uses OpenCL API by Khronos Group.
GeekBench 5 Vulkan
Geekbench 5 is a widespread graphics card benchmark combined from 11 different test scenarios. All these scenarios rely on direct usage of GPU's processing power, no 3D rendering is involved. This variation uses Vulkan API by AMD & Khronos Group.
GeekBench 5 CUDA
Geekbench 5 is a widespread graphics card benchmark combined from 11 different test scenarios. All these scenarios rely on direct usage of GPU's processing power, no 3D rendering is involved. This variation uses CUDA API by NVIDIA.
Gaming performance
Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.
Average FPS across all PC games
Here are the average frames per second in a large set of popular games across different resolutions:
| Full HD | 130
+150%
| 52
−150%
|
| 1440p | 86
+258%
| 24−27
−258%
|
| 4K | 68
+209%
| 22
−209%
|
Cost per frame, $
| 1080p | 5.38
−75.8%
| 3.06
+75.8%
|
| 1440p | 8.13
−22.7%
| 6.63
+22.7%
|
| 4K | 10.28
−42.2%
| 7.23
+42.2%
|
- GTX 950 has 76% lower cost per frame in 1080p
- GTX 950 has 23% lower cost per frame in 1440p
- GTX 950 has 42% lower cost per frame in 4K
FPS performance in popular games
Full HD
Low Preset
| Atomic Heart | 130−140
+315%
|
30−35
−315%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 100−110
+346%
|
24−27
−346%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 100−110
+293%
|
27−30
−293%
|
Full HD
Medium Preset
| Atomic Heart | 130−140
+315%
|
30−35
−315%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 166
+191%
|
55−60
−191%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 100−110
+346%
|
24−27
−346%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 100−110
+293%
|
27−30
−293%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 120
+173%
|
40−45
−173%
|
| Fortnite | 190−200
+155%
|
75−80
−155%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 147
+167%
|
55−60
−167%
|
| Forza Horizon 5 | 130−140
+277%
|
35−40
−277%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 125
+166%
|
45−50
−166%
|
| Valorant | 250−260
+124%
|
110−120
−124%
|
Full HD
High Preset
| Atomic Heart | 130−140
+315%
|
30−35
−315%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 154
+170%
|
55−60
−170%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 100−110
+346%
|
24−27
−346%
|
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | 270−280
+52.7%
|
180−190
−52.7%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 100−110
+293%
|
27−30
−293%
|
| Dota 2 | 133
+56.5%
|
85−90
−56.5%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 117
+166%
|
40−45
−166%
|
| Fortnite | 203
+171%
|
75−80
−171%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 145
+164%
|
55−60
−164%
|
| Forza Horizon 5 | 130−140
+277%
|
35−40
−277%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 120
+224%
|
37
−224%
|
| Metro Exodus | 90
+233%
|
27−30
−233%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 115
+145%
|
45−50
−145%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 160−170
+334%
|
38
−334%
|
| Valorant | 250−260
+124%
|
110−120
−124%
|
Full HD
Ultra Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 149
+161%
|
55−60
−161%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 60
+150%
|
24−27
−150%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 100−110
+293%
|
27−30
−293%
|
| Dota 2 | 125
+47.1%
|
85−90
−47.1%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 109
+148%
|
40−45
−148%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 120
+118%
|
55−60
−118%
|
| Forza Horizon 5 | 130−140
+277%
|
35−40
−277%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 102
+117%
|
45−50
−117%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 98
+367%
|
21
−367%
|
| Valorant | 179
+59.8%
|
110−120
−59.8%
|
Full HD
Epic Preset
| Fortnite | 163
+117%
|
75−80
−117%
|
1440p
High Preset
| Counter-Strike 2 | 35−40
+119%
|
16−18
−119%
|
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | 300−350
+215%
|
95−100
−215%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 84
+320%
|
20−22
−320%
|
| Metro Exodus | 56
+250%
|
16−18
−250%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 170−180
+56.3%
|
110−120
−56.3%
|
| Valorant | 280−290
+103%
|
130−140
−103%
|
1440p
Ultra Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 118
+228%
|
35−40
−228%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 55−60
+400%
|
10−12
−400%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 97
+246%
|
27−30
−246%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 102
+219%
|
30−35
−219%
|
| Forza Horizon 5 | 75−80
+243%
|
21−24
−243%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 85−90
+345%
|
20−22
−345%
|
1440p
Epic Preset
| Fortnite | 107
+282%
|
27−30
−282%
|
4K
High Preset
| Atomic Heart | 35−40
+236%
|
10−12
−236%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 21−24
+283%
|
6−7
−283%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 98
+250%
|
28
−250%
|
| Metro Exodus | 35
+289%
|
9−10
−289%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 72
+454%
|
13
−454%
|
| Valorant | 260−270
+283%
|
70−75
−283%
|
4K
Ultra Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 70
+289%
|
18−20
−289%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 8
+33.3%
|
6−7
−33.3%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 24−27
+400%
|
5−6
−400%
|
| Dota 2 | 125
+166%
|
45−50
−166%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 55
+293%
|
14−16
−293%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 75
+226%
|
21−24
−226%
|
| Forza Horizon 5 | 50−55
+373%
|
10−12
−373%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 45
+275%
|
12−14
−275%
|
4K
Epic Preset
| Fortnite | 51
+325%
|
12−14
−325%
|
This is how GTX 1080 Ti and GTX 950 compete in popular games:
- GTX 1080 Ti is 150% faster in 1080p
- GTX 1080 Ti is 258% faster in 1440p
- GTX 1080 Ti is 209% faster in 4K
Here's the range of performance differences observed across popular games:
- in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, with 4K resolution and the High Preset, the GTX 1080 Ti is 454% faster.
All in all, in popular games:
- Without exception, GTX 1080 Ti surpassed GTX 950 in all 67 of our tests.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 48.23 | 13.87 |
| Recency | 10 March 2017 | 20 August 2015 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 11 GB | 2 GB |
| Chip lithography | 16 nm | 28 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 250 Watt | 90 Watt |
GTX 1080 Ti has a 247.7% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 1 year, a 450% higher maximum VRAM amount, and a 75% more advanced lithography process.
GTX 950, on the other hand, has 177.8% lower power consumption.
The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is our recommended choice as it beats the GeForce GTX 950 in performance tests.
Other comparisons
We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.
