NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960
The GeForce GTX 960 has 5% better performance than the GeForce GTX 680 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
The GeForce GTX 960 has 164% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 680 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
Summary
About the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 GPU
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 is an end-of-life desktop graphics card that released in Q1 2012 with a MSRP of $499. It is built on the Kepler GPU microarchitecture (codename GK104) and is manufactured on a 28 nm process.
Memory
The GTX 680 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, with a 1,502 MHz memory clock and a 256 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 192.3 Gb/s, which affects how fast it can transfer data to and from memory. GPU memory stores temporary data that helps the GPU with complex math and graphics operations. More memory is generally better, as not having enough can cause performance bottlenecks.
Cores and Clock Speeds
The GTX 680 includes 1,536 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 1,006 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,058 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 128 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 32 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing.
Compatibility & Power Consumption
The GTX 680 occupies 2 PCIe expansion slots. It supports DVI, HDMI 1.4a, DisplayPort 1.2 display connections. NVIDIA recommends a power supply of at least 450 W to handle the GPU's thermal design power (TDP) of 195 W.
Benchmark Performance & Value
The GTX 680 has the 178th best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 9.75% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 10,216.5 score and $499 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 20.47. This is the 85th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
About the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 GPU
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 is an end-of-life desktop graphics card that released in Q1 2015 with a MSRP of $199. It is built on the Maxwell 2.0 GPU microarchitecture (codename GM206) and is manufactured on a 28 nm process.
Memory
The GTX 960 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, with a 1,753 MHz memory clock and a 128 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 112.2 Gb/s, which affects how fast it can transfer data to and from memory. GPU memory stores temporary data that helps the GPU with complex math and graphics operations. More memory is generally better, as not having enough can cause performance bottlenecks.
Cores and Clock Speeds
The GTX 960 includes 1,024 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 1,127 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,178 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 64 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 32 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing.
Compatibility & Power Consumption
The GTX 960 occupies 2 PCIe expansion slots. It supports DVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 display connections. NVIDIA recommends a power supply of at least 300 W to handle the GPU's thermal design power (TDP) of 120 W.
Benchmark Performance & Value
The GTX 960 has the 172nd best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 10.28% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 10,767.5 score and $199 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 54.11. This is the 61st best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
General Info
General overview of the GPU, including details like its manufacturer, release date, launch price, and current production status.
| Info | GeForce GTX 680 | GeForce GTX 960 |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | NVIDIA | NVIDIA |
| Architecture | Kepler | Maxwell 2.0 |
| Market Segment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Release Date | Q1 2012 | Q1 2015 |
| Launch Price (MSRP) | $499 | $199 |
| Production Status | End-of-life | End-of-life |
| Shop | Check Price | Check Price |
Gaming Performance
Select a game to compare FPS metrics
FPS Benchmarks
This table showcases the average frame rate (FPS) achieved both GPUs in at various resolutions. Frame rate is a crucial indicator of how smoothly the GPU can run the game. A higher FPS generally translates to a smoother gameplay experience.
- Frames Per Second
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided | GeForce GTX 680 | GeForce GTX 960 |
|---|---|---|
| Low - 720p | 73 FPS | -- |
| Medium - 768p | 51 FPS | -- |
| High - 1080p | 30 FPS | -- |
| Ultra - 1080p | 9 FPS | -- |
| QHD - 1440p | -- | -- |
| 4K UHD - 2160p | 9 FPS | -- |
Compare Frames Per Second (FPS)
The average frame rate (FPS) in can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, higher FPS results in a smoother gameplay experience.
| GPU | Frames Per Second | |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 980 | 18 | +112% |
| Radeon RX 470 | 17.8 | +109% |
| GeForce GTX 1650 | 16.8 | +98% |
| GeForce GTX 970 | 16.5 | +94% |
| GeForce GTX 1050 | 9 | +6% |
| GeForce GTX 680 | 8.5 | |
| GeForce GT 1030 | 5 | -41% |
Compare Cost Per Frame
The average cost per frame in can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative value. Generally, a lower cost per frame implies better value for your money.
| GPU | Cost Per Frame | |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB) | 15.74 | -73% |
| GeForce GT 1030 | 15.8 | -73% |
| GeForce GTX 970 | 19.94 | -66% |
| Radeon R9 FURY | 21.87 | -63% |
| GeForce GTX 980 | 30.5 | -48% |
| GeForce GTX 680 | 58.71 | |
Benchmark Performance
The GeForce GTX 960 has 5% better performance than the GeForce GTX 680 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
The GeForce GTX 680 is ranked 178th with a score of 10,216.5, and the GeForce GTX 960 is ranked 172nd with a score of 10,767.5.
The GeForce GTX 960 has 164% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 680 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
The GeForce GTX 680 is ranked 85th with a performance per dollar of 20.47, and the GeForce GTX 960 is ranked 61st with a performance per dollar of 54.11.
Relative Performance
The average score in the benchmark test can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, powerful GPUs tend to have higher scores.
| GPU | Benchmark Performance | |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 780 Ti | 15,619 | +53% |
| GeForce GTX 1650 | 13,645 | +34% |
| Radeon R9 380 | 12,191 | +19% |
| Radeon R9 280X | 10,792 | +6% |
| GeForce GTX 960 | 10,767.5 | +5% |
| GeForce GTX 680 | 10,216.5 | |
| GeForce GTX 1050 Ti | 9,453 | -7% |
| GeForce GTX 590 | 9,166.5 | -10% |
| GeForce GTX 1050 | 8,571 | -16% |
| Radeon R7 370 | 8,518.5 | -17% |
Relative Value For Money
The average performance per dollar in the benchmark test can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative value. A higher score implies a better value for your money.
| GPU | Performance Per Dollar | |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB) | 58.2 | +184% |
| Radeon R7 370 | 57.17 | +179% |
| GeForce GTX 960 | 54.11 | +164% |
| GeForce GTX 950 | 52.52 | +157% |
| GeForce GTX 970 | 48.73 | +138% |
| Radeon R9 Nano | 26.63 | +30% |
| GeForce GTX 780 Ti | 22.34 | +9% |
| GeForce GTX 680 | 20.47 | |
| Radeon HD 7770 (GHz Edition) | 19.48 | -5% |
| Radeon HD 7870 (GHz Edition) | 17.75 | -13% |
Benchmark Scores
This table showcases the average performance scores achieved by both GPUs across industry-standard benchmark tests. These scores provide a valuable insight into overall performance. Powerful GPUs tend to have higher scores.
- Popular
| Benchmark | GeForce GTX 680 | GeForce GTX 960 |
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics | 2,068 | -- |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 2,332 | -- |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics | 47,130 | 49,917.5 (+5.91%) |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics | 7,587 | 7,915.5 (+4.33%) |
| 3DMark 11 Performance Score | 10,000 (+1.26%) | 9,875.5 |
| Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit | 78.2 | 120 (+53.45%) |
| PassMark G3D Mark | 5,558 | 6,077 (+9.34%) |
| PassMark G2D Mark | 524 | 666 (+27.1%) |
Technical Specs
Graphics Processor
General information about the graphics processing unit like their architecture, manufacturing process size, and transistor count. Newer GPU architectures generally bring efficiency improvements and may introduce technologies that enhance graphical capabilities.
| Spec | GeForce GTX 680 | GeForce GTX 960 |
|---|---|---|
| Codename | GK104 | GM206 |
| Architecture | Kepler | Maxwell 2.0 |
| Process Size | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Transistors | 3,540 million | 2,940 million |
Memory Details
Memory specifications like their capacity, bandwidth, and clock speeds. GPU memory stores graphics data like frames, textures, and shadows which helps display rendered images. These specs are crucial for graphics-intense applications like gaming and 3D modeling.
| Spec | GeForce GTX 680 | GeForce GTX 960 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory Size | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 192.3 Gb/s | 112.2 Gb/s |
| Memory Clock | 1,502 MHz | 1,753 MHz |
| Memory Interface | 256 bit | 128 bit |
| L1 Cache | 16 KB | 48 KB |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB | 1,024 KB |
Board Compatibility
Compatibility information like their slot size, bus interface, power consumption, and display support. These specs are useful for verifying compatibility with your motherboard, power supply, and monitor.
| Spec | GeForce GTX 680 | GeForce GTX 960 |
|---|---|---|
| Slots | 2 slots | 2 slots |
| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| Thermal Design Power (TDP) | 195 W | 120 W |
| Suggested PSU | 450 W | 300 W |
| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | 1x 6-pin |
| Outputs | DVI, HDMI 1.4a, DisplayPort 1.2 | DVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 |
Cores & Clock Speeds
Processing power information like its cores and clock speed. These specs impact how fast they can process graphics. Each type of core or component serves a specific computational purpose.
| Spec | GeForce GTX 680 | GeForce GTX 960 |
|---|---|---|
| CUDA Cores | 1,536 | 1,024 |
| Stream Multiprocessors (SM) | 8 | -- |
| Texture Mapping Units (TMU) | 128 | 64 |
| Render Output Units (ROP) | 32 | 32 |
| Core Clock Speed | 1,006 MHz | 1,127 MHz |
| Core Clock Speed (Boost) | 1,058 MHz | 1,178 MHz |
Theoretical Performance
Theoretical performance numbers derived from the raw specifications of the different components like core count and clock speeds. While these provide a glimpse into peak processing power, they do not represent real-world performance.
| Spec | GeForce GTX 680 | GeForce GTX 960 |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel Fill Rate | 33.86 GPixel/s | 37.7 GPixel/s |
| Texture Fill Rate | 135.4 GTexel/s | 75.39 GTexel/s |
| FP32 Performance | 3.25 TFLOPS | 2.41 TFLOPS |
| FP64 Performance | 135.4 GFLOPS | 75.39 GFLOPS |
API Support
Graphics API versions supported by these graphics cards. APIs evolve over time, introducing new features and functionalities. Older GPUs may not support recent versions.
| Spec | GeForce GTX 680 | GeForce GTX 960 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 (12_1) |
| OpenCL | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Shader Model | 6.5 (5.1) | 6.8 |
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* Performance rating, performance per dollar, and rankings are based on the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark and MSRP.