Contents:HighlightsSummaryGaming PerformanceBenchmark PerformanceTechnical SpecsRelated ComparisonsRelated GPUs
Performance
GeForce GTX 9609% better
10,767.510% of 104,598
GeForce GTX 970M
9,877.59% of 104,598
The GeForce GTX 960 has 9% better performance than the GeForce GTX 970M for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
Performance per dollar
GeForce GTX 960
54.1134% of 161.45
GeForce GTX 970M
No data available
The GeForce GTX 960 has 34% of the performance per dollar compared to the leader for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark: AMD Radeon RX 7600.
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Summary
#
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 10.29% 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.
About the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M GPU
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M is an end-of-life mobile graphics card that released in Q4 2014. It is built on the Maxwell 2.0 GPU microarchitecture (codename GM204) and is manufactured on a 28 nm process.
Memory
The GTX 970M has 6 GB of GDDR5 memory, with a 1,253 MHz memory clock and a 192 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 120.3 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 970M includes 1,280 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 924 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,038 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 80 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 48 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing.
Compatibility & Power Consumption
The GPU has a thermal design power (TDP) of 81 W. A power supply not strong enough to handle this might result in system crashes and potentially damage your hardware.
Benchmark Performance
The GTX 970M has the 181st best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 9.44% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090.
General Info
General overview of the GPU, including details like its manufacturer, release date, launch price, and current production status.
| Info | GeForce GTX 960 | GeForce GTX 970M |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | NVIDIA | NVIDIA |
| Architecture | Maxwell 2.0 | Maxwell 2.0 |
| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |
| Release Date | Q1 2015 | Q4 2014 |
| Launch Price (MSRP) | $199 | -- |
| Production Status | End-of-life | End-of-life |
| Shop | Check Price | Check Price |
Gaming Performance
#
Select a game to compare FPS metrics
Rage 2
Anno 1800
The Division 2
Dirt Rally 2.0
Anthem
Far Cry New Dawn
Metro Exodus
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
Rage 2 | GeForce GTX 960 | GeForce GTX 970M |
|---|---|---|
| Low - 720p | -- | 67 FPS |
| Medium - 1080p | -- | 31 FPS |
| High - 1080p | -- | 27 FPS |
| Ultra - 1080p | -- | 26 FPS |
| QHD - 1440p | -- | 17 FPS |
| 4K UHD - 2160p | -- | -- |
FPS Source: Notebookcheck
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.
Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce GTX 960 orGeForce GTX 970M
| GPU | Frames Per Second | |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile | 43 | +161% |
| GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile | 33.7 | +104% |
| GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q | 22.4 | +36% |
| GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile | 18.1 | +10% |
| GeForce GTX 970M | 16.5 | |
| Radeon RX 5500M | 15.4 | -7% |
| GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile | 13.8 | -16% |
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.
Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce GTX 960 orGeForce GTX 970M
| GPU | Cost Per Frame | |
|---|---|---|
| Our database does not have enough data to compare the FPS per dollar with other GPUs. | ||
Benchmark Performance
#
Performance
GeForce GTX 9609% better
10,767.510% of 104,598
GeForce GTX 970M
9,877.59% of 104,598
The GeForce GTX 960 has 9% better performance than the GeForce GTX 970M for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
The GeForce GTX 960 is ranked 172nd with a score of 10,767.5, and the GeForce GTX 970M is ranked 181st with a score of 9,877.5.
Performance per dollar
GeForce GTX 960
54.1134% of 161.45
GeForce GTX 970M
No data available
The GeForce GTX 960 has 83% of the performance per dollar compared to the leader for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090.
GeForce GTX 960's 54.11 performance per dollar ranks it 61st among the other benchmarked GPUs in our database.
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.
Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce GTX 960 or
| GPU | Benchmark Performance | |
|---|---|---|
| Radeon R9 380 | 12,191 | +13% |
| Radeon R9 280X | 10,792 | +0% |
| GeForce GTX 960 | 10,767.5 | |
| Quadro M4000M | 10,259 | -5% |
| GeForce GTX 680 | 10,216.5 | -5% |
| GeForce MX550 | 10,005 | -7% |
| GeForce GTX 970M | 9,877.5 | -8% |
| FirePro W7170M | 9,708 | -10% |
| GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile | 9,615.5 | -11% |
| GeForce GTX 1050 Ti | 9,453 | -12% |
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.
Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce GTX 960 orGeForce GTX 970M
| GPU | Performance Per Dollar | |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 1050 Ti | 68.01 | +26% |
| Radeon R9 380 | 61.26 | +13% |
| GeForce GT 1030 | 59.84 | +11% |
| GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB) | 58.2 | +8% |
| Radeon R7 370 | 57.17 | +6% |
| GeForce GTX 960 | 54.11 | |
| GeForce GTX 950 | 52.52 | -3% |
| GeForce GTX 970 | 48.73 | -10% |
| Radeon R9 390X | 41.83 | -23% |
| GeForce GTX 750 Ti | 36.09 | -33% |
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 960 | GeForce GTX 970M |
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics | 49,917.5 | 51,247 (+2.66%) |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics | 7,915.5 (+6.06%) | 7,463 |
| 3DMark 11 Performance Score | 9,875.5 (+5.02%) | 9,403 |
| Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit | 120 (+32.6%) | 90.5 |
| PassMark G3D Mark | 6,079 (+6.2%) | 5,724 |
| PassMark G2D Mark | 682 (+76.23%) | 387 |
| Unigine Heaven 3.0 DirectX 11 | -- | 93 |
Benchmarks Source: Notebookcheck
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 960 | GeForce GTX 970M |
|---|---|---|
| Codename | GM206 | GM204 |
| Architecture | Maxwell 2.0 | Maxwell 2.0 |
| Process Size | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Transistors | 2,940 million | 5,200 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 960 | GeForce GTX 970M |
|---|---|---|
| Memory Size | 2 GB | 6 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 112.2 Gb/s | 120.3 Gb/s |
| Memory Clock | 1,753 MHz | 1,253 MHz |
| Memory Interface | 128 bit | 192 bit |
| L1 Cache | 48 KB | 48 KB |
| L2 Cache | 1,024 KB | 1,536 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 960 | GeForce GTX 970M |
|---|---|---|
| Slots | 2 slots | -- |
| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | MXM-B (3.0) |
| Thermal Design Power (TDP) | 120 W | 81 W |
| Suggested PSU | 300 W | -- |
| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin | -- |
| Outputs | DVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 | Device Dependent |
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 960 | GeForce GTX 970M |
|---|---|---|
| CUDA Cores | 1,024 | 1,280 |
| Texture Mapping Units (TMU) | 64 | 80 |
| Render Output Units (ROP) | 32 | 48 |
| Core Clock Speed | 1,127 MHz | 924 MHz |
| Core Clock Speed (Boost) | 1,178 MHz | 1,038 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 960 | GeForce GTX 970M |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel Fill Rate | 37.7 GPixel/s | 49.82 GPixel/s |
| Texture Fill Rate | 75.39 GTexel/s | 83.04 GTexel/s |
| FP32 Performance | 2.41 TFLOPS | 2.66 TFLOPS |
| FP64 Performance | 75.39 GFLOPS | 83.04 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 960 | GeForce GTX 970M |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 (12_1) |
| OpenCL | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Shader Model | 6.8 | 6.8 |
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* Performance rating, performance per dollar, and rankings are based on the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark and MSRP.