NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

VS
Performance
GeForce GTX 960
10,767.510% of 104,598
GeForce RTX 4090871% better
104,598Best Performance

The GeForce RTX 4090 has 871% better performance than the GeForce GTX 960 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Performance per dollar
GeForce GTX 960
54.1134% of 161.45
GeForce RTX 409021% better
65.4141% of 161.45

The GeForce RTX 4090 has 21% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 960 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Shop GeForce GTX 960
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Summary

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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 RTX 4090 GPU

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a desktop graphics card that launched in Q4 2022 with a MSRP of $1,599. It is built on the Ada Lovelace GPU microarchitecture (codename AD102) and is manufactured on a 5 nm process.

Memory

The RTX 4090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory, with a 1,313 MHz memory clock and a 384 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 1.01 Tb/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 RTX 4090 includes 16,384 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 2,235 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 2,520 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 512 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 176 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing. Additionally, the GPU features 512 tensor cores optimized for AI-accelerated workloads and 128 RT cores dedicated to real-time ray tracing calculations.

Compatibility & Power Consumption

The RTX 4090 is a large graphics card, occupying 3 PCIe 4.0 x16 expansion slots. It supports HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a display connections. With a thermal design power (TDP) of 450 W and a large, 3-slot size, it is recommended to use a power supply of 850 W and a case with sufficient space to accommodate the card. Compare your card's model and your case's dimensions to verify compatibility.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The RTX 4090 has the best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. Its 104,598 score and $1,599 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 65.41. This is the 49th 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.

InfoGeForce GTX 960GeForce RTX 4090
ManufacturerNVIDIANVIDIA
ArchitectureMaxwell 2.0Ada Lovelace
Market SegmentDesktopDesktop
Release DateQ1 2015Q4 2022
Launch Price (MSRP)$199$1,599
Production StatusEnd-of-lifeActive
ShopCheck PriceCheck Price

Gaming Performance

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Select a game to compare FPS metrics

Display FPS for Black Myth: Wukong
Black Myth: Wukong
Display FPS for Once Human
Once Human
Display FPS for The First Descendant
The First Descendant
Display FPS for F1 24
F1 24
Display FPS for Senua's Saga Hellblade 2
Senua's Saga Hellblade 2
Display FPS for Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima
Display FPS for Dragon's Dogma 2
Dragon's Dogma 2

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
FPS data for Black Myth: Wukong
Black Myth: Wukong
GeForce GTX 960GeForce RTX 4090
Low - 1080p
--
219 FPS
Medium - 1080p
--
166 FPS
High - 1080p
--
132 FPS
Ultra - 1080p
--
85 FPS
QHD - 1440p
--
67 FPS
4K UHD - 2160p
--
42 FPS
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 RTX 4090
GPUFrames Per Second
GeForce RTX 409042
Radeon RX 7900 XTX32-24%
GeForce RTX 309022-48%
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti13-69%

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 RTX 4090
GPUCost Per Frame
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti30.69-19%
Radeon RX 7900 XTX31.22-18%
GeForce RTX 409038.07
GeForce RTX 309068.14+79%

Benchmark Performance

#
Performance
GeForce GTX 960
10,767.510% of 104,598
GeForce RTX 4090871% better
104,598Best Performance

The GeForce RTX 4090 has 871% better performance than the GeForce GTX 960 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce GTX 960 is ranked 172nd with a score of 10,767.5, and the GeForce RTX 4090 is ranked 1st with a score of 104,598.

Performance per dollar
GeForce GTX 960
54.1134% of 161.45
GeForce RTX 409021% better
65.4141% of 161.45

The GeForce RTX 4090 has 21% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 960 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce GTX 960 is ranked 61st with a performance per dollar of 54.11, and the GeForce RTX 4090 is ranked 49th with a performance per dollar of 65.41.

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
GPUBenchmark Performance
GeForce RTX 4090104,598+871%
GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER87,055+708%
GeForce RTX 408086,267+701%
Radeon RX 7900 XTX83,322+674%
Radeon RX 7900 XT75,896+605%
Radeon R9 38012,191+13%
Radeon R9 280X10,792+0%
GeForce GTX 96010,767.5
GeForce GTX 68010,216.5-5%
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti9,453-12%

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 or

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
BenchmarkGeForce GTX 960GeForce RTX 4090
3DMark Time Spy Graphics
--
36,836
3DMark Time Spy Score
--
30,977
3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics
49,917.5
260,357
(+421.57%)
3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics
7,915.5
73,447
(+827.89%)
3DMark Night Raid Graphics
--
209,337
3DMark 11 Performance Score
9,875.5
63,861
(+546.66%)
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit
120
326.7
(+172.25%)
PassMark G3D Mark
6,079
38,576
(+534.58%)
PassMark G2D Mark
682
1,301
(+90.76%)
Benchmarks Source: Notebookcheck

Technical Specs

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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.

SpecGeForce GTX 960GeForce RTX 4090
CodenameGM206AD102
ArchitectureMaxwell 2.0Ada Lovelace
Process Size28 nm5 nm
Transistors2,940 million76,300 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.

SpecGeForce GTX 960GeForce RTX 4090
Memory Size2 GB24 GB
Memory TypeGDDR5GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth112.2 Gb/s1.01 Tb/s
Memory Clock1,753 MHz1,313 MHz
Memory Interface128 bit384 bit
L1 Cache48 KB128 KB
L2 Cache1,024 KB72 MB

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.

SpecGeForce GTX 960GeForce RTX 4090
Slots2 slots3 slots
Bus InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 4.0 x16
Thermal Design Power (TDP)120 W450 W
Suggested PSU300 W850 W
Power Connectors1x 6-pin1x 16-pin
OutputsDVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a

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.

SpecGeForce GTX 960GeForce RTX 4090
CUDA Cores1,02416,384
Stream Multiprocessors (SM)--128
Texture Mapping Units (TMU)64512
Render Output Units (ROP)32176
Tensor Cores--512
Ray Tracing Cores--128
Core Clock Speed1,127 MHz2,235 MHz
Core Clock Speed (Boost)1,178 MHz2,520 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.

SpecGeForce GTX 960GeForce RTX 4090
Pixel Fill Rate37.7 GPixel/s443.5 GPixel/s
Texture Fill Rate75.39 GTexel/s1,290 GTexel/s
FP32 Performance2.41 TFLOPS82.58 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance75.39 GFLOPS1,290 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.

SpecGeForce GTX 960GeForce RTX 4090
DirectX12 (12_1)12 Ultimate (12_2)
OpenCL3.03.0
OpenGL4.64.6
Shader Model6.86.8

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* Performance rating, performance per dollar, and rankings are based on the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark and MSRP.