NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960

VS
Performance
GeForce RTX 3060164% better
28,37527% of 104,598
GeForce GTX 960
10,767.510% of 104,598

The GeForce RTX 3060 has 164% better performance than the GeForce GTX 960 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Performance per dollar
GeForce RTX 306059% better
86.2553% of 161.45
GeForce GTX 960
54.1134% of 161.45

The GeForce RTX 3060 has 59% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 960 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

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Summary

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About the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 is a desktop graphics card that launched in Q1 2021 with a MSRP of $329. It is built on the Ampere GPU microarchitecture (codename GA106) and is manufactured on a 8 nm process.

Memory

The RTX 3060 has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, with a 1,875 MHz memory clock and a 192 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 360 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 RTX 3060 includes 3,584 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 1,320 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,777 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 112 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 48 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing. Additionally, the GPU features 112 tensor cores optimized for AI-accelerated workloads and 28 RT cores dedicated to real-time ray tracing calculations.

Compatibility & Power Consumption

The RTX 3060 occupies 2 PCIe expansion slots. It supports HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a display connections. NVIDIA recommends a power supply of at least 450 W to handle the GPU's thermal design power (TDP) of 170 W.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The RTX 3060 has the 83rd best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 27.13% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 28,375 score and $329 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 86.25. This is the 29th 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 10.29% 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.

General Info

General overview of the GPU, including details like its manufacturer, release date, launch price, and current production status.

InfoGeForce RTX 3060GeForce GTX 960
ManufacturerNVIDIANVIDIA
ArchitectureAmpereMaxwell 2.0
Market SegmentDesktopDesktop
Release DateQ1 2021Q1 2015
Launch Price (MSRP)$329$199
Production StatusActiveEnd-of-life
ShopCheck PriceCheck Price

Gaming Performance

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Select a game to compare FPS metrics

Display FPS for Riders Republic
Riders Republic
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Far Cry 6
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Cyberpunk 2077 (1.6)
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Vampire Bloodhunt
Display FPS for Tiny Tina's Wonderlands
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands
Display FPS for Ghostwire: Tokyo
Ghostwire: Tokyo
Display FPS for ELEX 2
ELEX 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 Riders Republic
Riders Republic
GeForce RTX 3060GeForce GTX 960
Low - 720p
198 FPS
--
Medium - 1080p
124 FPS
--
High - 1080p
102 FPS
--
Ultra - 1080p
79 FPS
--
QHD - 1440p
64 FPS
--
4K UHD - 2160p
36 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 RTX 3060 orGeForce GTX 960

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 RTX 3060 orGeForce GTX 960

Benchmark Performance

#
Performance
GeForce RTX 3060164% better
28,37527% of 104,598
GeForce GTX 960
10,767.510% of 104,598

The GeForce RTX 3060 has 164% better performance than the GeForce GTX 960 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce RTX 3060 is ranked 83rd with a score of 28,375, and the GeForce GTX 960 is ranked 172nd with a score of 10,767.5.

Performance per dollar
GeForce RTX 306059% better
86.2553% of 161.45
GeForce GTX 960
54.1134% of 161.45

The GeForce RTX 3060 has 59% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 960 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce RTX 3060 is ranked 29th with a performance per dollar of 86.25, 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.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce RTX 3060 or
GPUBenchmark Performance
GeForce GTX 108029,263+3%
Radeon RX Vega 5629,086+3%
GeForce RTX 306028,375
GeForce GTX 1070 Ti27,503-3%
GeForce RTX 206027,162.5-4%
Radeon R9 38012,191-57%
Radeon R9 280X10,792-62%
GeForce GTX 96010,767.5-62%
GeForce GTX 68010,216.5-64%
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti9,453-67%

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 RTX 3060 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 RTX 3060GeForce GTX 960
3DMark Time Spy Graphics
8,559
--
3DMark Time Spy Score
8,721
--
3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics
120,745
(+141.89%)
49,917.5
3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics
21,379
(+170.09%)
7,915.5
3DMark Night Raid Graphics
96,914
--
3DMark 11 Performance Score
25,149
(+154.66%)
9,875.5
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit
246.6
(+105.5%)
120
PassMark G3D Mark
17,001
(+179.67%)
6,079
PassMark G2D Mark
963
(+41.2%)
682
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 RTX 3060GeForce GTX 960
CodenameGA106GM206
ArchitectureAmpereMaxwell 2.0
Process Size8 nm28 nm
Transistors12,000 million2,940 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.

SpecGeForce RTX 3060GeForce GTX 960
Memory Size12 GB2 GB
Memory TypeGDDR6GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth360 Gb/s112.2 Gb/s
Memory Clock1,875 MHz1,753 MHz
Memory Interface192 bit128 bit
L1 Cache128 KB48 KB
L2 Cache3 MB1,024 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.

SpecGeForce RTX 3060GeForce GTX 960
Slots2 slots2 slots
Bus InterfacePCIe 4.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
Thermal Design Power (TDP)170 W120 W
Suggested PSU450 W300 W
Power Connectors1x 12-pin1x 6-pin
OutputsHDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4aDVI, 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.

SpecGeForce RTX 3060GeForce GTX 960
CUDA Cores3,5841,024
Stream Multiprocessors (SM)28--
Texture Mapping Units (TMU)11264
Render Output Units (ROP)4832
Tensor Cores112--
Ray Tracing Cores28--
Core Clock Speed1,320 MHz1,127 MHz
Core Clock Speed (Boost)1,777 MHz1,178 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.

SpecGeForce RTX 3060GeForce GTX 960
Pixel Fill Rate85.3 GPixel/s37.7 GPixel/s
Texture Fill Rate199 GTexel/s75.39 GTexel/s
FP32 Performance12.74 TFLOPS2.41 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance199 GFLOPS75.39 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.

SpecGeForce RTX 3060GeForce GTX 960
DirectX12 Ultimate (12_2)12 (12_1)
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.