NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960

VS
Performance
GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile503% better
64,95262% of 104,737
GeForce GTX 960
10,767.510% of 104,737

The GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile has 503% better performance than the GeForce GTX 960 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Performance per dollar
GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile
No data available
GeForce GTX 960
54.1134% of 161.45

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

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About the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile GPU

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is a mobile graphics card that launched in Q1 2023. It is built on the Ada Lovelace GPU microarchitecture (codename AD103) and is manufactured on a 5 nm process.

Memory

The RTX 4090 Mobile has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, with a 2,250 MHz memory clock and a 256 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 576 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 4090 Mobile includes 9,728 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 1,335 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,695 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 304 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 112 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing. Additionally, the GPU features 304 tensor cores optimized for AI-accelerated workloads and 76 RT cores dedicated to real-time ray tracing calculations.

Compatibility & Power Consumption

The GPU has a thermal design power (TDP) of 120 W. A power supply not strong enough to handle this might result in system crashes and potentially damage your hardware.

Benchmark Performance

The RTX 4090 Mobile has the 14th best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 62.01% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090.

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.

InfoGeForce RTX 4090 MobileGeForce GTX 960
ManufacturerNVIDIANVIDIA
ArchitectureAda LovelaceMaxwell 2.0
Market SegmentMobileDesktop
Release DateQ1 2023Q1 2015
Launch Price (MSRP)--$199
Production StatusActiveEnd-of-life
ShopCheck PriceCheck Price

Gaming Performance

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Select a game to compare FPS metrics

Display FPS for God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök
Display FPS for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Space Marine 2
Display FPS for Star Wars Outlaws
Star Wars Outlaws
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

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 God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök
GeForce RTX 4090 MobileGeForce GTX 960
Low - 1080p
225 FPS
--
Medium - 1080p
201 FPS
--
High - 1080p
178 FPS
--
Ultra - 1080p
163 FPS
--
QHD - 1440p
123 FPS
--
4K UHD - 2160p
74 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 4090 Mobile 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 4090 Mobile orGeForce GTX 960
GPUCost Per Frame
Our database does not have enough data to compare the FPS per dollar with other GPUs.

Benchmark Performance

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Performance
GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile503% better
64,95262% of 104,737
GeForce GTX 960
10,767.510% of 104,737

The GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile has 503% better performance than the GeForce GTX 960 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is ranked 14th with a score of 64,952, and the GeForce GTX 960 is ranked 172nd with a score of 10,767.5.

Performance per dollar
GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile
No data available
GeForce GTX 960
54.1134% of 161.45

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 0th 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 RTX 4090 Mobile or

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 4090 Mobile orGeForce GTX 960
GPUPerformance Per Dollar
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti68.01+26%
Radeon R9 38061.26+13%
GeForce GT 103059.84+11%
GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB)58.2+8%
Radeon R7 37057.17+6%
GeForce GTX 96054.11
GeForce GTX 95052.52-3%
GeForce GTX 97048.73-10%
Radeon R9 390X41.83-23%
GeForce GTX 750 Ti36.09-33%

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
BenchmarkGeForce RTX 4090 MobileGeForce GTX 960
3DMark Time Spy Graphics
21,278
--
3DMark Time Spy Score
20,223
--
3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics
143,771
(+188.02%)
49,917.5
3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics
46,191
(+483.55%)
7,915.5
3DMark Night Raid Graphics
165,244
--
3DMark 11 Performance Score
45,239
(+358.09%)
9,875.5
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit
280
(+133.33%)
120
PassMark G3D Mark
27,810
(+357.63%)
6,077
PassMark G2D Mark
982
(+47.23%)
667
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 4090 MobileGeForce GTX 960
CodenameAD103GM206
ArchitectureAda LovelaceMaxwell 2.0
Process Size5 nm28 nm
Transistors45,900 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 4090 MobileGeForce GTX 960
Memory Size16 GB2 GB
Memory TypeGDDR6GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth576 Gb/s112.2 Gb/s
Memory Clock2,250 MHz1,753 MHz
Memory Interface256 bit128 bit
L1 Cache128 KB48 KB
L2 Cache64 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 4090 MobileGeForce GTX 960
Slots--2 slots
Bus InterfacePCIe 4.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
Thermal Design Power (TDP)120 W120 W
Suggested PSU--300 W
Power Connectors--1x 6-pin
OutputsDevice DependentDVI, 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 4090 MobileGeForce GTX 960
CUDA Cores9,7281,024
Stream Multiprocessors (SM)76--
Texture Mapping Units (TMU)30464
Render Output Units (ROP)11232
Tensor Cores304--
Ray Tracing Cores76--
Core Clock Speed1,335 MHz1,127 MHz
Core Clock Speed (Boost)1,695 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 4090 MobileGeForce GTX 960
Pixel Fill Rate189.8 GPixel/s37.7 GPixel/s
Texture Fill Rate515.3 GTexel/s75.39 GTexel/s
FP32 Performance32.98 TFLOPS2.41 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance515.3 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 4090 MobileGeForce 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.