NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960

VS
Performance
10,767.510% of 104,598

The GeForce GTX 960 has 10% of the performance compared to the leader for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090.

Performance per dollar
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.

Specs at a glance
Memory2 GB GDDR5
Slots2 slots
TDP120 W
Release DateQ1 2015
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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.

General Info

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

InfoValue
ManufacturerNVIDIA
ArchitectureMaxwell 2.0
Market SegmentDesktop
Release DateQ1 2015
Launch Price (MSRP)$199
Production StatusEnd-of-life
ShopCheck Price

Gaming Performance

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Select a game to compare FPS metrics

Display FPS for Rise of the Tomb Raider
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Display FPS for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3
Display FPS for Grand Theft Auto V
GTA V
Display FPS for BioShock Infinite
BioShock Infinite

FPS Benchmarks

This table showcases the average frame rate (FPS) achieved by the GeForce GTX 960 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.

FPS data for Rise of the Tomb Raider
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Frames Per SecondHigher is better
Cost Per FrameLower is better
Low - 768p113 FPS$1.77 CPF
Medium - 768p71 FPS$2.79 CPF
High - 1080p44 FPS$4.55 CPF
Ultra - 1080p36 FPS$5.51 CPF
QHD - 1440p----
4K UHD17 FPS$11.71 CPF
FPS Source: Notebookcheck

Compare Frames Per Second (FPS)

GeForce GTX 960's average frame rate (FPS) in can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, higher FPS results in a smoother gameplay experience.

Compare Cost Per Frame

GeForce GTX 960's 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.

Benchmark Performance

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Performance
10,767.510% of 104,598

The GeForce GTX 960 has 10% of the performance compared to the leader for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090.

The GeForce GTX 960 is ranked 172nd with a score of 10,767.5.

Performance per dollar
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.

The GeForce GTX 960 is ranked 61st with a performance per dollar of 54.11.

Compare Performance

GeForce GTX 960's average score in the benchmark can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, more powerful GPUs tend to have higher scores.

GPUBenchmark Performance
GeForce GTX 97016,033+49%
GeForce GTX 780 Ti15,619+45%
GeForce GTX 165013,645+27%
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%
GeForce GTX 5909,166.5-15%
GeForce GTX 10508,571-20%

Compare Value For Money

GeForce GTX 960's average performance per dollar in the benchmark can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative value. A higher score generally implies better value for your money.

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 GeForce GTX 960's average performance scores across industry-standard GPU benchmark tests. These scores provide a valuable insight into overall performance. Powerful GPUs tend to have higher scores.

  • Popular
BenchmarkValue
3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics
49,917.5
3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics
7,915.5
3DMark 11 Performance Score
9,875.5
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit
120
PassMark G3D Mark
6,079
PassMark G2D Mark
682
Benchmarks Source: Notebookcheck

Technical Specs

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Processor Details

General information about the graphics processing unit like its architecture, manufacturing process size, and transistor count. Newer GPU architectures generally bring efficiency improvements and may introduce technologies that enhance graphical capabilities.

SpecValue
CodenameGM206
ArchitectureMaxwell 2.0
Process Size28 nm
Transistors2,940 million

Board Compatibility

Compatibility information like its slot size, bus interface, power consumption, and display support. These specs are useful for verifying compatibility with your motherboard, power supply, and monitor.

SpecValue
Slots2 slots
Bus InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16
Thermal Design Power (TDP)120 W
Suggested PSU300 W
Power Connectors1x 6-pin
OutputsDVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2

Memory Details

Memory specifications like its 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.

SpecValue
Memory Size2 GB
Memory TypeGDDR5
Memory Bandwidth112.2 Gb/s
Memory Clock1,753 MHz
Memory Interface128 bit
L1 Cache48 KB
L2 Cache1,024 KB

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.

SpecValue
CUDA Cores1,024
Texture Mapping Units (TMU)64
Render Output Units (ROP)32
Core Clock Speed1,127 MHz
Core Clock Speed (Boost)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.

SpecValue
Pixel Fill Rate37.7 GPixel/s
Texture Fill Rate75.39 GTexel/s
FP32 Performance2.41 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance75.39 GFLOPS

API Support

Graphics API versions supported by this graphics card. APIs evolve over time, introducing new features and functionalities. Older GPUs may not support recent versions.

SpecValue
DirectX12 (12_1)
OpenCL3.0
OpenGL4.6
Shader Model6.8

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