GeForce 6600 GT vs GeForce 9400

NVIDIA

GeForce 6600 GT

2012Core: 915 MHzBoost: 980 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce 9400

2015Core: 1072 MHzBoost: 1176 MHz

GeForce 6600 GT vs GeForce 9400 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce 6600 GT vs GeForce 9400 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce 6600 GT vs GeForce 9400: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce 6600 GT

2012

Why buy it

  • 3.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 256 MB vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2012 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 237.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $199 MSRPvs$59 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.7 vs 2.5 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $59 MSRP).
  • 354.5% higher power demand at 150W vs 33W.

GeForce 9400

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $140 less on MSRP ($59 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • Delivers 246.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.5 vs 0.7 G3D/$ ($59 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 256 MB).
  • Draws 33W instead of 150W, a 117W reduction.
  • Measures 168mm instead of 183mm, a 15mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce 6600 GT across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce 6600 GT is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 3.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce 9400 instead at 147 vs 143, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce 6600 GT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce 9400 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $140 cheaper on MSRP at $59 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 246.7% (2.5 vs 0.7), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce 9400 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 6600 GT has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 6600 GT vs GeForce 9400 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce 6600 GT

The GeForce 6600 GT is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 16 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 915 MHz to 980 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 143 points. Launch price was $299.

NVIDIA

GeForce 9400

The GeForce 9400 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1072 MHz to 1176 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 147 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 6600 GT scores 143 and the GeForce 9400 reaches 147 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 6600 GT is built on Kepler while the GeForce 9400 uses Maxwell, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,344 (GeForce 6600 GT) vs 384 (GeForce 9400). Raw compute: 2.634 TFLOPS (GeForce 6600 GT) vs 0.9032 TFLOPS (GeForce 9400). Boost clocks: 980 MHz vs 1176 MHz.

FeatureGeForce 6600 GTGeForce 9400
G3D Mark Score
143
147+3%
Architecture
Kepler
Maxwell
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1344+250%
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.634 TFLOPS+192%
0.9032 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
980 MHz
1176 MHz+20%
ROPs
24+200%
8
TMUs
112+367%
24
L1 Cache
112 KB
192 KB+71%
L2 Cache
0.38 MB
1 MB+163%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce 6600 GTGeForce 9400
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 6600 GT has 256 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce 9400 carries 512 MB. GeForce 9400 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 6600 GT and 128-bit on the GeForce 9400. L2 Cache: 0.38 MB (GeForce 6600 GT) vs 1 MB (GeForce 9400) — the GeForce 9400 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 6600 GTGeForce 9400
VRAM Capacity
0.25 GB
0.5 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
0.38 MB
1 MB+163%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0c (GeForce 6600 GT) vs 10 (GeForce 9400). Vulkan: None vs N/A. OpenGL: 2.1 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce 6600 GTGeForce 9400
DirectX
9.0c
10+11%
Vulkan
None
N/A
OpenGL
2.1
3.3+57%
Max Displays
2
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 6600 GT) vs None (GeForce 9400). Decoder: PureVideo vs PureVideo HD (VP2). Supported codecs: MPEG-2 (GeForce 6600 GT) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce 9400).

FeatureGeForce 6600 GTGeForce 9400
Encoder
No
None
Decoder
PureVideo
PureVideo HD (VP2)
Codecs
MPEG-2
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 6600 GT draws 150W versus the GeForce 9400's 33W — a 127.9% difference. The GeForce 9400 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 6600 GT) vs 350W (GeForce 9400). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy. Card length: 183mm vs 168mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85.

FeatureGeForce 6600 GTGeForce 9400
TDP
150W
33W-78%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
Legacy
Length
183mm
168mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
1
1
Temp (Load)
75°C-12%
85
Perf/Watt
1.0
4.5+350%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 6600 GT came in at $199, while the GeForce 9400 launched at $59. On MSRP, GeForce 9400 was 70.4% cheaper ($140 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.7 (GeForce 6600 GT) vs 2.5 (GeForce 9400) — the GeForce 9400 offers 257.1% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 9400 (2015 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce 6600 GTGeForce 9400
MSRP
$199
$59-70%
Performance per Dollar
0.7
2.5+257%
Codename
GK104
GM108
Release
August 16 2012
March 13 2015
Ranking
#472
#847

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