GeForce GTS 160M vs GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

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 GTS 160M vs GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU 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 GTS 160M vs GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU: 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 GTS 160M

2012

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 160W, a 115W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌2012 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

2023

Why buy it

✅2256.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌255.6% higher power demand at 160W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 2256.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2462.6% in PassMark G3D (17,400 vs 679), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce GTS 160M is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 28nm, and 34 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTS 160M vs GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTS 160M

The GeForce GTS 160M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from Up to 900 MHz to 950 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 679 points.

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2310 MHz to 2535 MHz. It has 4352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 34 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 17,400 points. Launch price was $399.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTS 160M scores 679 versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU's 17,400 — the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU leads by 2462.6%. The GeForce GTS 160M is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GTS 160M) vs 4,352 (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 0.7296 TFLOPS (GeForce GTS 160M) vs 22.06 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 950 MHz vs 2535 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTS 160M	GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	679	17,400+2463%
Architecture	Kepler	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	28 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	384	4352+1033%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.7296 TFLOPS	22.06 TFLOPS+2924%
Boost Clock	950 MHz	2535 MHz+167%
ROPs	16	48+200%
TMUs	32	136+325%
L1 Cache	0.03 MB	4.3 MB+14233%
L2 Cache	0.25 MB	32 MB+12700%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTS 160M does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTS 160M is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTS 160M	GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTS 160M has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU gives you 700% 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 GTS 160M and 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (GeForce GTS 160M) vs 32 MB (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTS 160M	GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	1 GB	8 GB+700%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	256 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.25 MB	32 MB+12700%

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTS 160M) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTS 160M	GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
DirectX	11.1 (10_0)	12 Ultimate+8%
OpenGL	3.3	4.6+39%
Max Displays	2	4+100%

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP2 (GeForce GTS 160M) vs NVENC (8th Gen) (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs NVDEC (5th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTS 160M) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU).

Feature	GeForce GTS 160M	GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP2	NVENC (8th Gen)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP2	NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTS 160M draws 45W versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU's 160W — a 112.2% difference. The GeForce GTS 160M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTS 160M) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: Legacy vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 90°C vs 80°C.