GeForce GTS 250 vs GeForce RTX 4060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTS 250

2010Core: 783 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060

2023Core: 1830 MHzBoost: 2460 MHz

GeForce GTS 250 vs GeForce RTX 4060 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 GTS 250 vs GeForce RTX 4060 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 250 vs GeForce RTX 4060: 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 250

2010

Why buy it

  • Costs $170 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • Measures 229mm instead of 240mm, a 11mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 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).
  • 2010 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.4 vs 65.4 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4060

2023

Why buy it

  • 1684.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 1382.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 4.4 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
  • 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

  • Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1684.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3335.5% in PassMark G3D (19,548 vs 569), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4060 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 250 is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 40nm, and 24 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 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $170 more expensive on MSRP at $299 vs $129, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1382.2% (65.4 vs 4.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTS 250 vs GeForce RTX 4060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTS 250

The GeForce GTS 250 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 13 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 783 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 106W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 569 points. Launch price was $129.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060

The GeForce RTX 4060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1830 MHz to 2460 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 24 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,548 points. Launch price was $299.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTS 250 scores 569 versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 19,548 — the GeForce RTX 4060 leads by 3335.5%. The GeForce GTS 250 is built on Fermi while the GeForce RTX 4060 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 40 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTS 250) vs 3,072 (GeForce RTX 4060). Raw compute: 0.6013 TFLOPS (GeForce GTS 250) vs 15.11 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060).

FeatureGeForce GTS 250GeForce RTX 4060
G3D Mark Score
569
19,548+3336%
Architecture
Fermi
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
40 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
192
3072+1500%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.6013 TFLOPS
15.11 TFLOPS+2413%
ROPs
16
48+200%
TMUs
32
96+200%
L1 Cache
0.25 MB
3 MB+1100%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
24 MB+9500%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4060 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 250 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTS 250 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTS 250GeForce RTX 4060
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
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTS 250 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4060 carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 4060 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 250 and 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (GeForce GTS 250) vs 24 MB (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTS 250GeForce RTX 4060
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
8 GB+700%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
272 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
24 MB+9500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTS 250) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTS 250GeForce RTX 4060
DirectX
11.1 (10_0)
12 Ultimate+8%
OpenGL
3.3
4.6+39%
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP5 (GeForce GTS 250) vs NVENC 8th gen (GeForce RTX 4060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP5 vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTS 250) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4060).

FeatureGeForce GTS 250GeForce RTX 4060
Encoder
PureVideo HD VP5
NVENC 8th gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP5
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTS 250 draws 106W versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 115W — a 8.1% difference. The GeForce GTS 250 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce GTS 250) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 4060). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 90°C vs 73°C.

FeatureGeForce GTS 250GeForce RTX 4060
TDP
106W-8%
115W
Recommended PSU
450W-18%
550W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
8-pin
Length
229mm
240mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
90°C
73°C-19%
Perf/Watt
5.4
170.0+3048%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTS 250 came in at $129, while the GeForce RTX 4060 launched at $299. On MSRP, GeForce GTS 250 was 56.9% cheaper ($170 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.4 (GeForce GTS 250) vs 65.4 (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 offers 1386.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 (2023 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce GTS 250GeForce RTX 4060
MSRP
$129-57%
$299
Performance per Dollar
4.4
65.4+1386%
Codename
GF106
AD107
Release
September 13 2010
May 18 2023
Ranking
#791
#84

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