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 GTX 260 vs GeForce GTX 295 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 GTX 260 vs GeForce GTX 295: 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 GTX 260

2008

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 11.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 2.4 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Draws 182W instead of 289W, a 107W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 295 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 896 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2008 hardware with 896 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce GTX 295

2009

Why buy it

✅5.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 896 MB).
✅More future proof: Tesla 2.0 (2007−2013) on 55nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2009 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
11.1% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$449 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.4 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
❌58.8% higher power demand at 289W vs 182W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 295 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 5.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 260 instead at 1,200 vs 1,198, 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 GTX 260 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 GTX 260 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 cheaper on MSRP at $449 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 11.3% (2.7 vs 2.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce GTX 295 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 260 vs GeForce GTX 295 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 260

The GeForce GTX 260 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 576 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 182W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,200 points. Launch price was $449.

GeForce GTX 295

The GeForce GTX 295 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 8 2009. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 576 MHz. It has 480 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 289W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,198 points. Launch price was $500.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 260 scores 1,200 and the GeForce GTX 295 reaches 1,198 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 260 is built on Tesla 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 295 uses Tesla 2.0, both on 65 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTX 260) vs 480 (GeForce GTX 295). Raw compute: 0.4769 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 260) vs 0.5962 TFLOPS ×2 (GeForce GTX 295).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce GTX 295
G3D Mark Score	1,200	1,198
Architecture	Tesla 2.0	Tesla 2.0
Process Node	65 nm	55 nm
Shading Units	192	480 ×2+150%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.4769 TFLOPS	0.5962 TFLOPS ×2+25%
ROPs	28	28 ×2
TMUs	64	80 ×2+25%
L2 Cache	224 KB	224 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce GTX 295
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 GTX 260 has 896 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 295 carries 2 GB. GeForce GTX 295 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 GTX 260 and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 295.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce GTX 295
VRAM Capacity	0.875 GB	1.75 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	224 KB	224 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10_0 (GeForce GTX 260) vs 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTX 295). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce GTX 295
DirectX	10_0	11.1 (10_0)+11%
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 260) vs PureVideo HD VP2 (GeForce GTX 295). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs PureVideo HD VP2. Supported codecs: H.264 (GeForce GTX 260) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 295).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce GTX 295
Encoder	NVENC 1st Gen	PureVideo HD VP2
Decoder	NVDEC 1st Gen	PureVideo HD VP2
Codecs	H.264	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 260 draws 182W versus the GeForce GTX 295's 289W — a 45.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 260 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 260) vs 680W (GeForce GTX 295). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce GTX 295
TDP	182W-37%	289W
Recommended PSU	500W-26%	680W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin
Length	267mm	267mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	95°C
Perf/Watt	6.6+61%	4.1

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 260 came in at $449, while the GeForce GTX 295 launched at $499. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 260 was 10% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.7 (GeForce GTX 260) vs 2.4 (GeForce GTX 295) — the GeForce GTX 260 offers 12.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 295 (2009 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce GTX 295
MSRP	$449-10%	$499
Performance per Dollar	2.7+13%	2.4
Codename	GT200	GT200B
Release	June 16 2008	January 8 2009
Ranking	#821	#816

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