GeForce GTX 950 vs GeForce GTX 970M SLI

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 950

2015

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 33.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 90W instead of 162W, a 72W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

GeForce GTX 970M SLI

2014

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 33.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
❌80% higher power demand at 162W vs 90W.

GeForce GTX 950

2015

GeForce GTX 970M SLI

2014

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 33.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 90W instead of 162W, a 72W reduction.

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 33.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
❌80% higher power demand at 162W vs 90W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 970M SLI better than GeForce GTX 950?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 5,357 vs 5,500 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 970M SLI is the overall package: you are getting no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 950 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2015 generation instead of 2014. That makes it the safer long-run choice for modern games.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce GTX 970M SLI is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 970M SLI is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $159 MSRP, and you are getting 2.7% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 950 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does GeForce GTX 950 make more sense than GeForce GTX 970M SLI?

Yes. GeForce GTX 950 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (90W vs 162W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $159 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 970M SLI. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 970M SLI currently gives you 2.7% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 950 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 950 Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 970M SLI Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce GTX 970M SLI
1080p
low	79 FPS	49 FPS
medium	64 FPS	41 FPS
high	52 FPS	28 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	17 FPS
1440p
low	66 FPS	40 FPS
medium	54 FPS	30 FPS
high	39 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	25 FPS	10 FPS
4K
low	23 FPS	13 FPS
medium	22 FPS	10 FPS
high	14 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	12 FPS	6 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 950 Open GeForce GTX 970M SLI

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce GTX 970M SLI
1080p
low	107 FPS	92 FPS
medium	79 FPS	63 FPS
high	61 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	30 FPS
1440p
low	54 FPS	51 FPS
medium	39 FPS	30 FPS
high	26 FPS	21 FPS
ultra	17 FPS	15 FPS
4K
low	21 FPS	17 FPS
medium	14 FPS	11 FPS
high	11 FPS	8 FPS
ultra	7 FPS	6 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 950 Open GeForce GTX 970M SLI

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce GTX 970M SLI
1080p
low	241 FPS	248 FPS
medium	193 FPS	198 FPS
high	161 FPS	165 FPS
ultra	121 FPS	124 FPS
1440p
low	181 FPS	186 FPS
medium	145 FPS	148 FPS
high	121 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	93 FPS
4K
low	121 FPS	124 FPS
medium	96 FPS	99 FPS
high	80 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	62 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 950 Open GeForce GTX 970M SLI

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce GTX 970M SLI
1080p
low	167 FPS	132 FPS
medium	138 FPS	106 FPS
high	122 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	48 FPS
1440p
low	117 FPS	78 FPS
medium	98 FPS	58 FPS
high	87 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	30 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	41 FPS
medium	54 FPS	30 FPS
high	44 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	15 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 950 Open GeForce GTX 970M SLI

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 950 and GeForce GTX 970M SLI

GeForce GTX 950

The GeForce GTX 950 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 20 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1024 MHz to 1188 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 90W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,357 points. Launch price was $159.

GeForce GTX 970M SLI

The GeForce GTX 970M SLI is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 7 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 924 MHz to 1038 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 162W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,500 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 950 scores 5,357 and the GeForce GTX 970M SLI reaches 5,500 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 950 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 970M SLI uses Maxwell, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 950) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 970M SLI). Boost clocks: 1188 MHz vs 1038 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce GTX 970M SLI
G3D Mark Score	5,357	5,500+3%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Maxwell
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	768	2560+233%
Boost Clock	1188 MHz+14%	1038 MHz

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce GTX 970M SLI
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 950 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 970M SLI has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 970M SLI offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 106 GB/s (GeForce GTX 950) vs 120 GB/s x2 (GeForce GTX 970M SLI) — a 1034% advantage for the GeForce GTX 970M SLI. Bus width: 128-bit vs 192-bit x2.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce GTX 970M SLI
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	106 GB/s	120 GB/s x2+13%
Bus Width	128-bit	192-bit x2+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_1 (GeForce GTX 950) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce GTX 970M SLI). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce GTX 970M SLI
DirectX	12_1	12 Ultimate
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2nd Gen (GeForce GTX 950) vs NVENC (GeForce GTX 970M SLI). Decoder: NVDEC 2nd Gen vs PureVideo HD (VP6). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (GeForce GTX 950) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970M SLI).

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce GTX 970M SLI
Encoder	NVENC 2nd Gen	NVENC
Decoder	NVDEC 2nd Gen	PureVideo HD (VP6)
Codecs	H.264,H.265	H.264,H.265/HEVC

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 950 draws 90W versus the GeForce GTX 970M SLI's 162W — a 57.1% difference. The GeForce GTX 950 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 950) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 970M SLI). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 202mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.