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 960 vs GeForce GTX 1060 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 960 vs GeForce GTX 1060: 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 960

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Draws 100W instead of 180W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 30.8 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌39.3% longer card at 241mm vs 173mm.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Why buy it

✅103.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 31.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 30.8 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Measures 173mm instead of 241mm, a 68mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌80% higher power demand at 180W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 1060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 103.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 64.1% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 6,133), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GTX 960 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 1060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 more expensive on MSRP at $249 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 31.1% (40.4 vs 30.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1060 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 960 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 960 vs GeForce GTX 1060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 960

The GeForce GTX 960 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 22 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1127 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,133 points. Launch price was $199.

GeForce GTX 1060

The GeForce GTX 1060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 27 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1733 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,064 points. Launch price was $599.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 960 scores 6,133 versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 10,064 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 64.1%. The GeForce GTX 960 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 1060 uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce GTX 960) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060). Raw compute: 2.413 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 960) vs 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1733 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce GTX 1060
G3D Mark Score	6,133	10,064+64%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Pascal
Process Node	28 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	1024	2560+150%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.413 TFLOPS	8.873 TFLOPS+268%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	1733 MHz+47%
ROPs	32	64+100%
TMUs	64	160+150%
L1 Cache	384 KB	960 KB+150%
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce GTX 1060
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 960 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1060 carries 6 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 112 GB/s (GeForce GTX 960) vs 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) — a 71.4% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1060. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 960 and 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 960) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce GTX 1060
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	6 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	112 GB/s	192 GB/s+71%
Bus Width	128-bit	192-bit+50%
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 960) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1060). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce GTX 1060
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6+2%	4.5
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce GTX 960) vs NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060). Decoder: NVDEC (2nd Gen) vs NVDEC (Pascal). Supported codecs: HEVC,H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8 (GeForce GTX 960) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce GTX 1060
Encoder	NVENC (5th Gen)	NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder	NVDEC (2nd Gen)	NVDEC (Pascal)
Codecs	HEVC,H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8	H.264,H.265/HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 960 draws 100W versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 180W — a 57.1% difference. The GeForce GTX 960 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 960) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 1060). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 6-pin. Card length: 241mm vs 173mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce GTX 1060
TDP	100W-44%	180W
Recommended PSU	400W	400W
Power Connector	6-pin	6-pin
Length	241mm	173mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75 C	—
Perf/Watt	61.3+10%	55.9

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 960 came in at $199, while the GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 960 was 20.1% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 30.8 (GeForce GTX 960) vs 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 31.2% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2015).

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce GTX 1060
MSRP	$199-20%	$249
Performance per Dollar	30.8	40.4+31%
Codename	GM206	GP104
Release	January 22 2015	May 27 2016
Ranking	#393	#137

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