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 RTX 3060 Ti 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 RTX 3060 Ti: 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 $200 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 100W instead of 200W, a 100W reduction.
✅Measures 241mm instead of 242mm, a 1mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 30.8 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅219.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 65.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 30.8 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌100% higher power demand at 200W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 219.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 231.2% in PassMark G3D (20,312 vs 6,133), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, and 38 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 3060 Ti makes the most sense to buy today. It is $200 more expensive on MSRP at $399 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 65.2% (50.9 vs 30.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 960 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 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 RTX 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 960 scores 6,133 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 231.2%. The GeForce GTX 960 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce GTX 960) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 2.413 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 960) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score	6,133	20,312+231%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1024	4864+375%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.413 TFLOPS	16.2 TFLOPS+571%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	1665 MHz+41%
ROPs	32	80+150%
TMUs	64	152+138%
L1 Cache	0.38 MB	4.8 MB+1163%
L2 Cache	1 MB	4 MB+300%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 960 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
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 RTX 3060 Ti carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gives you 100% 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 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — a 300% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 960 and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 960) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	112 GB/s	448 GB/s+300%
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB	4 MB+300%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 960) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce GTX 960) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: NVDEC (2nd Gen) vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: HEVC,H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8 (GeForce GTX 960) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder	NVENC (5th Gen)	NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder	NVDEC (2nd Gen)	NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs	HEVC,H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 960 draws 100W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 66.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 960 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 960) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 241mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP	100W-50%	200W
Recommended PSU	400W-33%	600W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	241mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75 C	75
Perf/Watt	61.3	101.6+66%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 960 came in at $199, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 960 was 50.1% cheaper ($200 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 30.8 (GeForce GTX 960) vs 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 65.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (2020 vs 2015).

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
MSRP	$199-50%	$399
Performance per Dollar	30.8	50.9+65%
Codename	GM206	GA104
Release	January 22 2015	December 1 2020
Ranking	#393	#73

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