GeForce GTX 960
GeForce RTX 4070
GeForce GTX 960 vs GeForce RTX 4070 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 GTX 960 vs GeForce RTX 4070 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce GTX 960 vs GeForce RTX 4070: 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
2015Why buy it
- ✅Costs $400 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
- ✅Draws 100W instead of 200W, a 100W reduction.
- ✅Measures 241mm instead of 304mm, a 63mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
- ❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 30.8 vs 44.9 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
GeForce RTX 4070
2023Why buy it
- ✅261.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Delivers 45.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 30.8 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
- ✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
- ✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
- ✅Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
Trade-offs
- ❌100% higher power demand at 200W vs 100W.
- ❌26.1% longer card at 304mm vs 241mm.
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GeForce GTX 960 vs GeForce RTX 4070 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 4070
The GeForce RTX 4070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1920 MHz to 2475 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,919 points. Launch price was $599.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 960 scores 6,133 versus the GeForce RTX 4070's 26,919 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 338.9%. The GeForce GTX 960 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 4070 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce GTX 960) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070). Raw compute: 2.413 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 960) vs 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 2475 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 960 | GeForce RTX 4070 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 6,133 | 26,919+339% |
| Architecture | Maxwell 2.0 | Ada Lovelace |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 5 nm |
| Shading Units | 1024 | 5888+475% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 2.413 TFLOPS | 29.15 TFLOPS+1108% |
| Boost Clock | 1178 MHz | 2475 MHz+110% |
| ROPs | 32 | 64+100% |
| TMUs | 64 | 184+188% |
| L1 Cache | 0.38 MB | 5.8 MB+1426% |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 36 MB+3500% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4070 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTX 960 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4070 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 960 is capped at Upscaling support.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 960 | GeForce RTX 4070 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 GTX 960 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4070 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 4070 gives you 200% 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 504 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4070) — a 350% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 960 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 4070. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 960) vs 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 960 | GeForce RTX 4070 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | 12 GB+200% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6X |
| Memory Bandwidth | 112 GB/s | 504 GB/s+350% |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 192-bit+50% |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 36 MB+3500% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 960) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 960 | GeForce RTX 4070 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12.2+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 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4070). Decoder: NVDEC (2nd Gen) vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: HEVC,H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8 (GeForce GTX 960) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 960 | GeForce RTX 4070 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC (5th Gen) | 8th Gen NVENC (2x) |
| Decoder | NVDEC (2nd Gen) | 5th Gen NVDEC |
| Codecs | HEVC,H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8 | MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 960 draws 100W versus the GeForce RTX 4070's 200W — a 66.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 960 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 960) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4070). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 241mm vs 304mm, occupying 2 vs 3 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 C vs 80°C.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 960 | GeForce RTX 4070 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 100W-50% | 200W |
| Recommended PSU | 400W-38% | 650W |
| Power Connector | 6-pin | 8-pin |
| Length | 241mm | 304mm |
| Height | 111mm | 137mm |
| Slots | 2-33% | 3 |
| Temp (Load) | 75 C-6% | 80°C |
| Perf/Watt | 61.3 | 134.6+120% |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce GTX 960 came in at $199, while the GeForce RTX 4070 launched at $599. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 960 was 66.8% cheaper ($400 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 30.8 (GeForce GTX 960) vs 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) — the GeForce RTX 4070 offers 45.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4070 (2023 vs 2015).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 960 | GeForce RTX 4070 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $199-67% | $599 |
| Performance per Dollar | 30.8 | 44.9+46% |
| Codename | GM206 | AD104 |
| Release | January 22 2015 | April 12 2023 |
| Ranking | #393 | #32 |
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