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 960

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $269 MSRP).
✅Draws 100W instead of 165W, a 65W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,133 vs 16,581).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 30.8 vs 61.6 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $269 MSRP).

Radeon RX 7600

2023

Why buy it

✅+170.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 100% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 61.6 vs 30.8 G3D/$ ($269 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌65% higher power demand at 165W vs 100W.

GeForce GTX 960

2015

Radeon RX 7600

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $269 MSRP).
✅Draws 100W instead of 165W, a 65W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+170.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 100% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 61.6 vs 30.8 G3D/$ ($269 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,133 vs 16,581).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 30.8 vs 61.6 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $269 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌65% higher power demand at 165W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 7600 better than GeForce GTX 960?

Yes. Radeon RX 7600 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 16,581 vs 6,133 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon RX 7600 is a 2023 card with FSR 3 + AFMF, while GeForce GTX 960 is a 2015 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

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

Radeon RX 7600 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2015, 170.4% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB, and better upscaling support with FSR 3 (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

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

Radeon RX 7600 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon RX 7600 is about 35.2% more expensive on MSRP at $269 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and you are getting 170.4% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 960 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is GeForce GTX 960 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 960 is 2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 6,133 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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 960 Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 7600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 7600
1080p
low	103 FPS	168 FPS
medium	87 FPS	149 FPS
high	72 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	111 FPS
1440p
low	90 FPS	140 FPS
medium	77 FPS	114 FPS
high	56 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	91 FPS
4K
low	28 FPS	85 FPS
medium	26 FPS	72 FPS
high	18 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	52 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960 Open Radeon RX 7600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 7600
1080p
low	139 FPS	414 FPS
medium	109 FPS	349 FPS
high	88 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	206 FPS
1440p
low	77 FPS	241 FPS
medium	57 FPS	205 FPS
high	42 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	130 FPS
4K
low	27 FPS	109 FPS
medium	19 FPS	91 FPS
high	16 FPS	75 FPS
ultra	11 FPS	57 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960 Open Radeon RX 7600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 7600
1080p
low	276 FPS	746 FPS
medium	221 FPS	597 FPS
high	184 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	207 FPS	560 FPS
medium	166 FPS	448 FPS
high	138 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	280 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	373 FPS
medium	110 FPS	298 FPS
high	92 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	187 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960 Open Radeon RX 7600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 7600
1080p
low	168 FPS	604 FPS
medium	139 FPS	517 FPS
high	125 FPS	443 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	352 FPS
1440p
low	117 FPS	468 FPS
medium	99 FPS	397 FPS
high	89 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	259 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	293 FPS
medium	55 FPS	271 FPS
high	45 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	187 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960 Open Radeon RX 7600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 960 and Radeon RX 7600

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.

Radeon RX 7600

The Radeon RX 7600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 24 2023. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1720 MHz to 2655 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 165W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 32 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,581 points. Launch price was $269.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 960 scores 6,133 versus the Radeon RX 7600's 16,581 — the Radeon RX 7600 leads by 170.4%. The GeForce GTX 960 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon RX 7600 uses RDNA 3.0, both on 28 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce GTX 960) vs 2,048 (Radeon RX 7600). Raw compute: 2.413 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 960) vs 21.75 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 7600). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 2655 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 7600
G3D Mark Score	6,133	16,581+170%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	RDNA 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	6 nm
Shading Units	1024	2048+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.413 TFLOPS	21.75 TFLOPS+801%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	2655 MHz+125%
ROPs	32	64+100%
TMUs	64	128+100%
L1 Cache	384 KB	512 KB+33%
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 7600 is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce GTX 960 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce GTX 960 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 7600 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 7600
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR 3
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 960 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 7600 has 8 GB. The Radeon RX 7600 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 112 GB/s (GeForce GTX 960) vs 288 GB/s (Radeon RX 7600) — a 157.1% advantage for the Radeon RX 7600. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 960) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 7600) — the Radeon RX 7600 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 7600
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	112 GB/s	288 GB/s+157%
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 960) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 7600). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 7600
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 VCN 4.0 (Radeon RX 7600). Decoder: NVDEC (2nd Gen) vs VCN 4.0. Supported codecs: HEVC,H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8 (GeForce GTX 960) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Radeon RX 7600).

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 7600
Encoder	NVENC (5th Gen)	VCN 4.0
Decoder	NVDEC (2nd Gen)	VCN 4.0
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 Radeon RX 7600's 165W — a 49.1% difference. The GeForce GTX 960 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 960) vs 550W (Radeon RX 7600). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 241mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 7600
TDP	100W-39%	165W
Recommended PSU	400W-27%	550W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	241mm	240mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75 C	75°C
Perf/Watt	61.3	100.5+64%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 960 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 7600 launched at $269. The GeForce GTX 960 costs 26% less ($70 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 30.8 (GeForce GTX 960) vs 61.6 (Radeon RX 7600) — the Radeon RX 7600 offers 100% better value. The Radeon RX 7600 is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2015).