GeForce GTX 960 vs RTX A500 Embedded GPU

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 RTX A500 Embedded GPU 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 RTX A500 Embedded GPU: 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

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.8 vs 0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RTX A500 Embedded GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌400% higher power demand at 100W vs 20W.
❌193.9% longer card at 241mm vs 82mm.

RTX A500 Embedded GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅18.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 20W instead of 100W, a 80W reduction.
✅Measures 82mm instead of 241mm, a 159mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 30.8 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

RTX A500 Embedded GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 18.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1% in PassMark G3D (6,197 vs 6,133), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

RTX A500 Embedded GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 16 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2015. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 960 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 960 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, RTX A500 Embedded GPU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 960 vs RTX A500 Embedded GPU 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.

RTX A500 Embedded GPU

The RTX A500 Embedded GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 30 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 435 MHz to 1335 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 20W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,197 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 960 scores 6,133 and the RTX A500 Embedded GPU reaches 6,197 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 960 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the RTX A500 Embedded GPU uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce GTX 960) vs 2,048 (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Raw compute: 2.413 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 960) vs 5.468 TFLOPS (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1335 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
G3D Mark Score	6,133	6,197+1%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1024	2048+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.413 TFLOPS	5.468 TFLOPS+127%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	1335 MHz+13%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	64	64
L1 Cache	0.38 MB	2 MB+426%
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
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)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 960 and 128-bit on the RTX A500 Embedded GPU. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 960) vs 2 MB (RTX A500 Embedded GPU) — the RTX A500 Embedded GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
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 (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12_2
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce GTX 960) vs NVENC 7th Gen (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Decoder: NVDEC (2nd Gen) vs NVDEC 5th Gen.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
Encoder	NVENC (5th Gen)	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC (2nd Gen)	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	HEVC,H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8	—

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 960 draws 100W versus the RTX A500 Embedded GPU's 20W — a 133.3% difference. The RTX A500 Embedded GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 960) vs 350W (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 241mm vs 82mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
TDP	100W	20W-80%
Recommended PSU	400W	350W-13%
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	241mm	82mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75 C	—
Perf/Watt	61.3	309.9+406%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is RTX A500 Embedded GPU (2022 vs 2015).

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
MSRP	$199	—
Codename	GM206	GA107S
Release	January 22 2015	March 30 2022
Ranking	#393	#389

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