GeForce GTX 960A vs GeForce GTX 870M

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The GeForce GTX 960A is positioned at rank 270 and the GeForce GTX 870M is on rank 143, so the GeForce GTX 870M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 960A

#260

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

624%

#262

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

565%

#263

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

564%

#267

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

513%

#268

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

509%

#270

GeForce GTX 960A

MSRP: $199|Avg: $60

100%

#271

Radeon HD 8770

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

100%

#273

Radeon R9 M295X

MSRP: $300|Avg: $150

99%

#274

GeForce GT 325M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $20

98%

#275

GeForce GTS 160M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $30

98%

#276

GeForce GTX 470M SLI

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $60

97%

#277

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 3 3200G

MSRP: $99|Avg: $70

97%

#279

Radeon RX Vega 9

MSRP: $99|Avg: $50

96%

#282

Iris Xe Graphics G7

MSRP: $200|Avg: $100

95%

#283

Radeon R9 M395

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

94%

#285

GeForce GT 755M SLI

MSRP: $200|Avg: $50

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 870M

#39

Radeon RX 7700S

MSRP: $449|Avg: $350

98%

#133

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

307%

#135

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

278%

#136

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

278%

#140

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

252%

#141

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

251%

#143

GeForce GTX 870M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#145

Radeon RX 580 (móvel)

MSRP: $229|Avg: $65

99%

#147

GeForce GT 630M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $35

98%

#150

Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

96%

#157

GeForce 830M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $30

95%

#158

GeForce GT 750M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce GTX 870M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2% higher G3D Mark score and 200% more VRAM (6 GB vs 2 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce GTX 960A.

Insight	GeForce GTX 960A	GeForce GTX 870M
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-2%)	✅Leading raw performance (+2%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / Maxwell (2014−2017))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Kepler (2012−2018))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+200%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly	—

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce GTX 870M remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

Performance Check

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 7800X3D 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 960A Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 870M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 960A and GeForce GTX 870M

GeForce GTX 960A

The GeForce GTX 960A is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1029 MHz to 1085 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,465 points.

GeForce GTX 870M

The GeForce GTX 870M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 12 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 941 MHz to 967 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,536 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 960A scores 3,465 and the GeForce GTX 870M reaches 3,536 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 960A is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GTX 870M uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 960A) vs 1,344 (GeForce GTX 870M). Raw compute: 1.389 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 960A) vs 2.599 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 870M). Boost clocks: 1085 MHz vs 967 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960A	GeForce GTX 870M
G3D Mark Score	3,465	3,536+2%
Architecture	Maxwell	Kepler
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	640	1344+110%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.389 TFLOPS	2.599 TFLOPS+87%
Boost Clock	1085 MHz+12%	967 MHz
ROPs	16	24+50%
TMUs	40	112+180%
L1 Cache	320 KB+186%	112 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+426%	0.38 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 960A	GeForce GTX 870M
Upscaling Tech	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)
Frame Generation	FSR 3 (Compatible)	FSR 3 (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 960A comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 870M has 6 GB. The GeForce GTX 870M offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 960A) vs 0.38 MB (GeForce GTX 870M) — the GeForce GTX 960A has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960A	GeForce GTX 870M
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	6 GB+200%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+426%	0.38 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 960A) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 870M). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960A	GeForce GTX 870M
DirectX	12	12 (11_0)
Max Displays	0	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 960A) vs 1st Gen NVENC (Kepler) (GeForce GTX 870M). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs PureVideo HD VP5.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960A	GeForce GTX 870M
Encoder	NVENC 1st Gen	1st Gen NVENC (Kepler)
Decoder	NVDEC 1st Gen	PureVideo HD VP5
Codecs	—	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 960A draws 75W versus the GeForce GTX 870M's 100W — a 28.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 960A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 960A) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 870M). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.