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 960M

2015

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,375 vs 10,749).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 63.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

✅+218.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

GeForce GTX 960M

2015

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅+218.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,375 vs 10,749).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 63.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB better than GeForce GTX 960M?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,749 vs 3,375 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is a 2024 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 960M 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?

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2024 generation instead of 2015, 218.5% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 4 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) 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?

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $169 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 218.5% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

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

Yes. GeForce GTX 960M is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around an unclear MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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 960M Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 960M	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low	27 FPS	85 FPS
medium	17 FPS	72 FPS
high	11 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	6 FPS	40 FPS
1440p
low	13 FPS	74 FPS
medium	7 FPS	64 FPS
high	4 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	2 FPS	30 FPS
4K
low	5 FPS	27 FPS
medium	3 FPS	25 FPS
high	2 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	1 FPS	15 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960M Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 960M	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low	79 FPS	174 FPS
medium	49 FPS	149 FPS
high	37 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	22 FPS	87 FPS
1440p
low	37 FPS	129 FPS
medium	27 FPS	106 FPS
high	17 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	12 FPS	62 FPS
4K
low	12 FPS	74 FPS
medium	10 FPS	62 FPS
high	8 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	5 FPS	34 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960M Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 960M	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low	152 FPS	484 FPS
medium	122 FPS	387 FPS
high	101 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	242 FPS
1440p
low	114 FPS	363 FPS
medium	91 FPS	290 FPS
high	76 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	57 FPS	181 FPS
4K
low	76 FPS	242 FPS
medium	61 FPS	193 FPS
high	51 FPS	161 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	121 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960M Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 960M	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low	152 FPS	243 FPS
medium	121 FPS	210 FPS
high	101 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	144 FPS
1440p
low	111 FPS	185 FPS
medium	91 FPS	166 FPS
high	76 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	57 FPS	109 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	104 FPS
medium	49 FPS	87 FPS
high	38 FPS	69 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	55 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960M Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 960M and GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

GeForce GTX 960M

The GeForce GTX 960M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1096 MHz to 1176 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,375 points.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 2 2024. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1042 MHz to 1470 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 18 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,749 points. Launch price was $179.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 960M scores 3,375 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 10,749 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 218.5%. The GeForce GTX 960M is built on Maxwell while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Raw compute: 1.505 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Boost clocks: 1176 MHz vs 1470 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
G3D Mark Score	3,375	10,749+218%
Architecture	Maxwell	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	640	2304+260%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.505 TFLOPS	6.774 TFLOPS+350%
Boost Clock	1176 MHz	1470 MHz+25%
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	40	72+80%
L1 Cache	0.31 MB	2.3 MB+642%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 960M is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
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 960M comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has 6 GB. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 96-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	6 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	168 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit+33%	96-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (4th Gen) (GeForce GTX 960M) vs NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Decoder: NVDEC (1st Gen) vs NVDEC (7th Gen). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265 (GeForce GTX 960M) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB).

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Encoder	NVENC (4th Gen)	NVENC (5th Gen)
Decoder	NVDEC (1st Gen)	NVDEC (7th Gen)
Codecs	MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 960M draws 75W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 70W — a 6.9% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs None. Card length: 0mm vs 160mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 82 vs 75°C.