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 960M vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 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 960M vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti: 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 960M

2015

Why buy it

✅Draws 75W instead of 200W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 50.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅411.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌166.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 411.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 501.8% in PassMark G3D (20,312 vs 3,375), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, and 38 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 960M vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 960M scores 3,375 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 501.8%. The GeForce GTX 960M is built on Maxwell while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 1.505 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Boost clocks: 1176 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score	3,375	20,312+502%
Architecture	Maxwell	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	640	4864+660%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.505 TFLOPS	16.2 TFLOPS+976%
Boost Clock	1176 MHz	1665 MHz+42%
ROPs	16	80+400%
TMUs	40	152+280%
L1 Cache	0.31 MB	4.8 MB+1448%
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 960M is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
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 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 960M and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	448 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 Ultimate (12_2)
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 (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: NVDEC (1st Gen) vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265 (GeForce GTX 960M) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder	NVENC (4th Gen)	NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder	NVDEC (1st Gen)	NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs	MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 960M draws 75W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 90.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 960M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 242mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 82 vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP	75W-63%	200W
Recommended PSU	350W-42%	600W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	0mm	242mm
Height	0mm	112mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	82	75-9%
Perf/Watt	45.0	101.6+126%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (2020 vs 2015).

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
MSRP	—	$399
Codename	GM107	GA104
Release	March 13 2015	December 1 2020
Ranking	#552	#73

Search GeForce GTX 960M on Amazon

Search GeForce RTX 3060 Ti on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.