GeForce GTX 960M vs GeForce RTX 4070

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 960M

2015Core: 1096 MHzBoost: 1176 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

2023Core: 1920 MHzBoost: 2475 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GTX 960M vs GeForce RTX 4070 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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 4070 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 4070: 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 4070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 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 44.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4070

2023

Why buy it

  • 479.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm 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 4070 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 479.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 697.6% in PassMark G3D (26,919 vs 3,375), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4070 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce GTX 960M is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 28nm, and 46 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 4070 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 960M vs GeForce RTX 4070 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

The GeForce RTX 4070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1920 MHz to 2475 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,919 points. Launch price was $599.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 960M scores 3,375 versus the GeForce RTX 4070's 26,919 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 697.6%. The GeForce GTX 960M is built on Maxwell while the GeForce RTX 4070 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070). Raw compute: 1.505 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070). Boost clocks: 1176 MHz vs 2475 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 960MGeForce RTX 4070
G3D Mark Score
3,375
26,919+698%
Architecture
Maxwell
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
28 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
640
5888+820%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.505 TFLOPS
29.15 TFLOPS+1837%
Boost Clock
1176 MHz
2475 MHz+110%
ROPs
16
64+300%
TMUs
40
184+360%
L1 Cache
0.31 MB
5.8 MB+1771%
L2 Cache
2 MB
36 MB+1700%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4070 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTX 960M does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4070 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 960M is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 960MGeForce RTX 4070
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 960M has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4070 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 4070 gives you 200% 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 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 4070. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 960MGeForce RTX 4070
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
12 GB+200%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
504 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
192-bit+50%
L2 Cache
2 MB
36 MB+1700%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 960MGeForce RTX 4070
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12.2+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 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4070). Decoder: NVDEC (1st Gen) vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265 (GeForce GTX 960M) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070).

FeatureGeForce GTX 960MGeForce RTX 4070
Encoder
NVENC (4th Gen)
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
Decoder
NVDEC (1st Gen)
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 960M draws 75W versus the GeForce RTX 4070's 200W — a 90.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 960M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4070). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 304mm, occupying 0 vs 3 slots. Typical load temperature: 82 vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 960MGeForce RTX 4070
TDP
75W-63%
200W
Recommended PSU
350W-46%
650W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
8-pin
Length
0mm
304mm
Height
0mm
137mm
Slots
0-100%
3
Temp (Load)
82
80°C-2%
Perf/Watt
45.0
134.6+199%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4070 (2023 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce GTX 960MGeForce RTX 4070
MSRP
$599
Codename
GM107
AD104
Release
March 13 2015
April 12 2023
Ranking
#552
#32

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