GeForce GTX 960M vs Iris Graphics 550

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

✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs Unknown).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Iris Graphics 550: it remains the more sensible modern option while Iris Graphics 550 is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌400% higher power demand at 75W vs 15W.

Iris Graphics 550

2015

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 75W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

GeForce GTX 960M

2015

Iris Graphics 550

2015

Why buy it

✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs Unknown).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Iris Graphics 550: it remains the more sensible modern option while Iris Graphics 550 is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 75W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌400% higher power demand at 75W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 960M better than Iris Graphics 550?

Yes. GeForce GTX 960M is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 3,375 vs 3,311 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 960M is a 2015 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Iris Graphics 550 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 GTX 960M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more VRAM at 4 GB instead of Unknown. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce GTX 960M can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around Unknown MSRP. GeForce GTX 960M is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce GTX 960M is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 1.9% higher G3D Mark. Moving to an unclear MSRP gets you and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Is Iris Graphics 550 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Iris Graphics 550 is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is still fine for 1080p, but 1440p and especially 4K require more compromise. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below an unclear MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. GeForce GTX 960M is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

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

Iris Graphics 550 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 960M	Iris Graphics 550
1080p
low	27 FPS	16 FPS
medium	17 FPS	11 FPS
high	11 FPS	7 FPS
ultra	6 FPS	4 FPS
1440p
low	13 FPS	11 FPS
medium	7 FPS	6 FPS
high	4 FPS	3 FPS
ultra	2 FPS	1 FPS
4K
low	5 FPS	4 FPS
medium	3 FPS	2 FPS
high	2 FPS	1 FPS
ultra	1 FPS	1 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960M Open Iris Graphics 550

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 960M	Iris Graphics 550
1080p
low	79 FPS	75 FPS
medium	49 FPS	49 FPS
high	37 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	22 FPS	23 FPS
1440p
low	37 FPS	51 FPS
medium	27 FPS	28 FPS
high	17 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	12 FPS	15 FPS
4K
low	12 FPS	23 FPS
medium	10 FPS	15 FPS
high	8 FPS	12 FPS
ultra	5 FPS	8 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960M Open Iris Graphics 550

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 960M	Iris Graphics 550
1080p
low	152 FPS	149 FPS
medium	122 FPS	119 FPS
high	101 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	74 FPS
1440p
low	114 FPS	112 FPS
medium	91 FPS	89 FPS
high	76 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	57 FPS	51 FPS
4K
low	76 FPS	74 FPS
medium	61 FPS	60 FPS
high	51 FPS	40 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960M Open Iris Graphics 550

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 960M	Iris Graphics 550
1080p
low	152 FPS	74 FPS
medium	121 FPS	58 FPS
high	101 FPS	37 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	24 FPS
1440p
low	111 FPS	11 FPS
medium	91 FPS	8 FPS
high	76 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	57 FPS	5 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	7 FPS
medium	49 FPS	5 FPS
high	38 FPS	4 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	3 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960M Open Iris Graphics 550

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 960M and Iris Graphics 550

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.

Iris Graphics 550

The Iris Graphics 550 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in September 1 2015. It features the Generation 9.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 14 nm+ process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,311 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 960M scores 3,375 and the Iris Graphics 550 reaches 3,311 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 960M is built on Maxwell while the Iris Graphics 550 uses Generation 9.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm+. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 384 (Iris Graphics 550). Raw compute: 1.505 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 0.768 TFLOPS (Iris Graphics 550). Boost clocks: 1176 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	Iris Graphics 550
G3D Mark Score	3,375+2%	3,311
Architecture	Maxwell	Generation 9.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm+
Shading Units	640+67%	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.505 TFLOPS+96%	0.768 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1176 MHz+18%	1000 MHz
ROPs	16+167%	6
TMUs	40	48+20%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 960M gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Iris Graphics 550 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	Iris Graphics 550
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 960M comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Iris Graphics 550 has 0 MB. The GeForce GTX 960M offers 100+% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs System.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	Iris Graphics 550
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	System
Bus Width	128-bit	System

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 12 (12_1) (Iris Graphics 550). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	Iris Graphics 550
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 (12_1)
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4+33%	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (4th Gen) (GeForce GTX 960M) vs Quick Sync Video (Iris Graphics 550). Decoder: NVDEC (1st Gen) vs Quick Sync Video. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265 (GeForce GTX 960M) vs H.264,H.265,VP8,VP9,JPEG (Iris Graphics 550).

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	Iris Graphics 550
Encoder	NVENC (4th Gen)	Quick Sync Video
Decoder	NVDEC (1st Gen)	Quick Sync Video
Codecs	MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265	H.264,H.265,VP8,VP9,JPEG

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 960M draws 75W versus the Iris Graphics 550's 15W — a 133.3% difference. The Iris Graphics 550 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 1W (Iris Graphics 550). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Integrated.