GeForce GTX 960M vs Maxwell GPU Surface Book

Performance Spectrum - GPU

GeForce GTX 960M

4 GB 75

3,375

+1.9%

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU

GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER

GeForce RTX 5060

Maxwell GPU Surface Book

2 GB 30

3,311

0.0%

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.

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 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 22.1 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌150% higher power demand at 75W vs 30W.

Maxwell GPU Surface Book

2015

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 22.1 vs 0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 30W instead of 75W, a 45W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

GeForce GTX 960M

2015

Maxwell GPU Surface Book

2015

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 22.1 vs 0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 30W instead of 75W, a 45W 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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 22.1 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌150% higher power demand at 75W vs 30W.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 960M better than Maxwell GPU Surface Book?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 3,375 vs 3,311 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 960M is the overall package: you are getting no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

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 2 GB. 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 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 960M is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $150 MSRP, and you are getting 1.9% higher G3D Mark. Maxwell GPU Surface Book really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Maxwell GPU Surface Book still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Maxwell GPU Surface Book is 2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM, 3,311 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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

Maxwell GPU Surface Book Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 960M	Maxwell GPU Surface Book
1080p
low	27 FPS	77 FPS
medium	17 FPS	65 FPS
high	11 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	6 FPS	28 FPS
1440p
low	13 FPS	61 FPS
medium	7 FPS	51 FPS
high	4 FPS	31 FPS
ultra	2 FPS	19 FPS
4K
low	5 FPS	22 FPS
medium	3 FPS	21 FPS
high	2 FPS	13 FPS
ultra	1 FPS	11 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960M Open Maxwell GPU Surface Book

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 960M	Maxwell GPU Surface Book
1080p
low	79 FPS	97 FPS
medium	49 FPS	68 FPS
high	37 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	22 FPS	31 FPS
1440p
low	37 FPS	53 FPS
medium	27 FPS	31 FPS
high	17 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	12 FPS	15 FPS
4K
low	12 FPS	18 FPS
medium	10 FPS	11 FPS
high	8 FPS	9 FPS
ultra	5 FPS	7 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960M Open Maxwell GPU Surface Book

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 960M	Maxwell GPU Surface Book
1080p
low	152 FPS	149 FPS
medium	122 FPS	119 FPS
high	101 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	74 FPS
1440p
low	114 FPS	112 FPS
medium	91 FPS	89 FPS
high	76 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	57 FPS	56 FPS
4K
low	76 FPS	74 FPS
medium	61 FPS	60 FPS
high	51 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	37 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960M Open Maxwell GPU Surface Book

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 960M	Maxwell GPU Surface Book
1080p
low	152 FPS	149 FPS
medium	121 FPS	119 FPS
high	101 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	74 FPS
1440p
low	111 FPS	110 FPS
medium	91 FPS	88 FPS
high	76 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	57 FPS	56 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	64 FPS
medium	49 FPS	50 FPS
high	38 FPS	41 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	30 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960M Open Maxwell GPU Surface Book

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 960M and Maxwell GPU Surface Book

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.

Maxwell GPU Surface Book

The Maxwell GPU Surface Book is manufactured by an unknown manufacturer. It was released in October 1 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 954 MHz to 993 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,311 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 960M scores 3,375 and the Maxwell GPU Surface Book 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 Maxwell GPU Surface Book uses Maxwell, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 384 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book). Boost clocks: 1176 MHz vs 993 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	Maxwell GPU Surface Book
G3D Mark Score	3,375+2%	3,311
Architecture	Maxwell	Maxwell
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	640+67%	384
Boost Clock	1176 MHz+18%	993 MHz

✨

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 Maxwell GPU Surface Book relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	Maxwell GPU Surface Book
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 Maxwell GPU Surface Book has 2 GB. The GeForce GTX 960M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	Maxwell GPU Surface Book
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+100%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 12 (11_0) (Maxwell GPU Surface Book). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	Maxwell GPU Surface Book
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 (11_0)
Vulkan	1.3+18%	1.1
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4+33%	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (4th Gen) (GeForce GTX 960M) vs None (Maxwell GPU Surface Book). Decoder: NVDEC (1st Gen) vs PureVideo VP6. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265 (GeForce GTX 960M) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book).

Feature	GeForce GTX 960M	Maxwell GPU Surface Book
Encoder	NVENC (4th Gen)	None
Decoder	NVDEC (1st Gen)	PureVideo VP6
Codecs	MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 960M draws 75W versus the Maxwell GPU Surface Book's 30W — a 85.7% difference. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 350W (Maxwell GPU Surface Book). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 82 vs 85.