GeForce GTX 960M vs Maxwell GPU Surface Book

GeForce GTX 960M vs Maxwell GPU Surface Book Performance Spectrum

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.

GeForce GTX 960M vs Maxwell GPU Surface Book 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 Maxwell GPU Surface Book: 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

✅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

❌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 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.
❌2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 960M is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.9% in PassMark G3D (3,375 vs 3,311), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

GeForce GTX 960M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Maxwell GPU Surface Book makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Maxwell GPU Surface Book is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 960M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 960M vs Maxwell GPU Surface Book 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.

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 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

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 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Maxwell GPU Surface Book carries 2 GB. GeForce GTX 960M 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 128-bit on the Maxwell GPU Surface Book.

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.