GeForce GTX 950M vs GeForce GTX 1060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 950M

2015Core: 914 MHzBoost: 1124 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

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 950M

2015

Why buy it

  • Draws 75W instead of 180W, a 105W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 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.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Why buy it

  • 285.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 950M: it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 950M is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Trade-offs

  • Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
  • 140% higher power demand at 180W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than GeForce GTX 950M?
Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce GTX 1060 averages 285.2% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 2,575 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while GeForce GTX 950M 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 1060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2016 generation instead of 2015, 290.8% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 2 GB, and a 16nm process instead of 28nm. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce GTX 1060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce GTX 1060 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $249 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 285.2% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 290.8% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is GeForce GTX 950M still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. GeForce GTX 950M is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around an unclear MSRP, even if GeForce GTX 1060 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 950MGeForce GTX 1060
1080p
low23 FPS117 FPS
medium13 FPS105 FPS
high8 FPS91 FPS
ultra4 FPS77 FPS
1440p
low11 FPS103 FPS
medium6 FPS87 FPS
high3 FPS76 FPS
ultra1 FPS67 FPS
4K
low4 FPS55 FPS
medium2 FPS49 FPS
high1 FPS41 FPS
ultra1 FPS37 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 950MGeForce GTX 1060
1080p
low64 FPS216 FPS
medium36 FPS181 FPS
high26 FPS148 FPS
ultra16 FPS113 FPS
1440p
low29 FPS134 FPS
medium18 FPS107 FPS
high12 FPS87 FPS
ultra9 FPS68 FPS
4K
low10 FPS62 FPS
medium7 FPS51 FPS
high6 FPS49 FPS
ultra4 FPS41 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 950MGeForce GTX 1060
1080p
low116 FPS453 FPS
medium93 FPS362 FPS
high77 FPS302 FPS
ultra58 FPS226 FPS
1440p
low87 FPS340 FPS
medium70 FPS272 FPS
high58 FPS226 FPS
ultra43 FPS170 FPS
4K
low58 FPS226 FPS
medium46 FPS181 FPS
high39 FPS151 FPS
ultra29 FPS113 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 950MGeForce GTX 1060
1080p
low116 FPS358 FPS
medium93 FPS302 FPS
high77 FPS260 FPS
ultra58 FPS226 FPS
1440p
low87 FPS299 FPS
medium70 FPS254 FPS
high58 FPS208 FPS
ultra43 FPS170 FPS
4K
low58 FPS170 FPS
medium46 FPS133 FPS
high37 FPS123 FPS
ultra29 FPS102 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 950M and GeForce GTX 1060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 950M

The GeForce GTX 950M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 914 MHz to 1124 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,575 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

The GeForce GTX 1060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 27 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1733 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,064 points. Launch price was $599.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 950M scores 2,575 versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 10,064 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 290.8%. The GeForce GTX 950M is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GTX 1060 uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 950M) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060). Raw compute: 1.439 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 950M) vs 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060). Boost clocks: 1124 MHz vs 1733 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950MGeForce GTX 1060
G3D Mark Score
2,575
10,064+291%
Architecture
Maxwell
Pascal
Process Node
28 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
640
2560+300%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.439 TFLOPS
8.873 TFLOPS+517%
Boost Clock
1124 MHz
1733 MHz+54%
ROPs
16
64+300%
TMUs
40
160+300%
L1 Cache
320 KB
960 KB+200%
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce GTX 950MGeForce GTX 1060
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 950M comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1060 has 6 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 192-bit.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950MGeForce GTX 1060
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
6 GB+200%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
192 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
192-bit+50%
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 950M draws 75W versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 180W — a 82.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 950M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 950M) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 1060). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 6-pin.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950MGeForce GTX 1060
TDP
75W-58%
180W
Recommended PSU
350W-13%
400W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
6-pin
Length
173mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Perf/Watt
34.3
55.9+63%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce GTX 950MGeForce GTX 1060
MSRP
$249
Codename
GM107
GP104
Release
March 13 2015
May 27 2016
Ranking
#626
#137