GeForce GTX 950M vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

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 170W, a 95W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌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 RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅366.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌126.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 75W.

GeForce GTX 950M

2015

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 75W instead of 170W, a 95W reduction.

Why buy it

✅366.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Trade-offs

❌126.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU better than GeForce GTX 950M?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU averages 366.3% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 13,170 vs 2,575 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, 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 RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2015, 411.5% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 2 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. 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 RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 366.3% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 411.5% higher G3D Mark. G3D-per-dollar is basically tied between them. If you are comfortable paying the premium for the stronger gaming result, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the one to buy. If staying closer to budget matters more, GeForce GTX 950M still makes more sense on price alone, but the performance trade-off is much harder to justify by current standards.

Is GeForce GTX 950M still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce GTX 950M is still a strong gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. This mostly comes down to price. If you want to stay closer to an unclear MSRP, it remains a strong choice; if you are comfortable paying more, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU earns that extra money with a clearly stronger gaming result and a more complete overall package.

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 950M Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 950M	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	23 FPS	109 FPS
medium	13 FPS	98 FPS
high	8 FPS	84 FPS
ultra	4 FPS	70 FPS
1440p
low	11 FPS	95 FPS
medium	6 FPS	83 FPS
high	3 FPS	70 FPS
ultra	1 FPS	59 FPS
4K
low	4 FPS	48 FPS
medium	2 FPS	43 FPS
high	1 FPS	30 FPS
ultra	1 FPS	26 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 950M Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 950M	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	64 FPS	351 FPS
medium	36 FPS	307 FPS
high	26 FPS	246 FPS
ultra	16 FPS	194 FPS
1440p
low	29 FPS	222 FPS
medium	18 FPS	195 FPS
high	12 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	9 FPS	127 FPS
4K
low	10 FPS	110 FPS
medium	7 FPS	93 FPS
high	6 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	4 FPS	59 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 950M Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 950M	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	116 FPS	593 FPS
medium	93 FPS	474 FPS
high	77 FPS	395 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	296 FPS
1440p
low	87 FPS	444 FPS
medium	70 FPS	356 FPS
high	58 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	222 FPS
4K
low	58 FPS	296 FPS
medium	46 FPS	237 FPS
high	39 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	148 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 950M Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 950M	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	116 FPS	519 FPS
medium	93 FPS	439 FPS
high	77 FPS	376 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	296 FPS
1440p
low	87 FPS	425 FPS
medium	70 FPS	356 FPS
high	58 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	222 FPS
4K
low	58 FPS	277 FPS
medium	46 FPS	237 FPS
high	37 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	148 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 950M Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 950M and GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

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.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 12 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,170 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 950M scores 2,575 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 13,170 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 411.5%. The GeForce GTX 950M is built on Maxwell while the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 950M) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 1.439 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 950M) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1124 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950M	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	2,575	13,170+411%
Architecture	Maxwell	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	640	3584+460%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.439 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+785%
Boost Clock	1124 MHz	1777 MHz+58%
ROPs	16	48+200%
TMUs	40	112+180%
L1 Cache	0.31 MB	3.5 MB+1029%
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 950M is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950M	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
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 RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has 6 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 950M) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950M	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	6 GB+200%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	336 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	192-bit+50%
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 950M draws 75W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 170W — a 77.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 950M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 950M) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile.