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 960

2015

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.8 vs 0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌17.6% higher power demand at 100W vs 85W.

Radeon RX 5500M

2019

Why buy it

✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 85W instead of 100W, a 15W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 30.8 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 960

2015

Radeon RX 5500M

2019

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.8 vs 0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 85W instead of 100W, a 15W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌17.6% higher power demand at 100W vs 85W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 30.8 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 960 better than Radeon RX 5500M?

Yes. GeForce GTX 960 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 6,133 vs 5,954 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 960 is a 2015 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon RX 5500M is a 2019 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation. 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?

Radeon RX 5500M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2015, better upscaling support with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 7nm process instead of 28nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

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

GeForce GTX 960 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $199 MSRP. GeForce GTX 960 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce GTX 960 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $199 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 3.0% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 5500M is the newer 2019 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture, lower power draw (85W vs 100W), and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does Radeon RX 5500M make more sense than GeForce GTX 960?

Yes. Radeon RX 5500M is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (85W vs 100W), future-proofing, and staying closer to an unclear MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 960. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 960 currently gives you 3.0% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%.

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 960 Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 5500M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 5500M
1080p
low	103 FPS	92 FPS
medium	87 FPS	83 FPS
high	72 FPS	68 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	56 FPS
1440p
low	90 FPS	86 FPS
medium	77 FPS	75 FPS
high	56 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	49 FPS
4K
low	28 FPS	42 FPS
medium	26 FPS	39 FPS
high	18 FPS	27 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	24 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960 Open Radeon RX 5500M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 5500M
1080p
low	139 FPS	128 FPS
medium	109 FPS	96 FPS
high	88 FPS	68 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	45 FPS
1440p
low	77 FPS	84 FPS
medium	57 FPS	58 FPS
high	42 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	32 FPS
4K
low	27 FPS	38 FPS
medium	19 FPS	29 FPS
high	16 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	11 FPS	17 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960 Open Radeon RX 5500M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 5500M
1080p
low	276 FPS	268 FPS
medium	221 FPS	214 FPS
high	184 FPS	179 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	134 FPS
1440p
low	207 FPS	201 FPS
medium	166 FPS	161 FPS
high	138 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	100 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	134 FPS
medium	110 FPS	107 FPS
high	92 FPS	89 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	64 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960 Open Radeon RX 5500M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 5500M
1080p
low	168 FPS	262 FPS
medium	139 FPS	204 FPS
high	125 FPS	174 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	134 FPS
1440p
low	117 FPS	201 FPS
medium	99 FPS	161 FPS
high	89 FPS	130 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	100 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	97 FPS
medium	55 FPS	75 FPS
high	45 FPS	66 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	53 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960 Open Radeon RX 5500M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 960 and Radeon RX 5500M

GeForce GTX 960

The GeForce GTX 960 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 22 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1127 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,133 points. Launch price was $199.

Radeon RX 5500M

The Radeon RX 5500M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 7 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1375 MHz to 1645 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 85W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,954 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 960 scores 6,133 and the Radeon RX 5500M reaches 5,954 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 960 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon RX 5500M uses RDNA 1.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce GTX 960) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500M). Raw compute: 2.413 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 960) vs 4.632 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500M). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1645 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 5500M
G3D Mark Score	6,133+3%	5,954
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	1024	1408+38%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.413 TFLOPS	4.632 TFLOPS+92%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	1645 MHz+40%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	64	88+38%
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 5500M is support for FSR Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce GTX 960 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce GTX 960 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 5500M relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 5500M
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 4 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 112 GB/s (GeForce GTX 960) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500M) — a 100% advantage for the Radeon RX 5500M. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 960) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 5500M) — the Radeon RX 5500M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 5500M
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	112 GB/s	224 GB/s+100%
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 960) vs 12 (Radeon RX 5500M). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 5500M
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4+33%	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce GTX 960) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500M). Decoder: NVDEC (2nd Gen) vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: HEVC,H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8 (GeForce GTX 960) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500M).

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 5500M
Encoder	NVENC (5th Gen)	VCN 2.0
Decoder	NVDEC (2nd Gen)	VCN 2.0
Codecs	HEVC,H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 960 draws 100W versus the Radeon RX 5500M's 85W — a 16.2% difference. The Radeon RX 5500M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 960) vs 350W (Radeon RX 5500M). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 241mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon RX 5500M
TDP	100W	85W-15%
Recommended PSU	400W	350W-13%
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	241mm	0mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75 C	75°C
Perf/Watt	61.3	70.0+14%