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 950

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $170 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 90W instead of 170W, a 80W reduction.
✅Measures 202mm instead of 242mm, a 40mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 12 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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.7 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅244.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 53.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 33.7 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌88.9% higher power demand at 170W vs 90W.
❌19.8% longer card at 242mm vs 202mm.

GeForce GTX 950

2015

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $170 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 90W instead of 170W, a 80W reduction.
✅Measures 202mm instead of 242mm, a 40mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅244.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 53.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 33.7 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 12 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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.7 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌88.9% higher power demand at 170W vs 90W.
❌19.8% longer card at 242mm vs 202mm.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than GeForce GTX 950?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 averages 244.0% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 5,357 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 950 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 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2015, 217.2% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 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 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 is about 106.9% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $159 MSRP, and you are getting 244.0% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 217.2% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 950 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

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

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 950 is 2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM, 5,357 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 950 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	79 FPS	149 FPS
medium	64 FPS	131 FPS
high	52 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	66 FPS	126 FPS
medium	54 FPS	104 FPS
high	39 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	25 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	23 FPS	67 FPS
medium	22 FPS	58 FPS
high	14 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	12 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 950 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	107 FPS	354 FPS
medium	79 FPS	310 FPS
high	61 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	54 FPS	222 FPS
medium	39 FPS	196 FPS
high	26 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	17 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	21 FPS	110 FPS
medium	14 FPS	94 FPS
high	11 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	7 FPS	60 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 950 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	241 FPS	765 FPS
medium	193 FPS	612 FPS
high	161 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	121 FPS	382 FPS
1440p
low	181 FPS	535 FPS
medium	145 FPS	432 FPS
high	121 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	287 FPS
4K
low	121 FPS	367 FPS
medium	96 FPS	298 FPS
high	77 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	48 FPS	176 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 950 Open GeForce RTX 3060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	140 FPS	523 FPS
medium	113 FPS	452 FPS
high	97 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	102 FPS	428 FPS
medium	84 FPS	371 FPS
high	73 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	58 FPS	279 FPS
medium	46 FPS	259 FPS
high	35 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 950 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 950

The GeForce GTX 950 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 20 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1024 MHz to 1188 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 90W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,357 points. Launch price was $159.

GeForce RTX 3060

The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. 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: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 950 scores 5,357 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 217.2%. The GeForce GTX 950 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 950) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 1.825 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 950) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1188 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	5,357	16,995+217%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	768	3584+367%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.825 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+598%
Boost Clock	1188 MHz	1777 MHz+50%
ROPs	32	48+50%
TMUs	48	112+133%
L1 Cache	0.28 MB	3.5 MB+1150%
L2 Cache	1 MB	3 MB+200%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3060
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 950 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 500% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 106 GB/s (GeForce GTX 950) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 239.6% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 128-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 950) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	12 GB+500%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	106 GB/s	360 GB/s+240%
Bus Width	128-bit	192-bit+50%
L2 Cache	1 MB	3 MB+200%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_1 (GeForce GTX 950) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	12_1	12 Ultimate
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2nd Gen (GeForce GTX 950) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: NVDEC 2nd Gen vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (GeForce GTX 950) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	NVENC 2nd Gen	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC 2nd Gen	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 950 draws 90W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 61.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 950 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 950) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 202mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	90W-47%	170W
Recommended PSU	350W-36%	550W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	202mm	242mm
Height	—	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	75
Perf/Watt	59.5	100.0+68%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 950 launched at $159 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. The GeForce GTX 950 costs 51.7% less ($170 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 33.7 (GeForce GTX 950) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 53.4% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2015).