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

✅Costs $130 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 100W instead of 170W, a 70W reduction.
✅Measures 241mm instead of 242mm, a 1mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,133 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 30.8 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅+177.1% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 67.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 30.8 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌70% higher power demand at 170W vs 100W.

GeForce GTX 960

2015

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $130 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 100W instead of 170W, a 70W reduction.
✅Measures 241mm instead of 242mm, a 1mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅+177.1% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 67.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 30.8 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,133 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 30.8 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌70% higher power demand at 170W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than GeForce GTX 960?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 6,133 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 960 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, 177.1% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 4 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 65.3% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and you are getting 177.1% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 960 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is GeForce GTX 960 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 960 is 2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 6,133 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 960 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	103 FPS	149 FPS
medium	87 FPS	131 FPS
high	72 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	90 FPS	126 FPS
medium	77 FPS	104 FPS
high	56 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	28 FPS	67 FPS
medium	26 FPS	58 FPS
high	18 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	139 FPS	354 FPS
medium	109 FPS	310 FPS
high	88 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	77 FPS	222 FPS
medium	57 FPS	196 FPS
high	42 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	27 FPS	110 FPS
medium	19 FPS	94 FPS
high	16 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	11 FPS	60 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	276 FPS	765 FPS
medium	221 FPS	612 FPS
high	184 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	382 FPS
1440p
low	207 FPS	535 FPS
medium	166 FPS	432 FPS
high	138 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	287 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	367 FPS
medium	110 FPS	298 FPS
high	92 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	176 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960 Open GeForce RTX 3060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	168 FPS	523 FPS
medium	139 FPS	452 FPS
high	125 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	117 FPS	428 FPS
medium	99 FPS	371 FPS
high	89 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	279 FPS
medium	55 FPS	259 FPS
high	45 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 960 and GeForce RTX 3060

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.

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 960 scores 6,133 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 177.1%. The GeForce GTX 960 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce GTX 960) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 2.413 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 960) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	6,133	16,995+177%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1024	3584+250%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.413 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+428%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	1777 MHz+51%
ROPs	32	48+50%
TMUs	64	112+75%
L1 Cache	0.38 MB	3.5 MB+821%
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 960 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	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 960 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 112 GB/s (GeForce GTX 960) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 221.4% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 128-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 960) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	12 GB+200%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	112 GB/s	360 GB/s+221%
Bus Width	128-bit	192-bit+50%
L2 Cache	1 MB	3 MB+200%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 960) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce GTX 960) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: NVDEC (2nd Gen) vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: HEVC,H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8 (GeForce GTX 960) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	NVENC (5th Gen)	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC (2nd Gen)	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	HEVC,H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 960 draws 100W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 51.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 960 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 960) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 241mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	100W-41%	170W
Recommended PSU	400W-27%	550W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	241mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75 C	75
Perf/Watt	61.3	100.0+63%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 960 launched at $199 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. The GeForce GTX 960 costs 39.5% less ($130 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 30.8 (GeForce GTX 960) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 67.9% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2015).