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 $340 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Draws 90W instead of 220W, a 130W reduction.
✅Measures 202mm instead of 242mm, a 40mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,357 vs 22,172).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 8 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 44.4 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

✅+313.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 31.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 33.7 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌144.4% higher power demand at 220W vs 90W.
❌19.8% longer card at 242mm vs 202mm.

GeForce GTX 950

2015

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $340 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Draws 90W instead of 220W, a 130W reduction.
✅Measures 202mm instead of 242mm, a 40mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅+313.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 31.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 33.7 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,357 vs 22,172).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 8 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 44.4 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌144.4% higher power demand at 220W vs 90W.
❌19.8% longer card at 242mm vs 202mm.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3070 better than GeForce GTX 950?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 22,172 vs 5,357 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3070 is a 2020 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 3070 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2015, 313.9% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 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 3070 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3070 is about 213.8% more expensive on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $159 MSRP, and you are getting 313.9% 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 3070 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3070
1080p
low	79 FPS	158 FPS
medium	64 FPS	140 FPS
high	52 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	66 FPS	134 FPS
medium	54 FPS	109 FPS
high	39 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	25 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	23 FPS	80 FPS
medium	22 FPS	67 FPS
high	14 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	12 FPS	45 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 950 Open GeForce RTX 3070

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3070
1080p
low	107 FPS	470 FPS
medium	79 FPS	405 FPS
high	61 FPS	327 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	277 FPS
1440p
low	54 FPS	294 FPS
medium	39 FPS	246 FPS
high	26 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	17 FPS	179 FPS
4K
low	21 FPS	141 FPS
medium	14 FPS	120 FPS
high	11 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	7 FPS	83 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 950 Open GeForce RTX 3070

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3070
1080p
low	241 FPS	885 FPS
medium	193 FPS	712 FPS
high	161 FPS	619 FPS
ultra	121 FPS	499 FPS
1440p
low	181 FPS	692 FPS
medium	145 FPS	557 FPS
high	121 FPS	473 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	374 FPS
4K
low	121 FPS	479 FPS
medium	96 FPS	388 FPS
high	80 FPS	330 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	249 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 950 Open GeForce RTX 3070

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3070
1080p
low	167 FPS	600 FPS
medium	138 FPS	527 FPS
high	122 FPS	433 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	385 FPS
1440p
low	117 FPS	489 FPS
medium	98 FPS	433 FPS
high	87 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	297 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	292 FPS
medium	54 FPS	270 FPS
high	44 FPS	238 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	200 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 950 Open GeForce RTX 3070

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 950 and GeForce RTX 3070

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 3070

The GeForce RTX 3070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1725 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,172 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 950 scores 5,357 versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 22,172 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 313.9%. The GeForce GTX 950 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3070 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 950) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070). Raw compute: 1.825 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 950) vs 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070). Boost clocks: 1188 MHz vs 1725 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3070
G3D Mark Score	5,357	22,172+314%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	768	5888+667%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.825 TFLOPS	20.31 TFLOPS+1013%
Boost Clock	1188 MHz	1725 MHz+45%
ROPs	32	96+200%
TMUs	48	184+283%
L1 Cache	0.28 MB	5.8 MB+1971%
L2 Cache	1 MB	4 MB+300%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 950 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3070
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 3070 has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3070 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 106 GB/s (GeForce GTX 950) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3070) — a 322.6% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3070. Bus width: 128-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 950) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3070
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	8 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	106 GB/s	448 GB/s+323%
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB	4 MB+300%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_1 (GeForce GTX 950) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3070
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 3070). Decoder: NVDEC 2nd Gen vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (GeForce GTX 950) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070).

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3070
Encoder	NVENC 2nd Gen	NVENC 7th gen
Decoder	NVDEC 2nd Gen	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 950 draws 90W versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 220W — a 83.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 950 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 950) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3070). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 202mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	GeForce RTX 3070
TDP	90W-59%	220W
Recommended PSU	350W-46%	650W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	202mm	242mm
Height	—	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	75°C
Perf/Watt	59.5	100.8+69%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 950 launched at $159 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3070 launched at $499. The GeForce GTX 950 costs 68.1% less ($340 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 33.7 (GeForce GTX 950) vs 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 31.8% better value. The GeForce RTX 3070 is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2015).