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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop Review | 118 Data compared

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  • Avg. price: ~£750
  • VRAM: 4 GB
  • Memory bus width: 128 bit
  • Thermal Design Power (TDP): 75 W

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop review. Compare 118 technical specifications and user reviews to see how it ranks among graphics cards and if it is worth buying.

3.0

Overall score

What it is: An overall evaluation of the graphics card's quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.

When it matters: When you need a quick reference to identify the best graphics cards on the market.

Score components:

90.0%

3.0

Technical Score

10.0%

?

User score

Poor
3.0

Technical Score

What it is: An assessment of the graphics card's technical performance, covering key areas such as gaming and rendering performance, ray tracing, memory configuration, power efficiency, cooling, connectivity, features, and build quality.

When it matters: When you want to compare graphics cards based on technical performance and available features.

Score components:

44.0%

1.7

Performance

24.0%

1.5

Memory

12.0%

7.6

Power & Cooling

11.0%

5.3

Platform & Features

5.0%

4.0

Design

4.0%

5.0

Connectivity & Media

Poor
?

User score

What it is: A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the graphics card.

When it matters: When you want to understand how a graphics card performs in real use and how reliable it is in terms of performance, temperatures, noise, stability, and long-term ownership.

Score components:

70.0%

?

User reviews

30.0%

?

Popularity

  • 3.2
    Gaming

    Score components:

    45.0%

    1.0

    Floating-point performance

    25.0%

    1.6

    VRAM

    20.0%

    ?

    Ray tracing cores / units

    10.0%

    7.6

    PCI Express (PCIe) version

  • 4.3
    Video editing

    Score components:

    35.0%

    7.0

    AV1 encode

    30.0%

    1.6

    VRAM

    20.0%

    1.0

    Floating-point performance

    15.0%

    7.6

    PCI Express (PCIe) version

  • 2.5
    1080p

    Score components:

    55.0%

    1.0

    Floating-point performance

    25.0%

    1.6

    VRAM

    10.0%

    ?

    Ray tracing cores / units

    10.0%

    7.6

    PCI Express (PCIe) version

  • 2.6
    1440p

    Score components:

    50.0%

    1.0

    Floating-point performance

    30.0%

    1.6

    VRAM

    15.0%

    ?

    Ray tracing cores / units

    5.0%

    7.6

    PCI Express (PCIe) version

  • 2.9
    4K

    Score components:

    40.0%

    1.0

    Floating-point performance

    35.0%

    1.6

    VRAM

    20.0%

    ?

    Ray tracing cores / units

    5.0%

    7.6

    PCI Express (PCIe) version

  • No image
No image

Best prices in UK

    N/A~ £750

Best rankings

?

Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).
All: ranking among all products in the database.

Verdict

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M is a dedicated mobile graphics card based on the 28nm Maxwell architecture (GM107 chip), featuring 640 CUDA cores, a 128-bit memory interface, and up to 4GB of GDDR5 VRAM. Launched as an upper-mid-range laptop GPU, it offers a base clock of 1097 MHz and a boost clock of 1176 MHz, delivering performance roughly equivalent to a desktop GTX 750 Ti. Its primary pros include its ability to handle 1080p gaming at medium-to-high settings for titles from its era, support for DirectX 12 (feature level 11_0), and the inclusion of the PureVideo HD (VP6) engine for efficient 4K video decoding. However, main cons include its age, lack of support for modern technologies like ray tracing or DLSS, a high power draw of up to 75W for its class, and difficulty running modern triple-A games at acceptable frame rates without significant resolution or detail reductions.

Technical Specifications of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop

Technical Score

What it is: An assessment of the graphics card's technical performance, covering key areas such as gaming and rendering performance, ray tracing, memory configuration, power efficiency, cooling, connectivity, features, and build quality.

When it matters: When you want to compare graphics cards based on technical performance and available features.

Score components:

44.0%

?

Performance

24.0%

?

Memory

12.0%

?

Power & Cooling

11.0%

?

Platform & Features

5.0%

?

Design

4.0%

?

Connectivity & Media

3.0
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a technical score of 3.01 points, which is lower than that of 97.6% of products in this category.
User score

What it is: A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the graphics card.

When it matters: When you want to understand how a graphics card performs in real use and how reliable it is in terms of performance, temperatures, noise, stability, and long-term ownership.

Score components:

70.0%

0.0

User reviews

30.0%

1.0

Popularity

?
Popularity
What it is: An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the graphics card.
When it matters: When you prefer a graphics card that has already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
1.0
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a popularity of 1 points, which is lower than 55.9% of products in this category.
Ratio quality/price

What it is: An indicator that combines the graphics card's overall rating with its cost.

When it matters: When you are looking for a graphics card that offers a strong balance of performance, features, and price.

Score components:

60.0%

3.0

Overall score

40.0%

6.6

Price

4.1
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a quality-to-price ratio of 4.1 points, which is lower than 99.1% of products in this category.
3DMark Time Spy benchmark score
What it is: Benchmark result from 3DMark Time Spy, a synthetic DirectX 12 test often used as a quick gaming-performance reference.
When it matters: When you need a fast rough performance sort before digging into game-specific reviews and frame-rate data.

Importance: LOW

?
3DMark Port Royal score
What it is: Benchmark result from 3DMark Port Royal, a synthetic test focused on ray tracing performance.
When it matters: When ray tracing matters in the games you actually play and you want one quick way to separate stronger and weaker RT cards.

Importance: LOW

N/A
PassMark (G3D) result
What it is: Overall GPU performance score in PassMark G3D benchmark
When it matters: When you need one broad score to sort cards into rough performance tiers.

Importance: LOW

?
PassMark (DirectCompute) result
What it is: PassMark score for DirectCompute performance tests
When it matters: When compute workloads matter alongside gaming performance.

Importance: LOW

1,339 points
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop scores 1339 points in PassMark DirectCompute, which is lower than 83.3% of graphics cards.
Floating-point performance
What it is: Theoretical floating-point compute performance of the GPU.
When it matters: When rendering, AI, or heavy compute work needs strong single-precision throughput.

Importance: LOW

1.505 TFLOPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop delivers 1.505 TFLOPS floating-point performance, which is lower than that of 97.8% of graphics cards.
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VRAM
What it is: Total video memory available on the graphics card
When it matters: When you play at high settings, use texture mods, or work with large creative projects.

Importance: HIGH

4 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has 4 GB of VRAM, which is less than 88% of graphics cards and equal to 6% of graphics cards.
Memory type
What it is: Type of graphics memory used (GDDR6, HBM2e, etc.)
When it matters: When memory technology is part of the buying decision because it affects bandwidth class, power use, and product positioning.

Importance: LOW

GDDR5
GDDR version
What it is: Generation of GDDR memory used by the graphics card.
When it matters: When you want to separate older memory generations from newer ones before comparing bandwidth, power behavior, and market tier.

Importance: LOW

GDDR5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop uses GDDR5 memory, which is older than on 85% of graphics cards and equal to 13.2% of graphics cards.
Memory bus width
What it is: Width of the memory interface bus in bits
When it matters: When you care about steadier performance at higher resolutions, heavier texture settings, or ray-traced workloads that stress memory traffic.

Importance: HIGH

128 bit
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop uses a 128 bit memory bus, which is narrower than that of 69.8% of graphics cards and equal to that of 26.1% of graphics cards.
Maximum memory bandwidth
What it is: Maximum data transfer rate between GPU and its memory
When it matters: When 4K gaming, ray tracing, or creator work can choke a slower memory subsystem.

Importance: HIGH

80.19 GB/s
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop reaches 80.19 GB/s memory bandwidth, which is lower than that of 97.2% of graphics cards.
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PCI Express (PCIe) version
What it is: Version of PCI Express interface supported
When it matters: When you are pairing the card with an older motherboard and want to avoid leaving bandwidth or future compatibility on the table.

Importance: LOW

3.0
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop supports PCIe 3.0, which is older than on 77.6% of graphics cards and equal to 20.3% of graphics cards.
PCIe lanes
What it is: Number of PCI Express lanes used for communication
When it matters: When limited lane width could bottleneck the card in some systems.

Importance: LOW

x16
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop uses x16 PCIe lanes, which is more than 31.5% of graphics cards and equal to 68.6% of graphics cards.
DirectX version
What it is: Highest supported DirectX API version
When it matters: When you play newer Windows games that depend on the latest graphics features.

Importance: LOW

?
Vulkan version
What it is: Highest supported Vulkan API version
When it matters: When modern games, emulators, or creative apps lean on Vulkan support.

Importance: LOW

?
OpenGL version
What it is: Highest supported OpenGL API version
When it matters: When older games or pro apps still depend on OpenGL compatibility.

Importance: LOW

4.6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop supports OpenGL 4.6, which is more advanced than on 4.8% of graphics cards and equal to 95.2% of graphics cards.
Show more
Max displays supported
What it is: Total number of external displays supported simultaneously
When it matters: When you run a multi-monitor desk for sim racing, trading, or editing.

Importance: LOW

?
Max digital resolution
What it is: Maximum supported digital display resolution
When it matters: When you plan to drive 4K or 8K panels at their native resolution.

Importance: LOW

?
DisplayPort outputs
What it is: Number of DisplayPort video outputs
When it matters: When your setup needs several high-refresh monitors without adapters.

Importance: LOW

?
DisplayPort version
What it is: Version of DisplayPort standard supported
When it matters: When your monitor setup depends on newer DisplayPort features for higher refresh rates, higher resolution, or better cable flexibility.

Importance: LOW

?
DisplayPort link rates
What it is: Supported data link rates for DisplayPort connections
When it matters: When you are pushing high resolution and refresh rate over DisplayPort.

Importance: LOW

5.4 Gbps
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop supports DisplayPort link rates up to 5.4 Gbps, which is slower than on 90.9% of graphics cards and equal to 8% of graphics cards.
Show more
Thermal Design Power (TDP)
What it is: Typical power consumption under full load (TDP)
When it matters: When you need a realistic idea of power draw before choosing a PSU or case.

Importance: MEDIUM

75 W
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a TDP of 75 W, which is lower than that of 90.9% of graphics cards and equal to that of 2.7% of graphics cards.
Power consumption while under peak load
What it is: Peak power draw of the graphics card under maximum load.
When it matters: When transient-heavy gaming loads could stress your power supply.

Importance: LOW

75 W
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop draws 75 W under peak load, which is lower than 91.1% of graphics cards and equal to 2.5% of graphics cards.
Recommended PSU wattage
What it is: Recommended wattage of the system power supply
When it matters: When you are checking whether your current power supply is enough.

Importance: LOW

N/A
Board power limit
What it is: Maximum configurable power limit for the GPU board
When it matters: When you care about how far the card can be pushed through tuning or factory power settings.

Importance: LOW

?
PCIe power spec
What it is: PCIe power delivery specification followed
When it matters: When you are checking whether the slot and external cables match the card's intended power-delivery standard.

Importance: LOW

?
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Size
What it is: Physical size of the GPU card
When it matters: When you need the card to fit a compact case without blocking nearby hardware.

Importance: LOW

?
Length
What it is: Physical length of the GPU card
When it matters: When front radiators or drive cages leave only limited GPU clearance.

Importance: LOW

N/A
Height
What it is: Physical height of the GPU card
When it matters: When side panels, brackets, or tight case layouts reduce vertical clearance.

Importance: LOW

N/A
Slot width
What it is: Number of PCIe slots occupied by the card
When it matters: When you need room for another PCIe card or better airflow under the GPU.

Importance: LOW

N/A
Weight
What it is: Total weight of the graphics card
When it matters: When sag, bracket support, or shipping stress matters in your build.

Importance: LOW

?
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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop vs the average graphics card

  • 65.1% lower TDP
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower TDP than the average graphics card (75 W vs 215 W). The average graphics card has a TDP of 215 W.
    What it is: Typical power consumption under full load (TDP)
    When it matters: When you need a realistic idea of power draw before choosing a PSU or case.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower TDP than the average graphics card (75 W vs 215 W). The average graphics card has a TDP of 215 W.75 W vs 215 W
  • 65.9% lower peak power draw
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower peak power draw than the average graphics card (75 W vs 220 W). The average graphics card has a peak power draw of 220 W.
    What it is: Peak power draw of the graphics card under maximum load.
    When it matters: When transient-heavy gaming loads could stress your power supply.

    Importance: LOW

    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower peak power draw than the average graphics card (75 W vs 220 W). The average graphics card has a peak power draw of 220 W.75 W vs 220 W
  • 51.4% smaller GPU die
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower GPU die size than the average graphics card (148 mm² vs 304.25 mm²). The average graphics card has a GPU die size of 304.25 mm².
    What it is: Total die area of the GPU chip
    When it matters: When you are comparing how physically large different GPU chips are across generations and tiers.

    Importance: LOW

    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower GPU die size than the average graphics card (148 mm² vs 304.25 mm²). The average graphics card has a GPU die size of 304.25 mm².148 mm² vs 304.25 mm²
  • 51.4% smaller GPU die
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower GPU die size than the average graphics card (148 mm² vs 304.25 mm²). The average graphics card has a GPU die size of 304.25 mm².
  • 65.1% lower TDP
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower TDP than the average graphics card (75 W vs 215 W). The average graphics card has a TDP of 215 W.
  • 65.9% lower peak power draw
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower peak power draw than the average graphics card (75 W vs 220 W). The average graphics card has a peak power draw of 220 W.

Total
Platform & Features
Power & Cooling
  • 53% lower boost clock speed
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower boost GPU clock than the average graphics card (1,176 MHz vs 2,500 MHz). The average graphics card has a boost GPU clock of 2,500 MHz.
  • 35 fewer compute units
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has fewer compute units than the average graphics card (5 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 compute units.
  • 42.9% lower base clock speed
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower base GPU clock than the average graphics card (1,097 MHz vs 1,920 MHz). The average graphics card has a base GPU clock of 1,920 MHz.
  • 144 fewer TMUs
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has fewer TMUs than the average graphics card (40 vs 184). The average graphics card has 184 TMUs.
  • 87.5% lower texture rate
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower texture rate than the average graphics card (47 GTexel/s vs 376.8 GTexel/s). The average graphics card has a texture rate of 376.8 GTexel/s.
  • 88.6% lower pixel rate
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower pixel rate than the average graphics card (18.8 GPixel/s vs 165.2 GPixel/s). The average graphics card has a pixel rate of 165.2 GPixel/s.
  • 48 fewer ROPs
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has fewer ROPs than the average graphics card (16 vs 64). The average graphics card has 64 ROPs.
  • 93.4% lower FP32 performance
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower FP32 performance than the average graphics card (1.5 TFLOPS vs 22.86 TFLOPS). The average graphics card has FP32 performance of 22.86 TFLOPS.
  • 93.5% lower compute throughput
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower compute throughput than the average graphics card (1.5 TFLOPS vs 23.105 TFLOPS). The average graphics card has compute throughput of 23.105 TFLOPS.
  • 89.9% lower FP64 performance
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower FP64 performance than the average graphics card (0 TFLOPS vs 0.4651 TFLOPS). The average graphics card has FP64 performance of 0.4651 TFLOPS.
  • 3,712 fewer FP32 units
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has fewer FP32 units than the average graphics card (640 vs 4,352). The average graphics card has 4,352 FP32 units.
  • 71.8% lower compute score
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower compute score than the average graphics card (1,339 points vs 4,745 points). The average graphics card has a compute score of 4,745 points.
  • 128 bit narrower memory bus
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a narrower memory bus than the average graphics card (128 bit vs 256 bit). The average graphics card has a memory bus width of 256 bit.
  • 8 GB less VRAM
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has fewer VRAM than the average graphics card (4 GB vs 12 GB). The average graphics card has 12 GB VRAM.
  • 82.1% lower memory bandwidth
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower memory bandwidth than the average graphics card (80.2 GB/s vs 448 GB/s). The average graphics card has a memory bandwidth of 448 GB/s.
  • 73.7% slower memory speed
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower effective memory speed than the average graphics card (5,000 MHz vs 19,000 MHz). The average graphics card reaches an effective memory speed of 19,000 MHz.
  • 93.8% smaller L2 cache
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has fewer L2 cache than the average graphics card (2 MB vs 32 MB). The average graphics card has 32 MB L2 cache.
  • 28.4% slower VRAM clock
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower VRAM clock than the average graphics card (1,253 MHz vs 1,750 MHz). The average graphics card runs its VRAM at 1,750 MHz.
  • 50% smaller L1 cache
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has fewer L1 cache than the average graphics card (64 vs 128). The average graphics card has 128 L1 cache.
  • 5.6x larger process node
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a higher process node than the average graphics card (28 nm vs 5 nm). The average graphics card uses a process node of 5 nm.
  • No DLSS support
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop does not support DLSS, the average graphics card does.
  • 8 older
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop was released earlier than the average graphics card (2,015 vs 2,023).
  • Older PCIe version
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop supports an older PCIe version than the average graphics card (3 vs 4.0).
  • No XeSS support
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop does not support XeSS, the average graphics card does.
  • No mesh shaders
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop does not support mesh shaders, the average graphics card does.
  • Worse SAM support
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop offers worse SAM support than the average graphics card (no vs yes).
  • No sampler feedback
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop does not support sampler feedback, the average graphics card does.
  • 91.5% fewer transistors
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has fewer transistors than the average graphics card (1,870 million vs 21,900 million). The average graphics card has 21,900 million transistors.
  • Older shader model
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop supports an older shader model than the average graphics card (6.7 vs 6.8).
  • No AV1 encoding
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop does not support AV1 encoding, the average graphics card does.
  • No AV1 decoding
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop does not support AV1 decoding, the average graphics card does.
  • No DSC support
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop does not support DSC, the average graphics card does.
  • Older HDCP version
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop supports an older HDCP version than the average graphics card (2.2 vs 2.3).
  • Not VR ready
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop is not VR ready, while the average graphics card is.
  • 53% lower boost clock speed
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower boost GPU clock than the average graphics card (1,176 MHz vs 2,500 MHz). The average graphics card has a boost GPU clock of 2,500 MHz.
    What it is: Maximum boost frequency the GPU can reach under load
    When it matters: When you want a rough idea of peak advertised frequency, while knowing real sustained clocks still depend on cooling and power limits.

    Importance: HIGH

    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower boost GPU clock than the average graphics card (1,176 MHz vs 2,500 MHz). The average graphics card has a boost GPU clock of 2,500 MHz.1176 MHz vs 2500 MHz
  • 128 bit narrower memory bus
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a narrower memory bus than the average graphics card (128 bit vs 256 bit). The average graphics card has a memory bus width of 256 bit.
    What it is: Width of the memory interface bus in bits
    When it matters: When you care about steadier performance at higher resolutions, heavier texture settings, or ray-traced workloads that stress memory traffic.

    Importance: HIGH

    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a narrower memory bus than the average graphics card (128 bit vs 256 bit). The average graphics card has a memory bus width of 256 bit.128 bit vs 256 bit
  • 35 fewer compute units
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has fewer compute units than the average graphics card (5 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 compute units.
    What it is: Total number of shader multiprocessors or compute units
    When it matters: When you want a better sense of the GPU's overall parallel hardware resources before relying on game benchmarks alone.

    Importance: HIGH

    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has fewer compute units than the average graphics card (5 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 compute units.5 vs 40
  • 5.6x larger process node
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a higher process node than the average graphics card (28 nm vs 5 nm). The average graphics card uses a process node of 5 nm.
    What it is: Size of the manufacturing process in nanometers
    When it matters: When process node differences may affect power, heat, and overall efficiency.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a higher process node than the average graphics card (28 nm vs 5 nm). The average graphics card uses a process node of 5 nm.28 nm vs 5 nm
  • 8 GB less VRAM
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has fewer VRAM than the average graphics card (4 GB vs 12 GB). The average graphics card has 12 GB VRAM.
    What it is: Total video memory available on the graphics card
    When it matters: When you play at high settings, use texture mods, or work with large creative projects.

    Importance: HIGH

    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has fewer VRAM than the average graphics card (4 GB vs 12 GB). The average graphics card has 12 GB VRAM.4 GB vs 12 GB
  • 42.9% lower base clock speed
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower base GPU clock than the average graphics card (1,097 MHz vs 1,920 MHz). The average graphics card has a base GPU clock of 1,920 MHz.
    What it is: Base operating frequency of the GPU core under standard conditions
    When it matters: When you want to understand the card's guaranteed starting frequency instead of looking only at optimistic boost figures.

    Importance: HIGH

    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower base GPU clock than the average graphics card (1,097 MHz vs 1,920 MHz). The average graphics card has a base GPU clock of 1,920 MHz.1097 MHz vs 1920 MHz
  • 144 fewer TMUs
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has fewer TMUs than the average graphics card (40 vs 184). The average graphics card has 184 TMUs.
    What it is: Total count of texture mapping units on the GPU
    When it matters: When texture-heavy gaming performance matters and you want extra hardware context behind texture-rate claims.

    Importance: HIGH

    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has fewer TMUs than the average graphics card (40 vs 184). The average graphics card has 184 TMUs.40 vs 184
  • 87.5% lower texture rate
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower texture rate than the average graphics card (47 GTexel/s vs 376.8 GTexel/s). The average graphics card has a texture rate of 376.8 GTexel/s.
    What it is: Number of textured pixels the GPU can process per second
    When it matters: When fast texture handling matters in high-refresh gaming workloads.

    Importance: HIGH

    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop has a lower texture rate than the average graphics card (47 GTexel/s vs 376.8 GTexel/s). The average graphics card has a texture rate of 376.8 GTexel/s.47.04 GTexel/s vs 376.8 GTexel/s
Total
Overall
Performance
Memory
Platform & Features
Connectivity & Media

Graphic comparison of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop and

Attribute category
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Third-party reviews

What customers like about NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop?

  • Reliable for older (pre-2015) games and remastered titles at 1080p high settings
  • Excellent for E-sports and less demanding titles like CS:GO, Overwatch, and League of Legends
  • Affordable entry point for budget gaming laptops compared to higher-end 900M series
  • Noticeable performance upgrade over integrated graphics of its era
  • Supports Battery Boost and NVIDIA Optimus for improved battery life in laptops
  • The 4GB VRAM variant helps handle larger textures better than the 2GB version

What customers dislike about NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Laptop?

  • Struggles with modern AAA titles, often requiring 720p resolution and low settings for playability
  • Limited feature support; only supports DirectX 12 feature level 11_0, which causes issues with newer games
  • Outperformed by newer budget alternatives like the GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti
  • Prone to thermal issues and potential performance throttling in smaller laptop chassis
  • Limited performance gains (roughly 8-10%) over its predecessor, the GTX 860M
  • No support for modern technologies like DLSS or HDMI 2.0

Expert reviews

L
laptopmedia.com
31/01/2017
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (Laptop) vs GeForce GTX 960M For detailed gaming benchmarks on this GPU, visit Notebookcheck or LaptopMedia.

The Pascal-based NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (Laptop) offers a roughly 40% average fps increase over the older Maxwell-based GTX 960M, delivering significantly better 1080p performance and higher core clocks. While the GTX 1050 excels at modern gaming, the GTX 960M remains a budget-oriented option capable of handling less demanding, older titles, though it struggles with modern,...Read more

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laptopmedia.com
16/04/2015
benchmarks and gaming tests with the latest drivers (350.12)

The LaptopMedia review compares the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M to the GTX 860M, both featuring Maxwell GM107 architecture with 640 CUDA cores and 350.12 WHQL drivers. While the GTX 960M offers a higher factory-overclocked core speed (1097 MHz base/1176 MHz boost), tests indicate only an 8% performance increase over the GTX 860M, showing no significant, real-world FPS improvements in...Read more

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laptopmedia.com
11/03/2015
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M - benchmark results and gaming tests

The LaptopMedia review of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, tested on an Acer Aspire VN7 Nitro, highlights a Maxwell-based GPU featuring 640 CUDA cores, a 128-bit memory bus, and 2GB GDDR5. Key advantages include significantly higher core clock speeds—1097MHz base and 1176MHz boost—along with an efficient TDP suitable for thin, affordable gaming laptops. However, the review finds that...Read more

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notebookcheck.net
23/05/2015
MSI GE60 (GTX 960M) Notebook Review - Notebookcheck

The MSI GE60-2QEWi781 is an affordable 15.6-inch gaming laptop that delivers solid performance by upgrading its internal hardware to an Intel Core i7-4720HQ quad-core processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M GPU with 2,048 MB of GDDR5 VRAM. The system runs smoothly and handles modern games fluidly at its native 1920x1080 resolution. Notable pros include a matte IPS display with wide...Read more

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notebookcheck.net
26/05/2015
Alienware 13 (GTX 960M) Notebook Review - Notebookcheck

The Alienware 13 (GTX 960M) refresh receives a mixed review due to its performance limitations despite updated hardware components. The laptop transitions to an Intel Core i7-5500U dual-core processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics card, which provide a 20% CPU boost and a 10% GPU improvement over the previous year's model. Reviewers highly praise the device's compact,...Read more

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notebookcheck.net
29/05/2015
MSI GE72 (GTX 960M) Notebook Review - Notebookcheck

The MSI GE72-2QDi716H11 is a well-designed 17.3-inch gaming laptop powered by an Intel Core i7-4720HQ quad-core processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M GPU. It delivers strong gaming and system performance, easily running modern games smoothly at its native Full HD (1920x1080) resolution, outperforming similarly equipped rivals like the Asus GL771JW in frame rates. The notebook is...Read more

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notebookcheck.net
02/07/2015
Asus N551JW (GTX 960M) Notebook Review

Overview The Asus N551JW is a premium, powerful 15.6-inch multimedia laptop priced at approximately 1,400 Euros (~$1,556), offering significant performance upgrades over its predecessor, the N551JK. Inside its high-quality chassis, it features an Intel Core i7-4720HQ quad-core processor and a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics card with 4 GB of GDDR5 VRAM. The storage...Read more

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laptopmedia.com
11/03/2015
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M – benchmark results and gaming tests

The LaptopMedia review of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M highlights a GM107 Maxwell-based GPU with 640 CUDA cores and 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM, offering a significant factory overclock to 1097MHz (base) and 1176MHz (boost) for budget gaming laptops. This, coupled with a 128-bit memory bus, makes it a capable upper-mid-class option for smooth, affordable gaming. However, the GPU is limited by...Read more

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notebookcheck.net
12/03/2015
Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M Review

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M is a mid-range laptop graphics card that serves as a minor refresh to its Maxwell-based predecessor, the GTX 860M, rather than introducing a completely new architecture. Testing reveals that the chip operates on a 28 nm manufacturing process with 640 CUDA cores and utilizes a core clock speed boosted by 7% to 10% up to 1,202 MHz. Synthetic and real-world...Read more

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hardwareluxx.de
14/07/2015
4 Allround-Notebooks mit GeForce GTX 960M im Test

This review from Hardwareluxx highlights a significant shift in mobile gaming, evaluating four all-round laptops equipped with an Intel Core i7 processor, a fast SSD, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M (or 860M) Maxwell-generation graphics card. The test evaluates a diverse range of form factors, spanning 13.3-inch, 15.6-inch, and 17.3-inch displays with resolutions ranging from Full HD...Read more

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lesnumeriques.com
24/02/2017
GPU mobiles : quelles performances dans les jeux

Based on the comprehensive gaming benchmark review by Les Numériques, mobile graphics cards are evaluated across two architectural generations (Nvidia's Maxwell 900M and Pascal 10-series) using resource-heavy titles like The Witcher 3, Fallout 4, and Star Wars Battlefront with a performance target of 40 frames per second (FPS). The entry-level GTX 960M requires significant...Read more

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computerhoy.20minutos.es
20/07/2016
Lenovo Y700 15", análisis y opinión

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y700-15ISK is a 15.6-inch mid-range gaming laptop featuring a brushed black aluminium chassis, an Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor, 12 GB of DDR4 RAM, and an Nvidia GTX 960M GPU with 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory. Priced at €1,299, its main performance advantages include a highly efficient dual-fan cooling system that keeps internal temperatures under 80°C for the...Read more

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