GeForce GTX 960M vs GTX 780M

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Aggregate performance score

We've compared GeForce GTX 780M and GeForce GTX 960M, covering specs and all relevant benchmarks.

GTX 780M
2013
4 GB GDDR5, 122 Watt
9.85
+12.4%

GTX 780M outperforms GTX 960M by a moderate 12% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.

Place in the ranking457492
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Power efficiency5.548.01
ArchitectureKepler (2012−2018)Maxwell (2014−2017)
GPU code nameGK104GM107
Market segmentLaptopLaptop
Release date11 May 2013 (11 years ago)13 March 2015 (9 years ago)

Detailed specifications

General parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.

Pipelines / CUDA cores1536640
Core clock speed823 MHz1096 MHz
Boost clock speed797 MHz1176 MHz
Number of transistors3,540 million1,870 million
Manufacturing process technology28 nm28 nm
Power consumption (TDP)122 Watt75 Watt
Texture fill rate102.047.04
Floating-point processing power2.448 TFLOPS1.505 TFLOPS
ROPs3216
TMUs12840

Form factor & compatibility

Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).

Laptop sizelargemedium sized
Bus supportPCI Express 3.0, PCI Express 2.0PCI Express 3.0
InterfaceMXM-B (3.0)MXM-B (3.0)
Supplementary power connectorsNoneno data
SLI options++

VRAM capacity and type

Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated video RAM and use a shared part of system RAM.

Memory typeGDDR5GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount4 GB4 GB
Standard memory configurationGDDR5no data
Memory bus width256 Bit128 Bit
Memory clock speed2500 MHz2500 MHz
Memory bandwidth160.0 GB/s80 GB/s
Shared memory--

Connectivity and outputs

Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.

Display ConnectorsNo outputsNo outputs
eDP 1.2 signal supportUp to 3840x2160no data
LVDS signal supportUp to 1920x1200no data
VGA аnalog display supportUp to 2048x1536+
DisplayPort Multimode (DP++) supportUp to 3840x2160+
HDMI++
HDCP content protection+-
7.1 channel HD audio on HDMI+-
TrueHD and DTS-HD audio bitstreaming+-

Supported technologies

Supported technological solutions. This information will prove useful if you need some particular technology for your purposes.

Blu-Ray 3D Support+-
GameStream-+
GeForce ShadowPlay-+
GPU Boostno data2.0
GameWorks-+
H.264, VC1, MPEG2 1080p video decoder++
Optimus++
3D Vision / 3DTV Play+-
BatteryBoost-+
Anselno data+

API compatibility

List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.

DirectX12 API12 (11_0)
Shader Model5.15.1
OpenGL4.54.5
OpenCL1.11.2
Vulkan1.1.1261.1.126
CUDA++

Synthetic benchmark performance

Non-gaming benchmark results comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark score. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

GTX 780M 9.85
+12.4%
GTX 960M 8.76

Passmark

This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.

GTX 780M 3797
+12.5%
GTX 960M 3375

3DMark 11 Performance GPU

3DMark 11 is an obsolete DirectX 11 benchmark by Futuremark. It used four tests based on two scenes, one being few submarines exploring the submerged wreck of a sunken ship, the other is an abandoned temple deep in the jungle. All the tests are heavy with volumetric lighting and tessellation, and despite being done in 1280x720 resolution, are relatively taxing. Discontinued in January 2020, 3DMark 11 is now superseded by Time Spy.

GTX 780M 7777
+47.3%
GTX 960M 5278

3DMark Fire Strike Graphics

Fire Strike is a DirectX 11 benchmark for gaming PCs. It features two separate tests displaying a fight between a humanoid and a fiery creature made of lava. Using 1920x1080 resolution, Fire Strike shows off some realistic graphics and is quite taxing on hardware.

GTX 780M 5244
+21.4%
GTX 960M 4318

3DMark Cloud Gate GPU

Cloud Gate is an outdated DirectX 11 feature level 10 benchmark that was used for home PCs and basic notebooks. It displays a few scenes of some weird space teleportation device launching spaceships into unknown, using fixed resolution of 1280x720. Just like Ice Storm benchmark, it has been discontinued in January 2020 and replaced by 3DMark Night Raid.

GTX 780M 35965
+19.5%
GTX 960M 30086

GeekBench 5 OpenCL

Geekbench 5 is a widespread graphics card benchmark combined from 11 different test scenarios. All these scenarios rely on direct usage of GPU's processing power, no 3D rendering is involved. This variation uses OpenCL API by Khronos Group.

GTX 780M 12857
+17.4%
GTX 960M 10951

GeekBench 5 Vulkan

Geekbench 5 is a widespread graphics card benchmark combined from 11 different test scenarios. All these scenarios rely on direct usage of GPU's processing power, no 3D rendering is involved. This variation uses Vulkan API by AMD & Khronos Group.

GTX 780M 12696
+49.4%
GTX 960M 8498

GeekBench 5 CUDA

Geekbench 5 is a widespread graphics card benchmark combined from 11 different test scenarios. All these scenarios rely on direct usage of GPU's processing power, no 3D rendering is involved. This variation uses CUDA API by NVIDIA.

GTX 780M 9535
GTX 960M 11818
+23.9%

Unigine Heaven 3.0

This is an old DirectX 11 benchmark using Unigine, a 3D game engine by eponymous Russian company. It displays a fantasy medieval town sprawling over several flying islands. Version 3.0 was released in 2012, and in 2013 it was superseded by Heaven 4.0, which introduced several slight improvements, including a newer version of Unigine.

GTX 780M 76
+35.3%
GTX 960M 56

Octane Render OctaneBench

This is a special benchmark measuring graphics card performance in OctaneRender, which is a realistic GPU rendering engine by OTOY Inc., available either as a standalone program, or as a plugin for 3DS Max, Cinema 4D and many other apps. It renders four different static scenes, then compares render times with a reference GPU which is currently GeForce GTX 980. This benchmark has nothing to do with gaming and is aimed at professional 3D graphics artists.

GTX 780M 37
+15.6%
GTX 960M 32

Gaming performance

Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.

Average FPS across all PC games

Here are the average frames per second in a large set of popular games across different resolutions:

900p100−110
+5.3%
95
−5.3%
Full HD65
+91.2%
34
−91.2%
1440p16−18
+6.7%
15
−6.7%
4K14−16
+0%
14
+0%

FPS performance in popular games

Full HD
Low Preset

Cyberpunk 2077 14−16
+7.1%
14−16
−7.1%

Full HD
Medium Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 24−27
−4.2%
25
+4.2%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 14−16
+15.4%
12−14
−15.4%
Battlefield 5 30−35
+3.3%
30
−3.3%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 20−22
+11.1%
18−20
−11.1%
Cyberpunk 2077 14−16
+7.1%
14−16
−7.1%
Far Cry 5 21−24
−21.7%
28
+21.7%
Far Cry New Dawn 27−30
−10.7%
31
+10.7%
Forza Horizon 4 65−70
−27.3%
84
+27.3%
Hitman 3 18−20
+11.8%
16−18
−11.8%
Horizon Zero Dawn 55−60
+10%
50−55
−10%
Metro Exodus 30−35
+3.2%
31
−3.2%
Red Dead Redemption 2 27−30
+16.7%
24−27
−16.7%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 30−35
−45.5%
48
+45.5%
Watch Dogs: Legion 60−65
+6.8%
55−60
−6.8%

Full HD
High Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 24−27
−29.2%
31
+29.2%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 14−16
+15.4%
12−14
−15.4%
Battlefield 5 30−35
+34.8%
23
−34.8%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 20−22
+11.1%
18−20
−11.1%
Cyberpunk 2077 14−16
+7.1%
14−16
−7.1%
Far Cry 5 21−24
−4.3%
24
+4.3%
Far Cry New Dawn 27−30
+21.7%
23
−21.7%
Forza Horizon 4 65−70
−7.6%
71
+7.6%
Hitman 3 18−20
+11.8%
16−18
−11.8%
Horizon Zero Dawn 55−60
+10%
50−55
−10%
Metro Exodus 30−35
+23.1%
26
−23.1%
Red Dead Redemption 2 27−30
+16.7%
24−27
−16.7%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 30−35
+13.8%
27−30
−13.8%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 27−30
−170%
73
+170%
Watch Dogs: Legion 60−65
+6.8%
55−60
−6.8%

Full HD
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 24−27
+118%
11
−118%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 14−16
+15.4%
12−14
−15.4%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 20−22
+11.1%
18−20
−11.1%
Cyberpunk 2077 14−16
+7.1%
14−16
−7.1%
Far Cry 5 21−24
+27.8%
18
−27.8%
Forza Horizon 4 65−70
+164%
25
−164%
Hitman 3 18−20
+11.8%
16−18
−11.8%
Horizon Zero Dawn 55−60
+10%
50−55
−10%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 30−35
+13.8%
27−30
−13.8%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 17
+21.4%
14
−21.4%
Watch Dogs: Legion 60−65
+6.8%
55−60
−6.8%

Full HD
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2 27−30
+16.7%
24−27
−16.7%

1440p
High Preset

Battlefield 5 18−20
+35.7%
14
−35.7%
Far Cry New Dawn 14−16
+0%
15
+0%

1440p
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 10−11
+25%
8
−25%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 6−7
+50%
4−5
−50%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 10−11
+11.1%
9−10
−11.1%
Cyberpunk 2077 5−6
+25%
4−5
−25%
Far Cry 5 10−12
+10%
10
−10%
Forza Horizon 4 40−45
−2.3%
45
+2.3%
Hitman 3 12−14
+8.3%
12−14
−8.3%
Horizon Zero Dawn 21−24
+16.7%
18−20
−16.7%
Metro Exodus 14−16
+0%
15
+0%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 12−14
+30%
10−11
−30%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 9−10
+12.5%
8−9
−12.5%
Watch Dogs: Legion 60−65
+12.5%
55−60
−12.5%

1440p
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2 16−18
+13.3%
14−16
−13.3%

4K
High Preset

Battlefield 5 9−10
+50%
6
−50%
Far Cry New Dawn 7−8
+0%
7
+0%
Hitman 3 6−7
+20%
5−6
−20%
Horizon Zero Dawn 40−45
+22.9%
35−40
−22.9%
Metro Exodus 8−9
+0%
8
+0%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 7−8
−42.9%
10
+42.9%

4K
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 6−7
+20%
5−6
−20%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 4−5
+0%
4−5
+0%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 5−6
+25%
4−5
−25%
Cyberpunk 2077 1−2
+0%
1−2
+0%
Far Cry 5 5−6
+25%
4
−25%
Forza Horizon 4 12−14
+9.1%
10−12
−9.1%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 7−8
+40%
5−6
−40%
Watch Dogs: Legion 4−5
+33.3%
3−4
−33.3%

4K
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2 9−10
+0%
9−10
+0%

This is how GTX 780M and GTX 960M compete in popular games:

  • GTX 780M is 5% faster in 900p
  • GTX 780M is 91% faster in 1080p
  • GTX 780M is 7% faster in 1440p
  • A tie in 4K

Here's the range of performance differences observed across popular games:

  • in Forza Horizon 4, with 1080p resolution and the Ultra Preset, the GTX 780M is 164% faster.
  • in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, with 1080p resolution and the High Preset, the GTX 960M is 170% faster.

All in all, in popular games:

  • GTX 780M is ahead in 54 tests (75%)
  • GTX 960M is ahead in 11 tests (15%)
  • there's a draw in 7 tests (10%)

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 9.85 8.76
Recency 11 May 2013 13 March 2015
Power consumption (TDP) 122 Watt 75 Watt

GTX 780M has a 12.4% higher aggregate performance score.

GTX 960M, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 1 year, and 62.7% lower power consumption.

The GeForce GTX 780M is our recommended choice as it beats the GeForce GTX 960M in performance tests.


Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

Do you think we are right or mistaken in our choice? Vote by clicking "Like" button near your favorite graphics card.


NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M
GeForce GTX 780M
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
GeForce GTX 960M

Comparisons with similar GPUs

We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.

Community ratings

Here you can see the user ratings of the compared graphics cards, as well as rate them yourself.


4.1 110 votes

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3.7 1058 votes

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Questions & comments

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