GeForce GTX 960 vs GTX 980 Ti

VS

Aggregate performance score

We've compared GeForce GTX 980 Ti and GeForce GTX 960, covering specs and all relevant benchmarks.

GTX 980 Ti
2015
6 GB GDDR5, 250 Watt
35.82
+127%

GTX 980 Ti outperforms GTX 960 by a whopping 127% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

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

Place in the ranking138342
Place by popularitynot in top-10055
Cost-effectiveness evaluation14.349.09
Power efficiency9.829.02
ArchitectureMaxwell 2.0 (2014−2019)Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019)
GPU code nameGM200GM206
Market segmentDesktopDesktop
Release date2 June 2015 (9 years ago)22 January 2015 (9 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$649 $199

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.

GTX 980 Ti has 58% better value for money than GTX 960.

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 cores28161024
Core clock speed1000 MHz1127 MHz
Boost clock speed1075 MHz1178 MHz
Number of transistors8,000 million2,940 million
Manufacturing process technology28 nm28 nm
Power consumption (TDP)250 Watt120 Watt
Texture fill rate189.475.39
Floating-point processing power6.06 TFLOPS2.413 TFLOPS
ROPs9632
TMUs17664

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).

Bus supportPCI Express 3.0PCI Express 3.0
InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
Length267 mm241 mm
Height4.376" (11.1 cm)4.376" (11.1 cm)
Width2-slot2-slot
Recommended system power (PSU)600 Watt400 Watt
Supplementary power connectors1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin1x 6-pin
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 amount6 GB4 GB
Memory bus width384 Bit128 Bit
Memory clock speed7.0 GB/s7.0 GB/s
Memory bandwidth336.5 GB/s112 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 ConnectorsDual Link DVI-I, HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2Dual Link DVI-I, HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2
Multi monitor support4 displays4 displays
HDMI++
HDCP++
Maximum VGA resolution2048x15362048x1536
G-SYNC support++
Audio input for HDMIInternalInternal

Supported technologies

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

GameStream++
GeForce ShadowPlay++
GPU Boost2.02.0
GameWorks++

API compatibility

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

DirectX12 (12_1)12 (12_1)
Shader Model6.46.4
OpenGL4.54.4
OpenCL1.21.2
Vulkan1.1.126+
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 980 Ti 35.82
+127%
GTX 960 15.79

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 980 Ti 13804
+127%
GTX 960 6084

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 980 Ti 23057
+114%
GTX 960 10768

3DMark Vantage Performance

3DMark Vantage is an outdated DirectX 10 benchmark using 1280x1024 screen resolution. It taxes the graphics card with two scenes, one depicting a girl escaping some militarized base located within a sea cave, the other displaying a space fleet attack on a defenseless planet. It was discontinued in April 2017, and Time Spy benchmark is now recommended to be used instead.

GTX 980 Ti 48631
+58.1%
GTX 960 30751

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 980 Ti 16961
+114%
GTX 960 7916

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 980 Ti 98958
+98.2%
GTX 960 49918

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 980 Ti 42988
+130%
GTX 960 18664

3DMark Ice Storm GPU

Ice Storm Graphics is an obsolete benchmark, part of 3DMark suite. Ice Storm was used to measure entry level laptops and Windows-based tablets performance. It utilizes DirectX 11 feature level 9 to display a battle between two space fleets near a frozen planet in 1280x720 resolution. Discontinued in January 2020, it is now superseded by 3DMark Night Raid.

GTX 980 Ti 443119
+42.5%
GTX 960 310860

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 980 Ti 52856
+159%
GTX 960 20403

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 980 Ti 35714
+101%
GTX 960 17784

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 980 Ti 126
+163%
GTX 960 48

Unigine Heaven 4.0

This is an old DirectX 11 benchmark, a newer version of Unigine 3.0 with relatively small differences. It displays a fantasy medieval town sprawling over several flying islands. The benchmark is still sometimes used, despite its significant age, as it was released back in 2013.

GTX 980 Ti 2550
+194%
GTX 960 866

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:

Full HD101
+62.9%
62
−62.9%
1440p48
+129%
21−24
−129%
4K52
+85.7%
28
−85.7%

Cost per frame, $

1080p6.433.21
1440p13.529.48
4K12.487.11

FPS performance in popular games

Full HD
Low Preset

Cyberpunk 2077 60−65
+148%
24−27
−148%

Full HD
Medium Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 75−80
+111%
35−40
−111%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 60−65
+138%
24−27
−138%
Battlefield 5 110−120
+127%
50−55
−127%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 70−75
+128%
30−35
−128%
Cyberpunk 2077 60−65
+148%
24−27
−148%
Far Cry 5 75−80
+114%
35−40
−114%
Far Cry New Dawn 90−95
+109%
40−45
−109%
Forza Horizon 4 180−190
+80.2%
100−110
−80.2%
Hitman 3 75−80
+153%
30−33
−153%
Horizon Zero Dawn 150−160
+92.4%
75−80
−92.4%
Metro Exodus 110−120
+117%
50−55
−117%
Red Dead Redemption 2 85−90
+100%
40−45
−100%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 120−130
+153%
50−55
−153%
Watch Dogs: Legion 120−130
+53.8%
80−85
−53.8%

Full HD
High Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 75−80
+111%
35−40
−111%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 60−65
+138%
24−27
−138%
Battlefield 5 47
−8.5%
50−55
+8.5%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 70−75
+128%
30−35
−128%
Cyberpunk 2077 60−65
+148%
24−27
−148%
Far Cry 5 75−80
+114%
35−40
−114%
Far Cry New Dawn 36
−19.4%
40−45
+19.4%
Forza Horizon 4 180−190
+80.2%
100−110
−80.2%
Hitman 3 75−80
+153%
30−33
−153%
Horizon Zero Dawn 150−160
+92.4%
75−80
−92.4%
Metro Exodus 49
−10.2%
50−55
+10.2%
Red Dead Redemption 2 85−90
+100%
40−45
−100%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 120−130
+153%
50−55
−153%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 155
+18.3%
131
−18.3%
Watch Dogs: Legion 120−130
+53.8%
80−85
−53.8%

Full HD
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 46
+27.8%
35−40
−27.8%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 60−65
+138%
24−27
−138%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 70−75
+128%
30−35
−128%
Cyberpunk 2077 60−65
+148%
24−27
−148%
Far Cry 5 75−80
+114%
35−40
−114%
Forza Horizon 4 72
−40.3%
100−110
+40.3%
Hitman 3 75−80
+153%
30−33
−153%
Horizon Zero Dawn 150−160
+92.4%
75−80
−92.4%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 120−130
+153%
50−55
−153%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 59
+111%
28
−111%
Watch Dogs: Legion 120−130
+53.8%
80−85
−53.8%

Full HD
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2 85−90
+100%
40−45
−100%

1440p
High Preset

Battlefield 5 65−70
+127%
30−33
−127%
Far Cry New Dawn 55−60
+129%
24−27
−129%

1440p
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 35−40
+138%
16−18
−138%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 35−40
+200%
12−14
−200%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 40−45
+147%
16−18
−147%
Cyberpunk 2077 27−30
+238%
8−9
−238%
Far Cry 5 40−45
+128%
18−20
−128%
Forza Horizon 4 200−210
+146%
80−85
−146%
Hitman 3 45−50
+137%
18−20
−137%
Horizon Zero Dawn 75−80
+141%
30−35
−141%
Metro Exodus 65−70
+139%
27−30
−139%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 85−90
+193%
27−30
−193%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 50−55
+194%
16−18
−194%
Watch Dogs: Legion 180−190
+89.6%
95−100
−89.6%

1440p
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2 60−65
+135%
24−27
−135%

4K
High Preset

Battlefield 5 30
+100%
14−16
−100%
Far Cry New Dawn 29
+142%
12−14
−142%
Hitman 3 27−30
+164%
10−12
−164%
Horizon Zero Dawn 170−180
+116%
75−80
−116%
Metro Exodus 35
+119%
16−18
−119%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 44
+193%
14−16
−193%

4K
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 18
+100%
9−10
−100%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 21−24
+175%
8−9
−175%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 21−24
+175%
8−9
−175%
Cyberpunk 2077 10−12
+267%
3−4
−267%
Far Cry 5 21−24
+163%
8−9
−163%
Forza Horizon 4 42
+100%
21−24
−100%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 45−50
+200%
16−18
−200%
Watch Dogs: Legion 18−20
+200%
6−7
−200%

4K
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2 30−35
+121%
14−16
−121%

This is how GTX 980 Ti and GTX 960 compete in popular games:

  • GTX 980 Ti is 63% faster in 1080p
  • GTX 980 Ti is 129% faster in 1440p
  • GTX 980 Ti is 86% faster in 4K

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

  • in Cyberpunk 2077, with 4K resolution and the Ultra Preset, the GTX 980 Ti is 267% faster.
  • in Forza Horizon 4, with 1080p resolution and the Ultra Preset, the GTX 960 is 40% faster.

All in all, in popular games:

  • GTX 980 Ti is ahead in 68 tests (94%)
  • GTX 960 is ahead in 4 tests (6%)

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 35.82 15.79
Recency 2 June 2015 22 January 2015
Maximum RAM amount 6 GB 4 GB
Power consumption (TDP) 250 Watt 120 Watt

GTX 980 Ti has a 126.9% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 4 months, and a 50% higher maximum VRAM amount.

GTX 960, on the other hand, has 108.3% lower power consumption.

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is our recommended choice as it beats the GeForce GTX 960 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 980 Ti
GeForce GTX 980 Ti
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960
GeForce GTX 960

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

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