AMD Radeon RX 6500M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two direct benchmark comparisons between the AMD Radeon RX 6500M and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960, and the results are decisive in favor of the AMD part. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 6500M scores 38,586 against 18,925 for the GTX 960, a lead of 103.9%. That is more than double the raw compute throughput, which aligns with the architectural gap between a modern 6 nm part and a 28 nm design from 2015.

The Vulkan result is even more lopsided. The RX 6500M posts 43,837 points, while the GTX 960 manages only 9,231. That is a 374.9% advantage for AMD. Vulkan is a low-level API that tends to reward newer hardware with better driver optimization and explicit command processing, so the magnitude of this gap is not surprising given the difference in generation and feature set.

Across the two head-to-head tests, the RX 6500M wins both. The GTX 960 has no countervailing win in any recorded comparison. The overall average benchmark score for the RX 6500M is 10,362, against 9,273 for the GTX 960, a difference of roughly 12% in aggregate performance across all recorded workloads. The percentile rankings tell a similar story: the RX 6500M sits at the 48th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the GTX 960 is at the 45th.

It is worth remembering the GTX 960 has an additional recorded benchmark in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where it scores 162, but there is no equivalent RX 6500M result for that test, so it cannot be used for a direct comparison. Similarly, the GTX 960 has a Geekbench Metal score of 8,773, which is irrelevant here because the AMD card does not have a Metal result recorded.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Vulkan workloads?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6500M is dramatically faster, scoring 43,837 in Geekbench Vulkan versus 9,231 for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960. That is a 374.9% advantage.

Q: How do the two compare in OpenCL compute?

A: The RX 6500M leads with 38,586 points versus 18,925 for the GTX 960, a 103.9% difference. The AMD card more than doubles the NVIDIA card’s OpenCL score.

Q: What is the overall performance percentile for each card?

A: The RX 6500M ranks at the 48th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the GTX 960 ranks at the 45th. Both are mid-pack performers, but the AMD card sits slightly higher.

Q: Does the GTX 960 win any head-to-head benchmark?

A: No. In the two recorded head-to-head tests (Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan), the RX 6500M wins both. The wins count is 2 for AMD and 0 for NVIDIA.

Q: Are these cards from the same generation?

A: No. The RX 6500M is from the Radeon RX 6000 series based on RDNA 2.0, released in 2022. The GTX 960 is from the GeForce 900 series based on Maxwell 2.0, released in 2015. The RX 6500M uses a 6 nm process, while the GTX 960 uses 28 nm.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The RX 6500M has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus with 144.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 960 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 112.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural eras, and the data reflects that. The AMD Radeon RX 6500M is built on RDNA 2.0, using the Navi 24 chip, fabricated on TSMC’s 6 nm process. It packs 5,400 million transistors into a 107 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 50.5 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 uses the GM206 chip with Maxwell 2.0 architecture, also on TSMC silicon but at 28 nm. That older process holds 2,940 million transistors across a much larger 228 mm² die, for a density of just 12.9 million per square millimeter.

The RX 6500M has 1,024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. It also includes 16 ray tracing cores, a feature completely absent from the GTX 960. The GTX 960 matches the shading unit count at 1,024 and the TMU count at 64, and also has 32 ROPs, but it has no RT cores and no tensor cores. The AMD card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GTX 960 tops out at DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

Clock speeds differ substantially. The RX 6500M has a base clock of 2000 MHz, a boost of 2400 MHz, and a game clock of 2191 MHz. The GTX 960 runs at a 1127 MHz base and 1178 MHz boost. Even without accounting for architectural efficiency, the AMD card operates at nearly double the clock rate. Pixel and texture rates follow: the RX 6500M delivers 76.80 GPixel/s and 153.6 GTexel/s, while the GTX 960 manages 37.70 GPixel/s and 75.39 GTexel/s. In FP32 compute, the RX 6500M reaches 4.915 TFLOPS, versus 2.413 TFLOPS for the GTX 960. The AMD card also has a recorded FP16 rate of 9.830 TFLOPS (2:1), while the NVIDIA card has no FP16 figure in the database.

Memory architecture is another clear divide. The RX 6500M uses 4 GB of GDDR6 at 18 Gbps effective, on a 64-bit bus, yielding 144.0 GB/s. The GTX 960 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 at 7 Gbps effective, on a 128-bit bus, yielding 112.2 GB/s. The AMD card has a smaller bus but compensates with faster memory and higher effective speed.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every specification field. The RX 6500M uses a 6 nm process, the GTX 960 uses 28 nm. Transistor count is 5,400 million versus 2,940 million. Die size is 107 mm² versus 228 mm². Transistor density is 50.5M per mm² versus 12.9M per mm².

Base clocks are 2000 MHz versus 1127 MHz, boost clocks are 2400 MHz versus 1178 MHz. The AMD card has a game clock of 2191 MHz; the NVIDIA card has none recorded. Memory size is 4 GB versus 2 GB. Memory type is GDDR6 versus GDDR5. Bus width is 64 bit versus 128 bit. Bandwidth is 144.0 GB/s versus 112.2 GB/s.

The RX 6500M has 16 RT cores, the GTX 960 has none. FP32 compute is 4.915 TFLOPS versus 2.413 TFLOPS. FP16 is 9.830 TFLOPS on the AMD card, with no figure for the NVIDIA card. Pixel rate is 76.80 GPixel/s versus 37.70 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 153.6 GTexel/s versus 75.39 GTexel/s.

Power and physical specs differ sharply. The RX 6500M has a 50 W TDP, is listed as an IGP (integrated graphics package) with no power connectors, and uses a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface. The GTX 960 draws 120 W, is a dual-slot card requiring one 6-pin power connector and a 300 W suggested PSU, and uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs are portable-device dependent on the AMD side; the GTX 960 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.2. The GTX 960 has a recorded length of 241 mm (9.5 inches); the RX 6500M has no dimensions listed.

The GTX 960 has a launch MSRP of 199 USD. The RX 6500M has no launch MSRP recorded. Release dates are January 2022 for the AMD card and January 2015 for the NVIDIA card. Both are end-of-life products.

The Verdict

The recorded data points to a clear verdict: the AMD Radeon RX 6500M is the stronger GPU in every measurable comparison. It wins both head-to-head benchmarks, has a higher average benchmark score, and sits at a higher percentile of all GPUs. The margin in Vulkan is enormous at 374.9%, and the OpenCL margin of 103.9% is equally decisive.

The GTX 960 is not without merit in its historical context. It was a capable mainstream card in its day, and its 128-bit memory bus and 2 GB frame buffer were standard for the midrange in 2015. But against a 2022 part with twice the memory, nearly double the clock speed, more than double the FP32 throughput, and support for ray tracing, it cannot compete on raw performance.

The RX 6500M’s 4 GB of GDDR6 memory and 144.0 GB/s bandwidth give it a practical edge in modern games that exceed 2 GB usage. The GTX 960’s 2 GB limit is a severe constraint in current titles. The AMD card also benefits from a much lower 50 W TDP, making it suitable for thin-and-light laptops, whereas the GTX 960’s 120 W draw and dual-slot cooler are typical of a desktop expansion card.

The data suggests that anyone choosing between these two for current workloads should pick the RX 6500M without hesitation. The GTX 960 remains relevant only for legacy systems or very light 1080p gaming where its older driver maturity and 128-bit bus might still suffice, but no benchmark in the database supports a performance advantage for NVIDIA.

Where Each One Wins

AMD Radeon RX 6500M wins in: compute-heavy applications, as shown by its 103.9% lead in Geekbench OpenCL. It wins decisively in Vulkan-based workloads, with a 374.9% advantage, which matters for modern games and applications that use explicit multi-threaded rendering. It also wins in memory capacity and bandwidth, offering 4 GB versus 2 GB and 144.0 GB/s versus 112.2 GB/s, which is relevant for texture-heavy scenes. The RX 6500M is the clear choice for any workload that leverages DirectX 12 Ultimate features, including ray tracing, since it has 16 RT cores while the GTX 960 has none.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 wins in: none of the recorded head-to-head benchmarks. The database shows zero wins for the GTX 960 in direct comparisons. Its only possible advantages are historical: it has a wider 128-bit memory bus and a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, which might be preferable in very old motherboards without PCIe 4.0 support. It also has a recorded 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 162, but there is no RX 6500M result for that test to compare against. For pure performance, the data does not support any category where the GTX 960 comes out ahead.

The practical takeaway: if you are building a system around either of these cards today, the RX 6500M is the only one with a performance case. The GTX 960 is a relic that can still run older games, but the benchmark record shows it is outclassed by a wide margin in both OpenCL and Vulkan.