AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark recorded in the database is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is decisive. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT scores 17,428 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A scores 11,998 points. That gives AMD a 45.3% lead, a massive gap that reflects the generational and architectural chasm between these two products.

In terms of raw compute workloads, the RX 9070 XT’s OpenCL result places it far ahead. The GTX 960A’s score of 11,998 is closer to its nearest rivals in the database, including the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (11,960, a 0.3% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT (11,842, 1.3% delta), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (11,680, 2.7% delta). Notably, the GTX 960A actually outperforms the RX 7800 XT in this specific metric by 3.2%, a curiosity given the latter’s modern architecture, but the data stands.

The RX 9070 XT, however, sits in a different tier entirely. Its average benchmark score across all tests is 13,543, which places it at the 55th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (13,536, 0.1% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13,515, 0.2% delta), and the NVIDIA P106-090 (13,470, 0.5% delta). This clustering suggests that the RX 9070 XT’s average is dragged down by some low-scoring legacy DirectX tests, such as PassMark DirectX 10 (154) and DirectX 12 (78), which are likely not representative of its modern gaming capability.

The GTX 960A, with only a single benchmark recorded, has an average score of 11,998 and sits at the 51st percentile. Its nearest rivals include the GTX 1080, RX 6500 XT, GTX 1660, and RX 7800 XT, all within a 3.2% delta. That means the GTX 960A’s one data point is competitive with much newer cards in this narrow test, but the lack of additional benchmarks limits any broader conclusions.

In short, the head-to-head data shows a clear winner in the AMD card by a 45.3% margin. No other shared test exists, so this single result must carry the weight of the comparison.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on completely different technological foundations. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT uses the Navi 48 chip, based on RDNA 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It integrates 53,900 million transistors on a 357 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 151.0 million per mm². In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A uses the GM107 chip, based on Maxwell architecture, also at TSMC but on a 28 nm process. It contains just 1,870 million transistors on a 148 mm² die, for a density of 12.6 million per mm². That is a 12-fold difference in transistor density.

Core configurations differ dramatically. The RX 9070 XT features 4,096 shading units, 256 texture mapping units, 128 raster operation units, and 64 dedicated ray tracing cores. The GTX 960A has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, with no ray tracing cores at all. This means the AMD card has 6.4 times the shading units, 6.4 times the TMUs, and 8 times the ROPs. The presence of RT cores on the RX 9070 XT enables hardware-accelerated ray tracing, a feature entirely absent from the Maxwell-based GTX 960A.

Clock speeds also favor the newer card. The RX 9070 XT has a base clock of 1660 MHz, a boost clock of 2970 MHz, and a game clock of 2400 MHz. The GTX 960A runs at 1097 MHz base and 1176 MHz boost. Memory configurations are equally divergent: the AMD card uses 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth, while the NVIDIA card has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 80.19 GB/s. That is an 8-fold increase in memory capacity and an 8-fold increase in bandwidth.

Compute throughput is not comparable. The RX 9070 XT delivers 48.66 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the GTX 960A manages 1.505 TFLOPS. Pixel and texture rates follow suit: 380.2 GPixel/s versus 18.82 GPixel/s, and 760.3 GTexel/s versus 47.04 GTexel/s. The power envelope differs as well, with the RX 9070 XT rated at 304 W TDP and requiring a 700 W power supply, while the GTX 960A is a 75 W MXM module with no external power connectors. The RX 9070 XT uses a dual-slot design with two 8-pin connectors, whereas the GTX 960A is a portable-device-dependent MXM-B (3.0) module.

API support also diverges. The RX 9070 XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The GTX 960A supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The DirectX feature level difference is significant: 12_2 includes features like mesh shaders and variable rate shading, which the GTX 960A cannot access.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT has an average benchmark score of 13,543, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A has 11,998. The AMD card sits at the 55th percentile of all GPUs, the NVIDIA card at the 51st.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the only shared benchmark?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 9070 XT scores 17,428 against the GTX 960A’s 11,998, a difference of 45.3% in favor of the AMD card.

Q: Does the GTX 960A have any ray tracing capability?

A: No. The GTX 960A has no ray tracing cores, while the RX 9070 XT includes 64 dedicated RT cores.

Q: What are the memory capacities of each card?

A: The RX 9070 XT has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 644.6 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 960A has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 80.19 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card supports newer DirectX features?

A: The RX 9070 XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GTX 960A supports DirectX 12 (11_0). The 12_2 feature level enables modern rendering techniques not available on the GTX 960A.

Q: What is the transistor count difference?

A: The RX 9070 XT has 53,900 million transistors on a 4 nm process, while the GTX 960A has 1,870 million transistors on a 28 nm process.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A by 45.3% in the only shared benchmark, and its architectural specifications are superior across every measurable dimension. The RX 9070 XT has 6.4 times the shading units, 8 times the ROPs, 8 times the memory capacity, and 8 times the memory bandwidth. Its FP32 throughput is 48.66 TFLOPS versus 1.505 TFLOPS, a 32-fold difference.

The GTX 960A, however, is an end-of-life mobile module from 2015, built on Maxwell architecture. It has no ray tracing support, no modern DirectX 12 Ultimate features, and only 2 GB of VRAM. Its average benchmark score of 11,998 places it near the GTX 1080 and RX 6500 XT in the database, but that is a single-test artifact rather than a sign of competitiveness.

For any modern gaming or compute workload, the RX 9070 XT is the clear choice. The GTX 960A should only be considered for legacy applications that require its specific MXM form factor and low 75 W power draw, where its lack of external power connectors and portable-device-dependent outputs are an advantage. But in raw performance, the RX 9070 XT wins every recorded metric.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A |

|---------------|------------------------|--------------------------|

| Architecture | RDNA 4.0 | Maxwell |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 53,900 million | 1,870 million |

| Die Size | 357 mm² | 148 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 151.0M / mm² | 12.6M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1660 MHz | 1097 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2970 MHz | 1176 MHz |

| Memory Size | 16 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 644.6 GB/s | 80.19 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 4096 | 640 |

| TMUs | 256 | 40 |

| ROPs | 128 | 16 |

| RT Cores | 64 | None |

| Pixel Rate | 380.2 GPixel/s | 18.82 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 760.3 GTexel/s | 47.04 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 48.66 TFLOPS | 1.505 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 304 W | 75 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | MXM Module |

| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | None |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 5.0 x16 | MXM-B (3.0) |

| DirectX | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (11_0) |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT wins in every performance-oriented category. It dominates in compute density, with 48.66 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput, a 32.3 times advantage over the GTX 960A’s 1.505 TFLOPS. It wins in memory bandwidth by a factor of 8, in pixel rate by a factor of 20, and in texture rate by a factor of 16. Its 64 RT cores enable ray-traced workloads that the GTX 960A cannot execute at all. The 16 GB VRAM capacity makes it suitable for high-resolution textures and large datasets, while the 2 GB GTX 960A will hit capacity limits quickly.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A wins only in power efficiency and physical footprint. Its 75 W TDP is 229 W lower than the RX 9070 XT’s 304 W, and it requires no external power connectors. Its MXM-B (3.0) form factor allows installation in portable devices, which the dual-slot PCIe 5.0 x16 card cannot match. The GTX 960A also carries a DirectX 12 (11_0) feature level, which, while older, still supports basic DirectX 12 workloads. For applications that require a low-power, slot-constrained, or battery-powered solution, the GTX 960A is the only option between the two.

For everything else, the RX 9070 XT is the superior product. Its active production status, modern architecture, and massive resource advantages make it the clear choice for gaming, content creation, and compute tasks. The GTX 960A is a legacy part that should be reserved for niche retrofitting or low-power embedded systems. The recorded data leaves no room for ambiguity: the RX 9070 XT wins the comparison outright.