NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a clear, if narrow, hierarchy. In the single available head-to-head test (Geekbench OpenCL), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 outscores the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A by 9.1%, with a score of 11299 versus 10273. This makes the GTX 760 the definitive choice for raw compute performance in this pairing. Its average benchmark score of 9458, however, is actually lower than the GTX 950A's 10273 average, which indicates that the GTX 760's victory is not uniform across all workloads and that the 950A may hold an edge in other, untested scenarios. For a user prioritizing the single metric provided, the GTX 760 is the winner. For a user prioritizing consistent average performance and lower power draw, the GTX 950A presents a compelling alternative. The GTX 950A's 75W TDP, compared to the GTX 760's 170W, makes it the only logical choice for power-constrained or mobile contexts, though the GTX 760's 2x 6-pin power connectors and 450W suggested PSU indicate it is a card for a traditional desktop build. In summary, the GTX 760 is the performance pick, while the GTX 950A is the efficiency and integration pick. The GTX 760 holds a slight edge in the compute test, but the GTX 950A's higher average score across all GPUs suggests it is a more consistent performer in the aggregate.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent distinct architectural generations from NVIDIA, separated by a significant design philosophy shift. The GTX 950A is built on the Maxwell architecture, utilizing the GM107 chip, while the GTX 760 is based on the older Kepler architecture with the GK104 chip. Both are fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC, but the transistor budgets differ substantially. The GTX 760's GK104 chip houses 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 12.0M / mm². In contrast, the GTX 950A's GM107 chip contains 1,870 million transistors on a much smaller 148 mm² die, achieving a higher density of 12.6M / mm². This difference in scale is fundamental: the GTX 760 is a large, full-featured desktop GPU, while the GTX 950A is a more compact, power-efficient part.

The memory subsystems are also architecturally distinct. The GTX 950A uses 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 32.03 GB/s. The GTX 760, by contrast, employs 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a vastly superior bandwidth of 192.3 GB/s. This is a six-fold difference in memory bandwidth, which directly impacts performance in memory-intensive tasks. The compute configurations further highlight the generational gap. The GTX 760 has 1152 shading units, 96 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 render output units (ROPs). The GTX 950A is equipped with 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Despite having nearly half the shaders, the GTX 950A's Maxwell architecture is more efficient per-core, which explains why the performance gap in the benchmark is not as large as the raw core count difference might suggest.

Feature support is a point of parity, with both cards supporting DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. However, they differ in Vulkan support: the GTX 950A supports Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 760 supports the older Vulkan 1.2.175. The physical form factors are entirely different as well. The GTX 950A is an MXM Module with a bus interface of MXM-B (3.0) and no power connectors, drawing all its power from the slot. The GTX 760 is a dual-slot desktop card, 241 mm (9.5 inches) long, with a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface and requiring 2x 6-pin power connectors. The GTX 950A's display outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent," while the GTX 760 offers 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 is faster, scoring 11299 compared to the GTX 950A's 10273, a delta of 9.1% in favor of the GTX 760.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The GTX 950A has a higher average benchmark score of 10273, while the GTX 760's average is 9458. This suggests the GTX 950A performs better on average across a broader range of benchmarks, despite losing the specific head-to-head test.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The GTX 950A has a TDP of 75 W, while the GTX 760 has a TDP of 170 W. The GTX 950A requires no power connectors, whereas the GTX 760 requires 2x 6-pin connectors and a suggested PSU of 450 W.

Q: Do they have the same memory technology?

A: No. The GTX 950A uses 2 GB of DDR3 memory with a 128-bit bus, while the GTX 760 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 memory with a 256-bit bus. The GTX 760's memory bandwidth is 192.3 GB/s, compared to the GTX 950A's 32.03 GB/s.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The GTX 760 has 1152 shading units, significantly more than the GTX 950A's 640 shading units. The GTX 760 also has 96 TMUs and 32 ROPs, versus 40 TMUs and 16 ROPs on the GTX 950A.

Q: Are both GPUs end-of-life products?

A: Yes, both the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 have a production status of "End-of-life."

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification category, reflecting their different design targets.

• Architecture: The GTX 950A uses Maxwell, while the GTX 760 uses Kepler.
• Chip: The GTX 950A is built on GM107, and the GTX 760 on GK104.
• Transistors: The GTX 760 has 3,540 million transistors, nearly double the GTX 950A's 1,870 million.
• Die Size: The GTX 760's die is 294 mm², versus 148 mm² for the GTX 950A.
• Transistor Density: The GTX 950A is denser at 12.6M / mm², compared to 12.0M / mm² for the GTX 760.
• Base Clock: The GTX 950A runs at 993 MHz, while the GTX 760 runs at 980 MHz.
• Boost Clock: The GTX 950A boosts to 1124 MHz, while the GTX 760 boosts to 1032 MHz.
• Memory Clock: The GTX 950A has a memory clock of 1001 MHz (2 Gbps effective), while the GTX 760 has 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective).
• Memory Type: The GTX 950A uses DDR3; the GTX 760 uses GDDR5.
• Memory Bus Width: The GTX 950A has a 128-bit bus; the GTX 760 has a 256-bit bus.
• Memory Bandwidth: The GTX 760 offers 192.3 GB/s, far exceeding the GTX 950A's 32.03 GB/s.
• Shading Units: The GTX 760 has 1152, the GTX 950A has 640.
• TMUs: The GTX 760 has 96, the GTX 950A has 40.
• ROPs: The GTX 760 has 32, the GTX 950A has 16.
• Pixel Rate: The GTX 760 achieves 24.77 GPixel/s, versus 17.98 GPixel/s for the GTX 950A.
• Texture Rate: The GTX 760 achieves 99.07 GTexel/s, versus 44.96 GTexel/s for the GTX 950A.
• FP32 Performance: The GTX 760 delivers 2.378 TFLOPS, while the GTX 950A delivers 1,438.7 GFLOPS.
• TDP: The GTX 950A is rated at 75 W, the GTX 760 at 170 W.
• Slot Width: The GTX 950A is an MXM Module, the GTX 760 is Dual-slot.
• Power Connectors: The GTX 950A has none, the GTX 760 has 2x 6-pin.
• Suggested PSU: The GTX 760 requires a 450 W PSU; the GTX 950A has no suggestion listed.
• Bus Interface: The GTX 950A uses MXM-B (3.0), the GTX 760 uses PCIe 3.0 x16.
• Display Outputs: The GTX 950A's are "Portable Device Dependent," the GTX 760 has 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2.
• Vulkan Support: The GTX 950A supports Vulkan 1.4, the GTX 760 supports 1.2.175.
• Release Date: The GTX 760 was released on 2013-06-24, the GTX 950A on 2015-03-12.
• Dimensions: The GTX 760 is 241 mm (9.5 inches) long; the GTX 950A has no listed length.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The provided data includes only a single head-to-head benchmark, but it is instructive. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the GTX 760 scores 11299 points, defeating the GTX 950A's 10273 points. This represents a delta of -9.1% for the GTX 950A, meaning the GTX 760 is 9.1% faster in this specific compute workload. This is the only direct comparison available, and it results in a 1-0 win tally for the GTX 760.

However, the context of the average benchmark scores complicates the picture. The GTX 950A's average benchmark score is 10273, which is identical to its OpenCL score, suggesting it has only been tested in this one benchmark. The GTX 760, on the other hand, has been tested in three benchmarks: Geekbench Metal (4524), Geekbench OpenCL (11299), and Geekbench Vulkan (12551). Its average of 9458 is pulled down by the much lower Metal score. This means the GTX 760's OpenCL victory is a strong data point, but its overall performance profile is less consistent than the GTX 950A's. When examining the nearest rivals, the GTX 950A's OpenCL score of 10273 is only 0.9% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6500M (10362) and 2% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 M375 (10070). The GTX 760's OpenCL score of 11299 places it 0.2% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN BLACK (9474 average) and 1.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 M380 (9313). These rival comparisons show that both cards are competitive within their respective performance tiers, though the GTX 760's OpenCL result is its strongest showing.

Where Each One Wins

The data supports distinct use-case advantages for each card, driven by their architectural and specification differences.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 wins on raw compute and memory throughput. The 9.1% lead in the OpenCL benchmark is the clearest evidence of its superior compute capacity. This is backed by its much larger shader count (1152 vs 640), higher texture rate (99.07 GTexel/s vs 44.96 GTexel/s), and significantly higher pixel rate (24.77 GPixel/s vs 17.98 GPixel/s). The GDDR5 memory with a 256-bit bus provides a massive bandwidth advantage (192.3 GB/s vs 32.03 GB/s), which is critical for high-resolution textures and data-heavy workloads. This card is the pick for a desktop system where performance is the sole priority, and the user has a suitable PSU (450 W suggested) and power connector configuration (2x 6-pin). Its higher FP32 throughput of 2.378 TFLOPS, versus 1,438.7 GFLOPS for the 950A, makes it the better choice for general-purpose GPU compute tasks.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A wins on efficiency, integration, and average consistency. Its 75 W TDP, a fraction of the GTX 760's 170 W, makes it suitable for portable devices or compact systems where power delivery and thermal dissipation are limited. The MXM Module form factor and the absence of power connectors reinforce this design intent. Despite its lower raw specs, the GTX 950A achieves a higher average benchmark score (10273 vs 9458), indicating it may deliver a more stable performance across a wider range of applications, even if its peak performance is lower. Its higher boost clock (1124 MHz vs 1032 MHz) and newer Maxwell architecture contribute to this efficiency. Furthermore, the GTX 950A supports Vulkan 1.4, a more recent API version than the GTX 760's 1.2.175, which could offer better forward-compatibility in modern titles that leverage the newer specification. For a user building a low-power, small-form-factor system or a laptop, the GTX 950A is the only viable option between the two. Its higher percentile rank (48th vs 46th) also suggests it is a slightly better performer relative to the entire GPU landscape, reinforcing the idea that it is the more balanced card.