NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear overall winner in the direct comparison: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 takes both benchmark tests, with a 2-0 win count. The two cards were tested under Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan, and in both cases the GTX 760 posted the higher score.

The largest margin appears in the Geekbench Vulkan test. The GTX 760 scored 12551, while the GTX 950M scored 6525. That is a delta of 92.4% in favor of the GTX 760. In practical terms, this means the desktop card delivers nearly double the Vulkan compute performance of the mobile part. This is a substantial gap, and it suggests that any workload relying heavily on Vulkan compute will be far more responsive on the GTX 760.

The Geekbench OpenCL result is closer but still favors the GTX 760. The desktop card scored 11299, while the GTX 950M scored 9745, a delta of 15.9%. While the GTX 760 leads, the margin is not overwhelming; the GTX 950M is within a reasonable striking distance in OpenCL workloads. Still, the GTX 760 holds the advantage consistently across both APIs.

Looking at the broader average benchmark score, the GTX 760 records 9458, while the GTX 950M records 8135. That places the GTX 760 in the 46th percentile of all GPUs in the database, versus the 42nd percentile for the GTX 950M. The GTX 760 also sits closer to its nearest rivals in the aggregate. Its closest competitor, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN BLACK, scores 9474, a mere 0.2% difference. The AMD Radeon R7 M380 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M follow at 9313 and 9302 respectively, with the GTX 760 ahead of both by 1.6% and 1.7%. The GTX 465 trails at 9294, a 1.8% gap.

For the GTX 950M, the nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980, which scores 8167, just 0.4% higher than the mobile card. The AMD Radeon R9 M360 scores 8129, a 0.1% gap, and the NVIDIA GeForce 945M scores 8099, a 0.4% gap. The NVIDIA GRID K2 rounds out the group at 8080, a 0.7% gap. This clustering shows the GTX 950M sits near the middle of a tight performance band, while the GTX 760 sits in a slightly higher tier.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the Geekbench Vulkan test and by how much?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 wins with a score of 12551, compared to 6525 for the GTX 950M, a delta of 92.4%.

Q: Is the GTX 950M competitive in OpenCL performance?

A: It is closer but still behind. The GTX 950M scores 9745 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the GTX 760 scores 11299, a 15.9% difference. The GTX 950M does not win either test.

Q: How do the two cards compare in overall average benchmark score?

A: The GTX 760 records an average benchmark score of 9458, while the GTX 950M records 8135. The GTX 760 also holds a higher percentile rank at 46, versus 42 for the GTX 950M.

Q: What is the closest rival to the GTX 760 based on average score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN BLACK is the closest, with an average score of 9474, a delta of only 0.2% from the GTX 760.

Q: What is the closest rival to the GTX 950M based on average score?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M360 is the closest, with an average score of 8129, a delta of 0.1% from the GTX 950M.

Q: Does the GTX 950M have any benchmark where it leads the GTX 760?

A: No. In the head-to-head benchmarks recorded, the GTX 760 wins both the OpenCL and Vulkan tests. The win count is 2 for the GTX 760 and 0 for the GTX 950M.

Where Each One Wins

The data points to a straightforward split: the GTX 760 wins in raw compute performance across both recorded APIs, while the GTX 950M offers advantages in form factor and power characteristics that matter for portable systems.

The GTX 760 is the clear pick for desktop workloads where performance is the priority. Its Vulkan score of 12551 versus 6525 shows a dominant lead in that API, and its OpenCL score of 11299 versus 9745 confirms the advantage is not limited to a single compute framework. The GTX 760 also holds a better position in the overall database, with a 46th percentile rank and an average score of 9458. For users running compute-heavy tasks through Vulkan or OpenCL, the GTX 760 is the stronger choice.

The GTX 950M wins in the context of integration. It is an IGP-class part with no power connectors, a 75 W TDP, and a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface. This makes it suitable for portable devices where the GTX 760's dual-slot design, 170 W TDP, and 2x 6-pin connectors would not be feasible. The GTX 950M also doubles the memory capacity to 4 GB, though the memory type is DDR3 and the bus width is narrower at 128 bit, resulting in a much lower bandwidth of 28.80 GB/s versus 192.3 GB/s for the GTX 760.

For users who need a discrete desktop card with strong compute performance, the GTX 760 is the answer. For users who need a mobile solution that fits within a laptop chassis and draws less power, the GTX 950M is the only viable option between the two, even if its benchmark scores are lower.

Specification Differences

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

The GTX 760 uses the GK104 chip, while the GTX 950M uses the GM107 chip. The GTX 760 has 1152 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The GTX 950M has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. These differences directly explain the compute performance gap.

Clock speeds show the GTX 950M running slightly higher: a base clock of 993 MHz and boost of 1124 MHz, versus 980 MHz and 1032 MHz for the GTX 760. However, the GTX 760's larger shader count more than compensates.

Memory configurations diverge sharply. The GTX 760 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 192.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 950M has 4 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus, yielding only 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock also differs: the GTX 760 runs at 1502 MHz with 6 Gbps effective, while the GTX 950M runs at 900 MHz with 1800 Mbps effective.

Power and physical specifications are opposites. The GTX 760 has a 170 W TDP, a dual-slot design, and 2x 6-pin power connectors, with a suggested PSU of 450 W. The GTX 950M has a 75 W TDP, an IGP form factor, and no power connectors. The GTX 760 uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, while the GTX 950M uses PCIe 3.0 x8.

The GTX 760 has dedicated display outputs: 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2. The GTX 950M's display outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent," meaning it relies on the host laptop for connectivity. The GTX 760 measures 241 mm in length, while the GTX 950M has no recorded dimensions.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is significant. The GTX 760 is built on the Kepler architecture, using the GK104 chip, while the GTX 950M uses the Maxwell architecture with the GM107 chip. Both are manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC, so the process node is identical, but the chip designs differ substantially.

The GTX 760 has 3,540 million transistors on a die size of 294 mm², for a transistor density of 12.0M per mm². The GTX 950M has 1,870 million transistors on a die size of 148 mm², for a slightly higher density of 12.6M per mm². The GTX 950M is a smaller, more efficient chip, which aligns with its lower TDP of 75 W versus 170 W for the GTX 760.

The GTX 760 belongs to the GeForce 700 generation, with a release date of June 2013. The GTX 950M belongs to the GeForce 900M generation, with a release date of March 2015. The GTX 760's predecessor is the GeForce 600 series and its successor is the GeForce 900 series. The GTX 950M's predecessor is the GeForce 800M series and its successor is the GeForce 10 Mobile series.

Both cards support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The Vulkan support differs: the GTX 760 supports Vulkan 1.2.175, while the GTX 950M supports Vulkan 1.4. Neither card has ray tracing cores or tensor cores.

The GTX 760 offers higher pixel and texture rates: 24.77 GPixel/s and 99.07 GTexel/s, respectively. The GTX 950M offers 17.98 GPixel/s and 44.96 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute is 2.378 TFLOPS for the GTX 760 versus 1,438.7 GFLOPS for the GTX 950M.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 outperforms the GTX 950M in every recorded compute test. The Vulkan margin of 92.4% is decisive, and the OpenCL margin of 15.9% confirms the pattern. The GTX 760 also holds a higher average benchmark score (9458 versus 8135) and a higher percentile rank (46 versus 42). For any user prioritizing raw compute performance, the GTX 760 is the correct choice.

The GTX 950M does have a role, but it is defined by constraints rather than performance. Its 75 W TDP, IGP form factor, and lack of power connectors make it the only sensible option for a laptop environment. The 4 GB memory capacity is double the GTX 760's 2 GB, but the DDR3 memory and 128-bit bus severely limit bandwidth, so this capacity advantage does not translate into a performance win. The GTX 950M's closest rivals in the database, such as the AMD Radeon R9 M360 and NVIDIA GeForce 945M, all sit within 1% of its average score, indicating it is a mid-pack mobile part.

The GTX 760, by contrast, sits just 0.2% below the GeForce GTX TITAN BLACK in average score, showing it punches well above its nominal tier. Its 2-0 head-to-head record and 92.4% Vulkan lead make it the dominant card in this comparison. Choose the GTX 760 for desktop compute workloads. Choose the GTX 950M only when a mobile form factor and lower power draw are non-negotiable.