G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 480

2010

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 3 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
43% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.2 vs 11.3 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 570

2010

Why buy it

✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 37.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.3 vs 8.2 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅66.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

GeForce GTX 480

2010

GeForce GTX 570

2010

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 37.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.3 vs 8.2 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅66.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 3 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
43% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.2 vs 11.3 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 480 better than GeForce GTX 570?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 4,075 vs 3,930 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 480 is the overall package: you are getting no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 480 is the safer long-term GPU choice because it gives you the stronger overall hardware and feature outlook for modern games.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce GTX 480 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 480 is about 43.0% more expensive on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $349 MSRP, and you are getting 3.7% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 570 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is GeForce GTX 570 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 570 is 2010 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM, 3,930 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 480 Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 570 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 570
1080p
low	80 FPS	80 FPS
medium	65 FPS	65 FPS
high	52 FPS	51 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	33 FPS
1440p
low	67 FPS	67 FPS
medium	55 FPS	55 FPS
high	39 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	25 FPS	25 FPS
4K
low	24 FPS	24 FPS
medium	23 FPS	22 FPS
high	15 FPS	14 FPS
ultra	13 FPS	13 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 480 Open GeForce GTX 570

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 570
1080p
low	129 FPS	88 FPS
medium	93 FPS	64 FPS
high	72 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	39 FPS
1440p
low	86 FPS	53 FPS
medium	56 FPS	36 FPS
high	40 FPS	25 FPS
ultra	31 FPS	19 FPS
4K
low	38 FPS	24 FPS
medium	26 FPS	16 FPS
high	23 FPS	12 FPS
ultra	18 FPS	9 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 480 Open GeForce GTX 570

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 570
1080p
low	183 FPS	177 FPS
medium	147 FPS	141 FPS
high	122 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	138 FPS	133 FPS
medium	110 FPS	106 FPS
high	92 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	66 FPS
4K
low	92 FPS	88 FPS
medium	73 FPS	71 FPS
high	61 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	44 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 480 Open GeForce GTX 570

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 570
1080p
low	121 FPS	157 FPS
medium	96 FPS	116 FPS
high	86 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	84 FPS
1440p
low	93 FPS	118 FPS
medium	74 FPS	89 FPS
high	69 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	60 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	70 FPS
medium	48 FPS	50 FPS
high	39 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	28 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 480 Open GeForce GTX 570

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 480 and GeForce GTX 570

GeForce GTX 480

The GeForce GTX 480 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 26 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 700 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,075 points. Launch price was $499.

GeForce GTX 570

The GeForce GTX 570 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 7 2010. It features the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 732 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 219W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,930 points. Launch price was $349.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 480 scores 4,075 and the GeForce GTX 570 reaches 3,930 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 480 is built on Fermi while the GeForce GTX 570 uses Fermi 2.0, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 480 (GeForce GTX 480) vs 480 (GeForce GTX 570). Raw compute: 1.345 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 480) vs 1.405 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 570).

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 570
G3D Mark Score	4,075+4%	3,930
Architecture	Fermi	Fermi 2.0
Process Node	40 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	480	480
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.345 TFLOPS	1.405 TFLOPS+4%
ROPs	48+20%	40
TMUs	60	60
L1 Cache	960 KB	960 KB
L2 Cache	768 KB+20%	640 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 570
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 480 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 570 has 3 GB. The GeForce GTX 570 offers 66.7% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 177.4 GB/s (GeForce GTX 480) vs 152 GB/s (GeForce GTX 570) — a 16.7% advantage for the GeForce GTX 480. Bus width: 384-bit vs 320-bit. L2 Cache: 768 KB (GeForce GTX 480) vs 640 KB (GeForce GTX 570) — the GeForce GTX 480 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 570
VRAM Capacity	1.5 GB	2.5 GB+67%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	177.4 GB/s+17%	152 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+20%	320-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+20%	640 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 480) vs 11_0 (GeForce GTX 570). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 570
DirectX	12 (11_0)+9%	11_0
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP4 (GeForce GTX 480) vs PureVideo HD (GeForce GTX 570). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs PureVideo HD.

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 570
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP4	PureVideo HD
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	PureVideo HD
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 480 draws 250W versus the GeForce GTX 570's 219W — a 13.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 570 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 480) vs 550W (GeForce GTX 570). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 570
TDP	250W	219W-12%
Recommended PSU	600W	550W-8%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	2x 6-pin
Length	267mm	267mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	90°C	—
Perf/Watt	16.3	17.9+10%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 480 launched at $499 MSRP, while the GeForce GTX 570 launched at $349. The GeForce GTX 570 costs 30.1% less ($150 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 8.2 (GeForce GTX 480) vs 11.3 (GeForce GTX 570) — the GeForce GTX 570 offers 37.8% better value.