Arc A730M vs GeForce GTX 970

CPU

GPU

Arc A730M

2022Core: 1100 MHzBoost: 2050 MHz

Popular choices:

•••••••••

GeForce GTX 970

2014Core: 1050 MHzBoost: 1178 MHz

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Arc A730M

12 GB 80

9,808

+1.7%

9,640

0.0%

GeForce GTX 670

GeForce GTX 1050 Ti

GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)

GeForce GTX Titan

GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design

TITAN V CEO Edition

RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation

GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

About G3D Mark

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.

Arc A730M

2022

Why buy it

✅86.9% more average FPS across 32 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Generation 12.7 (2022−2023) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 80W instead of 150W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 29.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 970

2014

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 29.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Arc A730M across 32 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌87.5% higher power demand at 150W vs 80W.

Arc A730M

2022

GeForce GTX 970

2014

Why buy it

✅86.9% more average FPS across 32 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Generation 12.7 (2022−2023) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 80W instead of 150W, a 70W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 29.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 29.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Arc A730M across 32 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌87.5% higher power demand at 150W vs 80W.

Quick Answers

So, is Arc A730M better than GeForce GTX 970?

Yes. Arc A730M is clearly the better overall GPU here. Arc A730M averages 86.9% more FPS across 32 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 9,808 vs 9,640 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Arc A730M is a 2022 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while GeForce GTX 970 is a 2014 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

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

Arc A730M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2014, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 4 GB, 100.0% more ray-tracing hardware, and a 6nm process instead of 28nm. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

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

Arc A730M is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Arc A730M is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and you are getting 86.9% more estimated average FPS across 32 tracked games in our benchmark data and 1.7% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 970 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is GeForce GTX 970 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 970 is 2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 9,640 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.

Arc A730M Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 970 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Arc A730M	GeForce GTX 970
1080p
low	191 FPS	81 FPS
medium	169 FPS	69 FPS
high	149 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	38 FPS
1440p
low	149 FPS	70 FPS
medium	125 FPS	62 FPS
high	101 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	64 FPS	29 FPS
4K
low	60 FPS	26 FPS
medium	51 FPS	24 FPS
high	39 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	14 FPS

Open Arc A730M Open GeForce GTX 970

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Arc A730M	GeForce GTX 970
1080p
low	310 FPS	185 FPS
medium	271 FPS	152 FPS
high	222 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	92 FPS
1440p
low	207 FPS	132 FPS
medium	180 FPS	102 FPS
high	146 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	60 FPS
4K
low	106 FPS	63 FPS
medium	87 FPS	50 FPS
high	71 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	54 FPS	37 FPS

Open Arc A730M Open GeForce GTX 970

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Arc A730M	GeForce GTX 970
1080p
low	441 FPS	405 FPS
medium	353 FPS	347 FPS
high	294 FPS	289 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	217 FPS
1440p
low	331 FPS	325 FPS
medium	265 FPS	260 FPS
high	221 FPS	217 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	163 FPS
4K
low	221 FPS	210 FPS
medium	177 FPS	174 FPS
high	147 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	95 FPS

Open Arc A730M Open GeForce GTX 970

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Arc A730M	GeForce GTX 970
1080p
low	299 FPS	179 FPS
medium	256 FPS	138 FPS
high	212 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	183 FPS	103 FPS
1440p
low	237 FPS	138 FPS
medium	207 FPS	107 FPS
high	173 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	146 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	140 FPS	80 FPS
medium	117 FPS	59 FPS
high	93 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	36 FPS

Open Arc A730M Open GeForce GTX 970

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Arc A730M and GeForce GTX 970

Arc A730M

The Arc A730M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2022. It features the Generation 12.7 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1100 MHz to 2050 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 80W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 24 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,808 points.

GeForce GTX 970

The GeForce GTX 970 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 19 2014. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1050 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 1664 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,640 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Arc A730M scores 9,808 and the GeForce GTX 970 reaches 9,640 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Arc A730M is built on Generation 12.7 while the GeForce GTX 970 uses Maxwell 2.0, both on 6 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (Arc A730M) vs 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970). Raw compute: 12.6 TFLOPS (Arc A730M) vs 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970). Boost clocks: 2050 MHz vs 1178 MHz.

Feature	Arc A730M	GeForce GTX 970
G3D Mark Score	9,808+2%	9,640
Architecture	Generation 12.7	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	6 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	3072+85%	1664
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.6 TFLOPS+221%	3.92 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	2050 MHz+74%	1178 MHz
ROPs	96+71%	56
TMUs	192+85%	104
L1 Cache	4.5 MB+638%	0.61 MB
L2 Cache	12 MB+500%	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 970 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Arc A730M relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	Arc A730M	GeForce GTX 970
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Arc A730M comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 970 has 4 GB. The Arc A730M offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (Arc A730M) vs 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970) — a 50% advantage for the Arc A730M. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 12 MB (Arc A730M) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 970) — the Arc A730M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Arc A730M	GeForce GTX 970
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+200%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s+50%	224 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	12 MB+500%	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (Arc A730M) vs 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	Arc A730M	GeForce GTX 970
DirectX	12.2+2%	12 (FL 12_1)
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: Xe Media Engine (Arc A730M) vs NVENC 2nd gen (GeForce GTX 970). Decoder: Xe Media Engine vs PureVideo VP6. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (Arc A730M) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970).

Feature	Arc A730M	GeForce GTX 970
Encoder	Xe Media Engine	NVENC 2nd gen
Decoder	Xe Media Engine	PureVideo VP6
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1	H.264,H.265/HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Arc A730M draws 80W versus the GeForce GTX 970's 150W — a 60.9% difference. The Arc A730M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Arc A730M) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 970). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 267mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.

Feature	Arc A730M	GeForce GTX 970
TDP	80W-47%	150W
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	2x 6-pin
Length	0mm	267mm
Height	0mm	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	80°C
Perf/Watt	122.6+91%	64.3