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 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 GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 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.
❌30.4% higher power demand at 150W vs 115W.

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

2017

Why buy it

✅32.9% more average FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Draws 115W instead of 150W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 29.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 970

2014

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

2017

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅32.9% more average FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Draws 115W instead of 150W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 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.
❌30.4% higher power demand at 150W vs 115W.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 29.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design better than GeForce GTX 970?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 32.9% more average FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data, 2.1% higher PassMark G3D performance, and 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM. It also comes from 2017 instead of 2014, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

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

GeForce GTX 970 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 1070 with Max-Q Design is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and you are getting 32.9% more estimated average FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data and 2.1% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 970 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does GeForce GTX 970 make more sense than GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design?

Yes. GeForce GTX 970 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is future-proofing and staying closer to $329 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design currently gives you 2.1% higher G3D Mark and 32.9% more estimated average FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data. GeForce GTX 970 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

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 970 Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
1080p
low	81 FPS	108 FPS
medium	69 FPS	91 FPS
high	58 FPS	78 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	52 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	92 FPS
medium	62 FPS	77 FPS
high	46 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	39 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	36 FPS
medium	24 FPS	33 FPS
high	17 FPS	21 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	18 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
1080p
low	185 FPS	189 FPS
medium	152 FPS	160 FPS
high	122 FPS	133 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	102 FPS
1440p
low	132 FPS	124 FPS
medium	102 FPS	99 FPS
high	81 FPS	80 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	62 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	59 FPS
medium	50 FPS	48 FPS
high	46 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	37 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
1080p
low	405 FPS	443 FPS
medium	347 FPS	354 FPS
high	289 FPS	295 FPS
ultra	217 FPS	221 FPS
1440p
low	325 FPS	332 FPS
medium	260 FPS	266 FPS
high	217 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	163 FPS	166 FPS
4K
low	210 FPS	221 FPS
medium	174 FPS	177 FPS
high	129 FPS	148 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	111 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
1080p
low	179 FPS	296 FPS
medium	138 FPS	260 FPS
high	120 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	170 FPS
1440p
low	138 FPS	214 FPS
medium	107 FPS	190 FPS
high	94 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	117 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	121 FPS
medium	59 FPS	100 FPS
high	46 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	63 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 970 and GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

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.

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 27 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1215 MHz to 1379 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,842 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 and the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design reaches 9,842 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 970 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 2,048 (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design). Raw compute: 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970) vs 5.648 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1379 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
G3D Mark Score	9,640	9,842+2%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Pascal
Process Node	28 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	1664	2048+23%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.92 TFLOPS	5.648 TFLOPS+44%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	1379 MHz+17%
ROPs	56	64+14%
TMUs	104	128+23%
L1 Cache	624 KB	768 KB+23%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
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 970 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design has 8 GB. The GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970) vs 256 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) — a 14.3% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	256 GB/s+14%
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970) vs 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
DirectX	12 (FL 12_1)	12.1
Vulkan	1.3+18%	1.1
OpenGL	4.6+2%	4.5
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2nd gen (GeForce GTX 970) vs NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
Encoder	NVENC 2nd gen	NVENC 4.0
Decoder	PureVideo VP6	PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design's 115W — a 26.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
TDP	150W	115W-23%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80°C-6%	85°C
Perf/Watt	64.3	85.6+33%