GeForce GTX 970 vs GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 970

2014Core: 1050 MHzBoost: 1178 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)

2020Core: 1350 MHzBoost: 1485 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

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.

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 1660 Ti (Mobile) across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 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.
  • 200% higher power demand at 150W vs 50W.

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)

2020

Why buy it

  • 19.2% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
  • Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 970: it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 970 is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
  • Draws 50W instead of 150W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 6 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 29.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile) better than GeForce GTX 970?
Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile) averages 19.2% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 9,640 vs 10,119 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile) is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack, plus much lower power draw (50W vs 150W).
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile) is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2014, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 4 GB, and a 12nm 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?
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile) is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile) is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and you are getting 19.2% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 5.0% 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)
1080p
low81 FPS90 FPS
medium69 FPS81 FPS
high58 FPS67 FPS
ultra38 FPS55 FPS
1440p
low70 FPS84 FPS
medium62 FPS72 FPS
high46 FPS57 FPS
ultra29 FPS47 FPS
4K
low26 FPS40 FPS
medium24 FPS37 FPS
high17 FPS25 FPS
ultra14 FPS22 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)
1080p
low185 FPS201 FPS
medium152 FPS177 FPS
high122 FPS141 FPS
ultra92 FPS105 FPS
1440p
low132 FPS142 FPS
medium102 FPS119 FPS
high81 FPS96 FPS
ultra60 FPS77 FPS
4K
low63 FPS86 FPS
medium50 FPS73 FPS
high46 FPS58 FPS
ultra37 FPS44 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)
1080p
low405 FPS455 FPS
medium347 FPS364 FPS
high289 FPS286 FPS
ultra217 FPS228 FPS
1440p
low325 FPS341 FPS
medium260 FPS273 FPS
high217 FPS218 FPS
ultra163 FPS171 FPS
4K
low210 FPS222 FPS
medium174 FPS182 FPS
high129 FPS131 FPS
ultra95 FPS88 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)
1080p
low179 FPS388 FPS
medium138 FPS317 FPS
high120 FPS258 FPS
ultra103 FPS218 FPS
1440p
low138 FPS314 FPS
medium107 FPS255 FPS
high94 FPS191 FPS
ultra80 FPS154 FPS
4K
low80 FPS152 FPS
medium59 FPS114 FPS
high46 FPS101 FPS
ultra36 FPS80 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 970 and GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)

The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile) is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 23 2020. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1350 MHz to 1485 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,119 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 versus the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)'s 10,119 — the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile) leads by 5%. The GeForce GTX 970 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile) uses Turing, both on 28 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 1,024 (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)). Raw compute: 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970) vs 3.041 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1485 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)
G3D Mark Score
9,640
10,119+5%
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
Turing
Process Node
28 nm
12 nm
Shading Units
1664+63%
1024
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.92 TFLOPS+29%
3.041 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1178 MHz
1485 MHz+26%
ROPs
56+75%
32
TMUs
104+63%
64
L1 Cache
0.61 MB
1 MB+64%
L2 Cache
2 MB+100%
1 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)
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 1660 Ti (Mobile) has 6 GB. The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile) offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970) vs 288 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)) — a 28.6% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile). Bus width: 256-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 970) vs 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)) — the GeForce GTX 970 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
6 GB+50%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
224 GB/s
288 GB/s+29%
Bus Width
256-bit+33%
192-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB+100%
1 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970) vs 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)
DirectX
12 (FL 12_1)
12 (12_1)
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2nd gen (GeForce GTX 970) vs NVENC 6th Gen (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs NVDEC 4th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)).

FeatureGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)
Encoder
NVENC 2nd gen
NVENC 6th Gen
Decoder
PureVideo VP6
NVDEC 4th Gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
H.264,H.265,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)'s 50W — a 100% difference. The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)
TDP
150W
50W-67%
Recommended PSU
500W
500W
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
267mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
80°C
75-6%
Perf/Watt
64.3
202.4+215%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile) is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Mobile)
MSRP
$329
Codename
GM204
TU116
Release
September 19 2014
April 23 2020
Ranking
#269
#324