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

✅3.2% more average FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
65.3% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 29.3 vs 48.3 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌40.2% higher power demand at 150W vs 107W.

Radeon RX 6500 XT

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $130 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 64.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 48.3 vs 29.3 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 107W instead of 150W, a 43W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 970 across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data.

GeForce GTX 970

2014

Radeon RX 6500 XT

2022

Why buy it

✅3.2% more average FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Why buy it

✅Costs $130 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 64.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 48.3 vs 29.3 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 107W instead of 150W, a 43W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
65.3% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 29.3 vs 48.3 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌40.2% higher power demand at 150W vs 107W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 970 across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 970 better than Radeon RX 6500 XT?

Yes. GeForce GTX 970 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce GTX 970 averages 3.2% more FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 9,640 vs 9,603 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 970 is a 2014 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon RX 6500 XT is a 2022 model from an older generation with FSR 3 + AFMF. 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?

Radeon RX 6500 XT is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2014, better upscaling support with FSR 3 (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 6nm process instead of 28nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

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

GeForce GTX 970 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 970 is about 65.3% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and you are getting 3.2% more estimated average FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data and 0.4% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 6500 XT really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Radeon RX 6500 XT make more sense than GeForce GTX 970?

Yes. Radeon RX 6500 XT 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 newer architecture, lower power draw (107W vs 150W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $199 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 970. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 970 currently gives you 0.4% higher G3D Mark and 3.2% more estimated average FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data. Radeon RX 6500 XT 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

Radeon RX 6500 XT Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 6500 XT
1080p
low	81 FPS	107 FPS
medium	69 FPS	94 FPS
high	58 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	67 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	95 FPS
medium	62 FPS	80 FPS
high	46 FPS	67 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	56 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	47 FPS
medium	24 FPS	44 FPS
high	17 FPS	33 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	29 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open Radeon RX 6500 XT

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 6500 XT
1080p
low	185 FPS	184 FPS
medium	152 FPS	143 FPS
high	122 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	69 FPS
1440p
low	132 FPS	119 FPS
medium	102 FPS	92 FPS
high	81 FPS	69 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	48 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	58 FPS
medium	50 FPS	45 FPS
high	46 FPS	37 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	25 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open Radeon RX 6500 XT

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 6500 XT
1080p
low	405 FPS	359 FPS
medium	347 FPS	315 FPS
high	289 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	217 FPS	189 FPS
1440p
low	325 FPS	291 FPS
medium	260 FPS	257 FPS
high	217 FPS	196 FPS
ultra	163 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	210 FPS	166 FPS
medium	174 FPS	145 FPS
high	129 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	70 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open Radeon RX 6500 XT

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 6500 XT
1080p
low	179 FPS	325 FPS
medium	138 FPS	251 FPS
high	120 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	138 FPS	231 FPS
medium	107 FPS	173 FPS
high	94 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	118 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	115 FPS
medium	59 FPS	87 FPS
high	46 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	59 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open Radeon RX 6500 XT

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 970 and Radeon RX 6500 XT

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.

Radeon RX 6500 XT

The Radeon RX 6500 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 19 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2610 MHz to 2815 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 107W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,603 points. Launch price was $199.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 and the Radeon RX 6500 XT reaches 9,603 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 970 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon RX 6500 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 1,024 (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Raw compute: 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970) vs 5.765 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 2815 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 6500 XT
G3D Mark Score	9,640	9,603
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	RDNA 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	6 nm
Shading Units	1664+63%	1024
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.92 TFLOPS	5.765 TFLOPS+47%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	2815 MHz+139%
ROPs	56+75%	32
TMUs	104+63%	64
L1 Cache	624 KB+144%	256 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 6500 XT is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce GTX 970 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce GTX 970 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 6500 XT relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 6500 XT
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR 3
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 4 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970) vs 144 GB/s (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — a 55.6% advantage for the GeForce GTX 970. Bus width: 256-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 970) vs 1 MB (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — the GeForce GTX 970 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 6500 XT
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s+56%	144 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+300%	64-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 6500 XT
DirectX	12 (FL 12_1)	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4+100%	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2nd gen (GeForce GTX 970) vs None (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs VCN 3.0 (Limited). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs MPEG-2,H.264 (Decode),HEVC (Decode) (Radeon RX 6500 XT).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 6500 XT
Encoder	NVENC 2nd gen	None
Decoder	PureVideo VP6	VCN 3.0 (Limited)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264 (Decode),HEVC (Decode)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the Radeon RX 6500 XT's 107W — a 33.5% difference. The Radeon RX 6500 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 400W (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 172mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 70°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 6500 XT
TDP	150W	107W-29%
Recommended PSU	500W	400W-20%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	267mm	172mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	70°C-13%
Perf/Watt	64.3	89.7+40%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 970 launched at $329 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 6500 XT launched at $199. The Radeon RX 6500 XT costs 39.5% less ($130 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 29.3 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 48.3 (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — the Radeon RX 6500 XT offers 64.8% better value. The Radeon RX 6500 XT is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2014).