GeForce GTX 970 vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT

CPU

GPU

GeForce GTX 970

2014Core: 1050 MHzBoost: 1178 MHz

Popular choices:

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Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT

2020Boost: 2100 MHz

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - GPU

GeForce GTX 970

4 GB 150

9,640

+0.9%

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

Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT

Shared System RAM 15

9,558

0.0%

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).
✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs Unknown).

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌900% higher power demand at 150W vs 15W.

Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 150W, a 135W reduction.
✅More future proof: Vega (2017−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2020-era hardware with Unknown 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

Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT

2020

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 29.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs Unknown).

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 150W, a 135W reduction.
✅More future proof: Vega (2017−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌900% higher power demand at 150W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2020-era hardware with Unknown 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 970 better than Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 9,640 vs 9,558 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 970 is the overall package: you are getting no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

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

GeForce GTX 970 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more VRAM at 4 GB instead of Unknown and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. 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 970 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $329 MSRP. GeForce GTX 970 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce GTX 970 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $329 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 0.9% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT is the newer 2020 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture and lower power draw (15W vs 150W) than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT make more sense than GeForce GTX 970?

Yes. Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still fine for 1080p, but 1440p and especially 4K require more compromise. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (15W vs 150W), and staying closer to an unclear MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 970. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 970 currently gives you 0.9% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%.

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 Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
1080p
low	81 FPS	105 FPS
medium	69 FPS	91 FPS
high	58 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	44 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	92 FPS
medium	62 FPS	79 FPS
high	46 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	34 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	30 FPS
medium	24 FPS	28 FPS
high	17 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	17 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
1080p
low	185 FPS	121 FPS
medium	152 FPS	85 FPS
high	122 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	39 FPS
1440p
low	132 FPS	80 FPS
medium	102 FPS	48 FPS
high	81 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	26 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	38 FPS
medium	50 FPS	25 FPS
high	46 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
1080p
low	405 FPS	338 FPS
medium	347 FPS	294 FPS
high	289 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	217 FPS	187 FPS
1440p
low	325 FPS	249 FPS
medium	260 FPS	224 FPS
high	217 FPS	180 FPS
ultra	163 FPS	141 FPS
4K
low	210 FPS	153 FPS
medium	174 FPS	134 FPS
high	129 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	64 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
1080p
low	179 FPS	163 FPS
medium	138 FPS	130 FPS
high	120 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	92 FPS
1440p
low	138 FPS	116 FPS
medium	107 FPS	95 FPS
high	94 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	65 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	68 FPS
medium	59 FPS	54 FPS
high	46 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	33 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 970 and Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT

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 Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT

The Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2020. It features the Vega architecture. The boost clock speed is 2100 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,558 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 and the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT reaches 9,558 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 970 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT uses Vega, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 512 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 2100 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
G3D Mark Score	9,640	9,558
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Vega
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	1664+225%	512
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	2100 MHz+78%

✨

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 Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 970 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT has 0 MB. The GeForce GTX 970 offers 100+% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs System.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	System
Bus Width	256-bit	System

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
DirectX	12 (FL 12_1)	12.1
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2nd gen (GeForce GTX 970) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
Encoder	NVENC 2nd gen	VCN 2.0
Decoder	PureVideo VP6	VCN 2.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT's 15W — a 163.6% difference. The Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 1W (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Integrated. Card length: 267mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
TDP	150W	15W-90%
Recommended PSU	500W	1W-100%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	Integrated
Length	267mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80°C	—
Perf/Watt	64.3	637.2+891%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 970 launched at $329 MSRP, while the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT launched at $0. The Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT costs 100+% less ($329 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 29.3 (GeForce GTX 970) vs Infinity (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT) — the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT offers Infinity% better value. The Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2014).