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

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 29.3 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅99.4% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 76.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 29.3 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

GeForce GTX 970

2014

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅99.4% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 76.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 29.3 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 29.3 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than GeForce GTX 970?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 averages 99.4% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 9,640 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, 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?

GeForce RTX 3060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2014, 76.3% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 4 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

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

GeForce RTX 3060 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 is in basically the same MSRP band at $329 MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and you are getting 99.4% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 76.3% 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.

GeForce GTX 970 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	81 FPS	149 FPS
medium	69 FPS	131 FPS
high	58 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	126 FPS
medium	62 FPS	104 FPS
high	46 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	67 FPS
medium	24 FPS	58 FPS
high	17 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	185 FPS	354 FPS
medium	152 FPS	310 FPS
high	122 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	132 FPS	222 FPS
medium	102 FPS	196 FPS
high	81 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	110 FPS
medium	50 FPS	94 FPS
high	46 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	60 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	405 FPS	765 FPS
medium	347 FPS	612 FPS
high	289 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	217 FPS	382 FPS
1440p
low	325 FPS	535 FPS
medium	260 FPS	432 FPS
high	217 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	163 FPS	287 FPS
4K
low	210 FPS	367 FPS
medium	174 FPS	298 FPS
high	129 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	176 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce RTX 3060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	179 FPS	523 FPS
medium	138 FPS	452 FPS
high	120 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	138 FPS	428 FPS
medium	107 FPS	371 FPS
high	94 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	279 FPS
medium	59 FPS	259 FPS
high	46 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 970 and GeForce RTX 3060

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 RTX 3060

The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 76.3%. The GeForce GTX 970 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	9,640	16,995+76%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1664	3584+115%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.92 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+225%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	1777 MHz+51%
ROPs	56+17%	48
TMUs	104	112+8%
L1 Cache	0.61 MB	3.5 MB+474%
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 970 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
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 RTX 3060 has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 60.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 256-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 970) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	12 GB+200%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	360 GB/s+61%
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	12 (FL 12_1)	12 Ultimate
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 NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	NVENC 2nd gen	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	PureVideo VP6	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 12.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 970 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	150W-12%	170W
Recommended PSU	500W-9%	550W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	75-6%
Perf/Watt	64.3	100.0+56%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 970 launched at $329 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 29.3 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 76.5% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2014).