Page Index

GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE vs GRID P40-3Q

CPUCPUGPUGPU
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE

2014Core: 924 MHzBoost: 1038 MHz

Popular choices:

•••••••••
VS

GRID P40-3Q

2013Core: 745 MHz

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - GPU

GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE
4 GB 81
6,707
+2.1%
brand logoGeForce MX450
brand logoGeForce MX550
brand logoGeForce GTX 560 Ti 448
brand logoGeForce GTX 770
brand logoGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
brand logoGeForce GTX 1070 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 2080
brand logoGeForce RTX 4060 Ti
GRID P40-3Q
4 GB 225
6,570
0.0%
brand logoGeForce GTX 765M SLI
brand logoGeForce GTX 880M SLI
brand logoGeForce GTX 1050 3GB
brand logoGeForce GTX 1050 Ti (móvel)
brand logoGeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)
brand logoGeForce GTX 1070 Ti
brand logoGeForce GTX 1080 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB

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 970XM FORCE

2014

Why buy it

  • ✅Draws 81W instead of 225W, a 144W reduction.
  • ✅More future proof: Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm 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.
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 1.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $5,699 MSRP).

GRID P40-3Q

2013

Why buy it

  • ✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 1.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($5,699 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • ❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
  • ❌177.8% higher power demand at 225W vs 81W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE better than GRID P40-3Q?
Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 6,707 vs 6,570 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack, plus much lower power draw (81W vs 225W).
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2014 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the safer long-run choice for modern games.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $5,699 MSRP, and you are getting 2.1% higher G3D Mark. GRID P40-3Q really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.
Is GRID P40-3Q still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
No, not for a fresh gaming build. GRID P40-3Q is 2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 6,570 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 970XM FORCEGRID P40-3Q
1080p
low100 FPS103 FPS
medium85 FPS89 FPS
high68 FPS70 FPS
ultra41 FPS42 FPS
1440p
low87 FPS90 FPS
medium75 FPS79 FPS
high54 FPS56 FPS
ultra31 FPS32 FPS
4K
low28 FPS29 FPS
medium26 FPS27 FPS
high17 FPS18 FPS
ultra15 FPS16 FPS
Open GeForce GTX 970XM FORCEOpen GRID P40-3Q
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 970XM FORCEGRID P40-3Q
1080p
low156 FPS111 FPS
medium127 FPS78 FPS
high102 FPS57 FPS
ultra70 FPS39 FPS
1440p
low108 FPS72 FPS
medium82 FPS49 FPS
high65 FPS37 FPS
ultra44 FPS27 FPS
4K
low47 FPS36 FPS
medium38 FPS25 FPS
high35 FPS20 FPS
ultra25 FPS14 FPS
Open GeForce GTX 970XM FORCEOpen GRID P40-3Q
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 970XM FORCEGRID P40-3Q
1080p
low302 FPS296 FPS
medium241 FPS237 FPS
high201 FPS197 FPS
ultra151 FPS148 FPS
1440p
low226 FPS222 FPS
medium181 FPS177 FPS
high151 FPS148 FPS
ultra113 FPS111 FPS
4K
low151 FPS148 FPS
medium121 FPS118 FPS
high89 FPS99 FPS
ultra58 FPS74 FPS
Open GeForce GTX 970XM FORCEOpen GRID P40-3Q
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 970XM FORCEGRID P40-3Q
1080p
low135 FPS166 FPS
medium110 FPS133 FPS
high95 FPS117 FPS
ultra79 FPS90 FPS
1440p
low98 FPS121 FPS
medium81 FPS99 FPS
high70 FPS87 FPS
ultra57 FPS62 FPS
4K
low59 FPS70 FPS
medium45 FPS54 FPS
high35 FPS44 FPS
ultra26 FPS29 FPS
Open GeForce GTX 970XM FORCEOpen GRID P40-3Q
Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE and GRID P40-3Q

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE

The GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 7 2014. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 924 MHz to 1038 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 81W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,707 points. Launch price was $2,560.89.

NVIDIA

GRID P40-3Q

The GRID P40-3Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 28 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 745 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,570 points. Launch price was $469.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE scores 6,707 and the GRID P40-3Q reaches 6,570 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GRID P40-3Q uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE) vs 1,536 (GRID P40-3Q). Raw compute: 2.657 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE) vs 2.289 TFLOPS (GRID P40-3Q).

FeatureGeForce GTX 970XM FORCEGRID P40-3Q
G3D Mark Score
6,707+2%
6,570
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
Kepler
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1280
1536+20%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.657 TFLOPS+16%
2.289 TFLOPS
ROPs
48+50%
32
TMUs
80
128+60%
L1 Cache
480 KB+275%
128 KB
L2 Cache
1.5 MB+200%
0.5 MB
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The GRID P40-3Q relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970XM FORCEGRID P40-3Q
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 4 GB of video memory. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE) vs 0.5 MB (GRID P40-3Q) — the GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970XM FORCEGRID P40-3Q
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Bus Width
192-bit+50%
128-bit
L2 Cache
1.5 MB+200%
0.5 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE) vs 12 (11_0) (GRID P40-3Q). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970XM FORCEGRID P40-3Q
DirectX
12 (12_1)
12 (11_0)
Vulkan
1.4+8%
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 5th Gen NVENC (Maxwell) (GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE) vs Tesla NVENC x24 (GRID P40-3Q). Decoder: 1st Gen NVDEC vs Tesla NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE) vs H.264,HEVC (GRID P40-3Q).

FeatureGeForce GTX 970XM FORCEGRID P40-3Q
Encoder
5th Gen NVENC (Maxwell)
Tesla NVENC x24
Decoder
1st Gen NVDEC
Tesla NVDEC
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE draws 81W versus the GRID P40-3Q's 225W — a 94.1% difference. The GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE) vs 350W (GRID P40-3Q). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970XM FORCEGRID P40-3Q
TDP
81W-64%
225W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
267mm
267mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C-12%
85°C
Perf/Watt
82.8+184%
29.2
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GTX 970XM FORCEGRID P40-3Q
MSRP
—
$5699
Codename
GM204
GK104
Release
October 7 2014
June 28 2013
Ranking
#408
#628