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

✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 150W instead of 200W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 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 50.9 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅130.4% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 73.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 29.3 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌33.3% higher power demand at 200W vs 150W.

GeForce GTX 970

2014

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 150W instead of 200W, a 50W reduction.

Why buy it

✅130.4% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 73.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 29.3 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 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 50.9 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌33.3% higher power demand at 200W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

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

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti averages 130.4% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 20,312 vs 9,640 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is a 2020 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 Ti is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2014, 110.7% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 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 Ti is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is about 21.3% more expensive on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and you are getting 130.4% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 110.7% 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 Ti Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	81 FPS	152 FPS
medium	69 FPS	137 FPS
high	58 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	131 FPS
medium	62 FPS	107 FPS
high	46 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	77 FPS
medium	24 FPS	65 FPS
high	17 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	43 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	185 FPS	425 FPS
medium	152 FPS	366 FPS
high	122 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	248 FPS
1440p
low	132 FPS	272 FPS
medium	102 FPS	229 FPS
high	81 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	133 FPS
medium	50 FPS	114 FPS
high	46 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	73 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	405 FPS	859 FPS
medium	347 FPS	693 FPS
high	289 FPS	602 FPS
ultra	217 FPS	457 FPS
1440p
low	325 FPS	658 FPS
medium	260 FPS	529 FPS
high	217 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	163 FPS	343 FPS
4K
low	210 FPS	434 FPS
medium	174 FPS	346 FPS
high	129 FPS	275 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	221 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	179 FPS	580 FPS
medium	138 FPS	514 FPS
high	120 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	138 FPS	478 FPS
medium	107 FPS	427 FPS
high	94 FPS	335 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	290 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	285 FPS
medium	59 FPS	266 FPS
high	46 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	195 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 110.7%. The GeForce GTX 970 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score	9,640	20,312+111%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1664	4864+192%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.92 TFLOPS	16.2 TFLOPS+313%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	1665 MHz+41%
ROPs	56	80+43%
TMUs	104	152+46%
L1 Cache	0.61 MB	4.8 MB+687%
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
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 Ti has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — a 100% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 970) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	448 GB/s+100%
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). 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 Ti
DirectX	12 (FL 12_1)	12 Ultimate (12_2)
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 (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder	NVENC 2nd gen	NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder	PureVideo VP6	NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 28.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 970 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). 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 Ti
TDP	150W-25%	200W
Recommended PSU	500W-17%	600W
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	101.6+58%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 970 launched at $329 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399. The GeForce GTX 970 costs 17.5% less ($70 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 29.3 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 73.7% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2014).