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 970M

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 81W instead of 200W, a 119W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 242mm, a 241mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 40 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 50.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅185.3% more average FPS across 40 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌146.9% higher power demand at 200W vs 81W.
❌24100% longer card at 242mm vs 1mm.

GeForce GTX 970M

2014

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 81W instead of 200W, a 119W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 242mm, a 241mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅185.3% more average FPS across 40 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 3 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 40 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 50.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌146.9% higher power demand at 200W vs 81W.
❌24100% longer card at 242mm vs 1mm.

Quick Answers

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

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti averages 185.3% more FPS across 40 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 20,312 vs 5,705 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 970M 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, 256.0% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 3 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 today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $399 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 185.3% more estimated average FPS across 40 tracked games in our benchmark data and 256.0% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce GTX 970M still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce GTX 970M is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around an unclear MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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 970M Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970M	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	77 FPS	152 FPS
medium	63 FPS	137 FPS
high	49 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	65 FPS	131 FPS
medium	53 FPS	107 FPS
high	37 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	24 FPS	77 FPS
medium	23 FPS	65 FPS
high	14 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	12 FPS	43 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970M Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970M	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	156 FPS	425 FPS
medium	127 FPS	366 FPS
high	102 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	248 FPS
1440p
low	108 FPS	272 FPS
medium	82 FPS	229 FPS
high	65 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	47 FPS	133 FPS
medium	38 FPS	114 FPS
high	35 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	25 FPS	73 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970M Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 970M	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	257 FPS	859 FPS
medium	205 FPS	693 FPS
high	171 FPS	602 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	457 FPS
1440p
low	193 FPS	658 FPS
medium	154 FPS	529 FPS
high	128 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	343 FPS
4K
low	128 FPS	434 FPS
medium	103 FPS	346 FPS
high	86 FPS	275 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	221 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970M Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 970M	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	134 FPS	580 FPS
medium	109 FPS	514 FPS
high	94 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	98 FPS	478 FPS
medium	81 FPS	427 FPS
high	70 FPS	335 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	290 FPS
4K
low	58 FPS	285 FPS
medium	45 FPS	266 FPS
high	35 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	195 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970M Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 970M

The GeForce GTX 970M 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: 5,705 points. Launch price was $2,560.89.

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 970M scores 5,705 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 256%. The GeForce GTX 970M is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 2.657 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Boost clocks: 1038 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970M	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score	5,705	20,312+256%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1280	4864+280%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.657 TFLOPS	16.2 TFLOPS+510%
Boost Clock	1038 MHz	1665 MHz+60%
ROPs	48	80+67%
TMUs	80	152+90%
L1 Cache	0.47 MB	4.8 MB+921%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	4 MB+167%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 970M	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 970M comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 166.7% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 120 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — a 273.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 970M) 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 970M	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	8 GB+167%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	120 GB/s	448 GB/s+273%
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	4 MB+167%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_1 (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970M	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX	12_1	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Max Displays	0	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5th Gen (GeForce GTX 970M) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: NVDEC 2nd Gen vs NVDEC (Ampere).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970M	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder	NVENC 5th Gen	NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder	NVDEC 2nd Gen	NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs	—	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970M draws 81W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 84.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 970M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 1mm vs 242mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.