GeForce GTX 970M vs GeForce RTX 3060

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 170W, a 89W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 242mm, a 241mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,705 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 12 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 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅+197.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌109.9% higher power demand at 170W vs 81W.
❌24100% longer card at 242mm vs 1mm.

GeForce GTX 970M

2014

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 81W instead of 170W, a 89W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 242mm, a 241mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅+197.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,705 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 12 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 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌109.9% higher power demand at 170W vs 81W.
❌24100% longer card at 242mm vs 1mm.

Quick Answers

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

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 5,705 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 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 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2014, 197.9% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 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 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $329 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 197.9% 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 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 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970M	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	99 FPS	149 FPS
medium	80 FPS	131 FPS
high	63 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	82 FPS	126 FPS
medium	68 FPS	104 FPS
high	47 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	27 FPS	67 FPS
medium	25 FPS	58 FPS
high	16 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970M Open GeForce RTX 3060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970M	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	166 FPS	354 FPS
medium	135 FPS	310 FPS
high	108 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	113 FPS	222 FPS
medium	86 FPS	196 FPS
high	68 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	48 FPS	110 FPS
medium	39 FPS	94 FPS
high	35 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	60 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970M Open GeForce RTX 3060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 970M	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	257 FPS	765 FPS
medium	205 FPS	612 FPS
high	171 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	382 FPS
1440p
low	193 FPS	535 FPS
medium	154 FPS	432 FPS
high	128 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	287 FPS
4K
low	128 FPS	367 FPS
medium	103 FPS	298 FPS
high	86 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	64 FPS	176 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970M Open GeForce RTX 3060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 970M	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	134 FPS	523 FPS
medium	109 FPS	452 FPS
high	94 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	98 FPS	428 FPS
medium	81 FPS	371 FPS
high	70 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	58 FPS	279 FPS
medium	45 FPS	259 FPS
high	35 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970M Open GeForce RTX 3060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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

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.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 970M scores 5,705 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 197.9%. The GeForce GTX 970M is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 2.657 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1038 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970M	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	5,705	16,995+198%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1280	3584+180%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.657 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+379%
Boost Clock	1038 MHz	1777 MHz+71%
ROPs	48	48
TMUs	80	112+40%
L1 Cache	0.47 MB	3.5 MB+645%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	3 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 970M	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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 970M comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 120 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 200% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970M	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	12 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	120 GB/s	360 GB/s+200%
Bus Width	192-bit	192-bit
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	3 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 970M	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	12_1	12 Ultimate
Max Displays	0	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5th Gen (GeForce GTX 970M) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: NVDEC 2nd Gen vs NVDEC 5th Gen.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970M	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	NVENC 5th Gen	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC 2nd Gen	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	—	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970M draws 81W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 70.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 970M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 1mm vs 242mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.