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 4060 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
10% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$299 MSRP

GeForce RTX 4060

2023

Why buy it

✅102.7% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $30 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 123.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 29.3 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

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

GeForce GTX 970

2014

GeForce RTX 4060

2023

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅102.7% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $30 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 123.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 29.3 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
10% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$299 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 4060 better than GeForce GTX 970?

Yes. GeForce RTX 4060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 4060 averages 102.7% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 19,548 vs 9,640 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4060 is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, 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 4060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2014, 102.8% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) 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 4060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 4060 is about $30 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and you are getting 102.7% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 102.8% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 123.1%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

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

Yes. GeForce GTX 970 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 $329 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 4060 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 970 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 4060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 4060
1080p
low	81 FPS	167 FPS
medium	69 FPS	152 FPS
high	58 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	115 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	137 FPS
medium	62 FPS	114 FPS
high	46 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	90 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	86 FPS
medium	24 FPS	74 FPS
high	17 FPS	62 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	55 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce RTX 4060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 4060
1080p
low	185 FPS	392 FPS
medium	152 FPS	334 FPS
high	122 FPS	268 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	211 FPS
1440p
low	132 FPS	240 FPS
medium	102 FPS	209 FPS
high	81 FPS	169 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	119 FPS
medium	50 FPS	98 FPS
high	46 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	63 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce RTX 4060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 4060
1080p
low	405 FPS	812 FPS
medium	347 FPS	642 FPS
high	289 FPS	551 FPS
ultra	217 FPS	440 FPS
1440p
low	325 FPS	535 FPS
medium	260 FPS	443 FPS
high	217 FPS	379 FPS
ultra	163 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	210 FPS	365 FPS
medium	174 FPS	297 FPS
high	129 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce RTX 4060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 4060
1080p
low	179 FPS	746 FPS
medium	138 FPS	613 FPS
high	120 FPS	536 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	440 FPS
1440p
low	138 FPS	594 FPS
medium	107 FPS	486 FPS
high	94 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	330 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	358 FPS
medium	59 FPS	308 FPS
high	46 FPS	285 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	220 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce RTX 4060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 970 and GeForce RTX 4060

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 4060

The GeForce RTX 4060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1830 MHz to 2460 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 24 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,548 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 19,548 — the GeForce RTX 4060 leads by 102.8%. The GeForce GTX 970 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 4060 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 3,072 (GeForce RTX 4060). Raw compute: 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970) vs 15.11 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 2460 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 4060
G3D Mark Score	9,640	19,548+103%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	28 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	1664	3072+85%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.92 TFLOPS	15.11 TFLOPS+285%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	2460 MHz+109%
ROPs	56+17%	48
TMUs	104+8%	96
L1 Cache	0.61 MB	3 MB+392%
L2 Cache	2 MB	24 MB+1100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce GTX 970 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 970 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 4060
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 970 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4060 has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 4060 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970) vs 272 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4060) — a 21.4% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 970) vs 24 MB (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 4060
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	272 GB/s+21%
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	24 MB+1100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 4060
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 8th gen (GeForce RTX 4060). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 4060
Encoder	NVENC 2nd gen	NVENC 8th gen
Decoder	PureVideo VP6	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 115W — a 26.4% difference. The GeForce RTX 4060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 4060). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 73°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 4060
TDP	150W	115W-23%
Recommended PSU	500W-9%	550W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	240mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	73°C-9%
Perf/Watt	64.3	170.0+164%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 970 launched at $329 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 4060 launched at $299. The GeForce RTX 4060 costs 9.1% less ($30 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 29.3 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 65.4 (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 offers 123.2% better value. The GeForce RTX 4060 is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2014).