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 Radeon RX 7600 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 FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
22.3% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$269 MSRP

Radeon RX 7600

2023

Why buy it

✅91.3% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $60 less on MSRP ($269 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 110.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 61.6 vs 29.3 G3D/$ ($269 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (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

Radeon RX 7600

2023

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅91.3% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $60 less on MSRP ($269 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 110.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 61.6 vs 29.3 G3D/$ ($269 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 7600 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 FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
22.3% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$269 MSRP

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 7600 better than GeForce GTX 970?

Yes. Radeon RX 7600 is clearly the better overall GPU here. Radeon RX 7600 averages 91.3% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 16,581 vs 9,640 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon RX 7600 is a 2023 card with FSR 3 + AFMF, 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?

Radeon RX 7600 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2014, 72.0% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB, and better upscaling support with FSR 3 (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (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?

Radeon RX 7600 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. Radeon RX 7600 is about $60 cheaper on MSRP at $269 MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and you are getting 91.3% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 72.0% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 110.4%. 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 Radeon RX 7600 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

Radeon RX 7600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 7600
1080p
low	81 FPS	168 FPS
medium	69 FPS	149 FPS
high	58 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	111 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	140 FPS
medium	62 FPS	114 FPS
high	46 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	91 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	85 FPS
medium	24 FPS	72 FPS
high	17 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	52 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open Radeon RX 7600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 7600
1080p
low	185 FPS	414 FPS
medium	152 FPS	349 FPS
high	122 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	206 FPS
1440p
low	132 FPS	241 FPS
medium	102 FPS	205 FPS
high	81 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	130 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	109 FPS
medium	50 FPS	91 FPS
high	46 FPS	75 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	57 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open Radeon RX 7600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 7600
1080p
low	405 FPS	746 FPS
medium	347 FPS	597 FPS
high	289 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	217 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	325 FPS	560 FPS
medium	260 FPS	448 FPS
high	217 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	163 FPS	280 FPS
4K
low	210 FPS	373 FPS
medium	174 FPS	298 FPS
high	129 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	187 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open Radeon RX 7600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 7600
1080p
low	179 FPS	604 FPS
medium	138 FPS	517 FPS
high	120 FPS	443 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	352 FPS
1440p
low	138 FPS	468 FPS
medium	107 FPS	397 FPS
high	94 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	259 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	293 FPS
medium	59 FPS	271 FPS
high	46 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	187 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open Radeon RX 7600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 970 and Radeon RX 7600

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.

Radeon RX 7600

The Radeon RX 7600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 24 2023. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1720 MHz to 2655 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 165W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 32 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,581 points. Launch price was $269.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 versus the Radeon RX 7600's 16,581 — the Radeon RX 7600 leads by 72%. The GeForce GTX 970 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon RX 7600 uses RDNA 3.0, both on 28 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 2,048 (Radeon RX 7600). Raw compute: 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970) vs 21.75 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 7600). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 2655 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 7600
G3D Mark Score	9,640	16,581+72%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	RDNA 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	6 nm
Shading Units	1664	2048+23%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.92 TFLOPS	21.75 TFLOPS+455%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	2655 MHz+125%
ROPs	56	64+14%
TMUs	104	128+23%
L1 Cache	624 KB+22%	512 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 7600 is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. 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 GTX 970 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 7600 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 7600
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR 3
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 970 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 7600 has 8 GB. The Radeon RX 7600 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970) vs 288 GB/s (Radeon RX 7600) — a 28.6% advantage for the Radeon RX 7600. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 7600
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	288 GB/s+29%
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 7600). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 7600
DirectX	12 (FL 12_1)	12.2+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 VCN 4.0 (Radeon RX 7600). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs VCN 4.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Radeon RX 7600).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 7600
Encoder	NVENC 2nd gen	VCN 4.0
Decoder	PureVideo VP6	VCN 4.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the Radeon RX 7600's 165W — a 9.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 970 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 550W (Radeon RX 7600). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon RX 7600
TDP	150W-9%	165W
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	75°C-6%
Perf/Watt	64.3	100.5+56%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 970 launched at $329 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 7600 launched at $269. The Radeon RX 7600 costs 18.2% less ($60 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 29.3 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 61.6 (Radeon RX 7600) — the Radeon RX 7600 offers 110.2% better value. The Radeon RX 7600 is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2014).