AMD Radeon 860M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
The GeForce GTX 970 has 37% better performance than the Radeon 860M for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
The GeForce GTX 970 has 30% of the performance per dollar compared to the leader for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT.
Summary
About the AMD Radeon 860M GPU
The AMD Radeon 860M is an integrated graphics card that launched in Q1 2025. It is built on the RDNA 3.5 GPU microarchitecture (codename Krackan Point) and is manufactured on a 4 nm process.
Cores and Clock Speeds
The 860M includes 512 stream processors (SPs), the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 400 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 3,000 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 32 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 8 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing. Additionally, the GPU features 8 ray accelerators dedicated to real-time ray tracing calculations.
Compatibility & Power Consumption
The GPU has a thermal design power (TDP) of 15 W. A power supply not strong enough to handle this might result in system crashes and potentially damage your hardware.
Benchmark Performance
The 860M has the 185th best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 567 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 9.00% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090.
About the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 GPU
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 is an end-of-life desktop graphics card that released in Q3 2014 with a MSRP of $329. It is built on the Maxwell 2.0 GPU microarchitecture (codename GM204) and is manufactured on a 28 nm process.
Memory
The GTX 970 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, with a 1,753 MHz memory clock and a 256 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 224.4 Gb/s, which affects how fast it can transfer data to and from memory. GPU memory stores temporary data that helps the GPU with complex math and graphics operations. More memory is generally better, as not having enough can cause performance bottlenecks.
Cores and Clock Speeds
The GTX 970 includes 1,664 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 1,050 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,178 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 104 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 56 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing.
Compatibility & Power Consumption
The GTX 970 occupies 2 PCIe expansion slots. It supports DVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 display connections. NVIDIA recommends a power supply of at least 300 W to handle the GPU's thermal design power (TDP) of 148 W.
Benchmark Performance & Value
The GTX 970 has the 155th best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 567 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 12.35% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. Its 16,033 score and $329 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 48.73. This is the 77th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
General Info
General overview of the GPU, including details like its manufacturer, release date, launch price, and current production status.
| Info | Radeon 860M | GeForce GTX 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | AMD | NVIDIA |
| Architecture | RDNA 3.5 | Maxwell 2.0 |
| Market Segment | Integrated | Desktop |
| Release Date | Q1 2025 | Q3 2014 |
| Launch Price (MSRP) | -- | $329 |
| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |
| Shop | Check Price | Check Price |
Gaming Performance
Select a game to compare FPS metrics
FPS Benchmarks
This table showcases the average frame rate (FPS) achieved both GPUs in at various resolutions. Frame rate is a crucial indicator of how smoothly the GPU can run the game. A higher FPS generally translates to a smoother gameplay experience.
- Frames Per Second
F1 24 | Radeon 860M | GeForce GTX 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Low - 1080p | 70 FPS | -- |
| Medium - 1080p | 63 FPS | -- |
| High - 1080p | 50 FPS | -- |
| Ultra - 1080p | 11 FPS | -- |
| QHD - 1440p | -- | -- |
| 4K UHD - 2160p | -- | -- |
Compare Frames Per Second (FPS)
The average frame rate (FPS) in can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, higher FPS results in a smoother gameplay experience.
| GPU | Frames Per Second | |
|---|---|---|
| Iris Xe Graphics G7 (96EU) | 20.4 | +85% |
| Arc Graphics 140T | 19 | +73% |
| Radeon 780M | 12 | +9% |
| Radeon 860M | 11 | |
| Radeon 740M | 2 | -82% |
Compare Cost Per Frame
The average cost per frame in can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative value. Generally, a lower cost per frame implies better value for your money.
| GPU | Cost Per Frame | |
|---|---|---|
| Our database does not have enough data to compare the FPS per dollar with other GPUs. | ||
Benchmark Performance
The GeForce GTX 970 has 37% better performance than the Radeon 860M for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
The Radeon 860M is ranked 185th with a score of 11,680, and the GeForce GTX 970 is ranked 155th with a score of 16,033.
The GeForce GTX 970 has 75% of the performance per dollar compared to the leader for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090.
GeForce GTX 970's 48.73 performance per dollar ranks it 0th among the other benchmarked GPUs in our database.
Relative Performance
The average score in the benchmark test can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, powerful GPUs tend to have higher scores.
| GPU | Benchmark Performance | |
|---|---|---|
| Radeon R9 Nano | 17,282 | +48% |
| Radeon R9 290X | 16,167.5 | +38% |
| GeForce GTX 970 | 16,033 | +37% |
| GeForce GTX 780 Ti | 15,619 | +34% |
| Arc A380 | 13,892 | +19% |
| Radeon 780M | 12,818.5 | +10% |
| Arc Graphics 140T | 12,566 | +8% |
| Radeon 860M | 11,680 | |
| Radeon Pro WX Vega M GL | 10,020 | -14% |
| Radeon 760M | 9,874.5 | -15% |
Relative Value For Money
The average performance per dollar in the benchmark test can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative value. A higher score implies a better value for your money.
| GPU | Performance Per Dollar | |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB) | 58.2 | +19% |
| Radeon R7 370 | 57.17 | +17% |
| Radeon VII | 54.19 | +11% |
| GeForce GTX 960 | 54.11 | +11% |
| GeForce GTX 950 | 52.52 | +8% |
| GeForce GTX 970 | 48.73 | |
| Radeon R9 390X | 41.83 | -14% |
| Radeon R9 280X | 36.09 | -26% |
| GeForce GTX 980 Ti | 35.53 | -27% |
| GeForce GTX 980 | 32.07 | -34% |
Benchmark Scores
This table showcases the average performance scores achieved by both GPUs across industry-standard benchmark tests. These scores provide a valuable insight into overall performance. Powerful GPUs tend to have higher scores.
- Popular
| Benchmark | Radeon 860M | GeForce GTX 970 |
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics | 2,868 | 3,544 (+23.57%) |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 3,147 | 3,693 (+17.35%) |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics | 24,614 | 72,819 (+195.84%) |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics | 7,335 | 11,954 (+62.97%) |
| 3DMark 11 Performance Score | 11,800 | 13,249 (+12.28%) |
| Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit | 238 (+68.08%) | 141.6 |
| PassMark G3D Mark | 4,884 | 9,640 (+97.38%) |
| PassMark G2D Mark | 918 (+18.6%) | 774 |
Technical Specs
Graphics Processor
General information about the graphics processing unit like their architecture, manufacturing process size, and transistor count. Newer GPU architectures generally bring efficiency improvements and may introduce technologies that enhance graphical capabilities.
| Spec | Radeon 860M | GeForce GTX 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Codename | Krackan Point | GM204 |
| Architecture | RDNA 3.5 | Maxwell 2.0 |
| Process Size | 4 nm | 28 nm |
| Transistors | -- | 5,200 million |
Memory Details
Memory specifications like their capacity, bandwidth, and clock speeds. GPU memory stores graphics data like frames, textures, and shadows which helps display rendered images. These specs are crucial for graphics-intense applications like gaming and 3D modeling.
| Spec | Radeon 860M | GeForce GTX 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory Size | System Shared | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 224.4 Gb/s |
| Memory Clock | System Shared | 1,753 MHz |
| Memory Interface | System Shared | 256 bit |
| L1 Cache | 128 KB | 48 KB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB | 2 MB |
Board Compatibility
Compatibility information like their slot size, bus interface, power consumption, and display support. These specs are useful for verifying compatibility with your motherboard, power supply, and monitor.
| Spec | Radeon 860M | GeForce GTX 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Slots | -- | 2 slots |
| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| Thermal Design Power (TDP) | 15 W | 148 W |
| Suggested PSU | -- | 300 W |
| Power Connectors | -- | 2x 6-pin |
| Outputs | Device Dependent | DVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 |
Cores & Clock Speeds
Processing power information like its cores and clock speed. These specs impact how fast they can process graphics. Each type of core or component serves a specific computational purpose.
| Spec | Radeon 860M | GeForce GTX 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Stream Processors (SP) | 512 | -- |
| CUDA Cores | -- | 1,664 |
| Compute Units (CU) | 8 | -- |
| Texture Mapping Units (TMU) | 32 | 104 |
| Render Output Units (ROP) | 8 | 56 |
| Ray Accelerators | 8 | -- |
| Core Clock Speed | 400 MHz | 1,050 MHz |
| Core Clock Speed (Boost) | 3,000 MHz | 1,178 MHz |
Theoretical Performance
Theoretical performance numbers derived from the raw specifications of the different components like core count and clock speeds. While these provide a glimpse into peak processing power, they do not represent real-world performance.
| Spec | Radeon 860M | GeForce GTX 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel Fill Rate | 24 GPixel/s | 65.97 GPixel/s |
| Texture Fill Rate | 96 GTexel/s | 122.5 GTexel/s |
| FP32 Performance | 3.07 TFLOPS | 3.92 TFLOPS |
| FP64 Performance | 192 GFLOPS | 122.5 GFLOPS |
API Support
Graphics API versions supported by these graphics cards. APIs evolve over time, introducing new features and functionalities. Older GPUs may not support recent versions.
| Spec | Radeon 860M | GeForce GTX 970 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (12_1) |
| OpenCL | 2.1 | 3.0 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Shader Model | 6.8 | 6.8 |
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* Performance rating, performance per dollar, and rankings are based on the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark and MSRP.