NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950

VS
Performance
GeForce GTX 97092% better
16,03315% of 104,598
GeForce GTX 950
8,3518% of 104,598

The GeForce GTX 970 has 92% better performance than the GeForce GTX 950 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Performance per dollar
GeForce GTX 970
48.7330% of 161.45
GeForce GTX 9508% better
52.5233% of 161.45

The GeForce GTX 950 has 8% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Shop GeForce GTX 970
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Summary

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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 138th best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 15.33% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 16,033 score and $329 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 48.73. This is the 66th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

About the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 GPU

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 is an end-of-life desktop graphics card that released in Q3 2015 with a MSRP of $159. It is built on the Maxwell 2.0 GPU microarchitecture (codename GM206) and is manufactured on a 28 nm process.

Memory

The GTX 950 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, with a 1,653 MHz memory clock and a 128 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 105.8 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 950 includes 768 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 1,024 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,188 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 48 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 32 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing.

Compatibility & Power Consumption

The GTX 950 occupies 2 PCIe expansion slots. It supports DVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 display connections. NVIDIA recommends a power supply of at least 250 W to handle the GPU's thermal design power (TDP) of 90 W.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The GTX 950 has the 199th best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 7.98% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 8,351 score and $159 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 52.52. This is the 63rd 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.

InfoGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 950
ManufacturerNVIDIANVIDIA
ArchitectureMaxwell 2.0Maxwell 2.0
Market SegmentDesktopDesktop
Release DateQ3 2014Q3 2015
Launch Price (MSRP)$329$159
Production StatusEnd-of-lifeEnd-of-life
ShopCheck PriceCheck Price

Gaming Performance

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Select a game to compare FPS metrics

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Metro Exodus

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
FPS data for Borderlands 3
Borderlands 3
GeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 950
Low - 720p
--
--
Medium - 1080p
74 FPS
--
High - 1080p
49 FPS
--
Ultra - 1080p
37 FPS
--
QHD - 1440p
--
--
4K UHD - 2160p
--
--
FPS Source: Notebookcheck

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.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce GTX 970 orGeForce GTX 950

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.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce GTX 970 orGeForce GTX 950
GPUCost Per Frame
Radeon RX 5906.63-26%
GeForce RTX 20706.84-24%
GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB)7.67-14%
Radeon RX Vega 648.59-4%
Radeon VII8.86-1%
GeForce GTX 9708.96
GeForce GTX 980 Ti12.18+36%

Benchmark Performance

#
Performance
GeForce GTX 97092% better
16,03315% of 104,598
GeForce GTX 950
8,3518% of 104,598

The GeForce GTX 970 has 92% better performance than the GeForce GTX 950 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce GTX 970 is ranked 138th with a score of 16,033, and the GeForce GTX 950 is ranked 199th with a score of 8,351.

Performance per dollar
GeForce GTX 970
48.7330% of 161.45
GeForce GTX 9508% better
52.5233% of 161.45

The GeForce GTX 950 has 8% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce GTX 970 is ranked 66th with a performance per dollar of 48.73, and the GeForce GTX 950 is ranked 63rd with a performance per dollar of 52.52.

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.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce GTX 970 or
GPUBenchmark Performance
Radeon R9 Nano17,282+8%
Radeon R9 290X16,167.5+1%
GeForce GTX 97016,033
GeForce GTX 780 Ti15,619-3%
GeForce GTX 165013,645-15%
Radeon R7 3708,518.5-47%
GeForce GTX 660 Ti8,415-48%
GeForce GTX 9508,351-48%
GeForce GTX 7607,962-50%
Radeon HD 79707,770-52%

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.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce GTX 970 or
GPUPerformance Per Dollar
GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB)58.2+19%
Radeon R7 37057.17+17%
Radeon VII54.19+11%
GeForce GTX 96054.11+11%
GeForce GTX 95052.52+8%
GeForce GTX 97048.73
Radeon R9 390X41.83-14%
GeForce GTX 750 Ti36.09-26%
Radeon R9 280X36.09-26%
GeForce GTX 980 Ti35.53-27%

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
BenchmarkGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 950
3DMark Time Spy Graphics
3,544
--
3DMark Time Spy Score
3,693
--
3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics
72,819
(+94.42%)
37,454
3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics
11,954
(+92.57%)
6,207.5
3DMark 11 Performance Score
13,249
(+55.5%)
8,520
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit
141.6
(+46.58%)
96.6
PassMark G3D Mark
9,638
(+80.62%)
5,336
PassMark G2D Mark
767
(+20.98%)
634
Benchmarks Source: Notebookcheck

Technical Specs

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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.

SpecGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 950
CodenameGM204GM206
ArchitectureMaxwell 2.0Maxwell 2.0
Process Size28 nm28 nm
Transistors5,200 million2,940 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.

SpecGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 950
Memory Size4 GB2 GB
Memory TypeGDDR5GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth224.4 Gb/s105.8 Gb/s
Memory Clock1,753 MHz1,653 MHz
Memory Interface256 bit128 bit
L1 Cache48 KB48 KB
L2 Cache2 MB1,024 KB

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.

SpecGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 950
Slots2 slots2 slots
Bus InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
Thermal Design Power (TDP)148 W90 W
Suggested PSU300 W250 W
Power Connectors2x 6-pin1x 6-pin
OutputsDVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2DVI, 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.

SpecGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 950
CUDA Cores1,664768
Texture Mapping Units (TMU)10448
Render Output Units (ROP)5632
Core Clock Speed1,050 MHz1,024 MHz
Core Clock Speed (Boost)1,178 MHz1,188 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.

SpecGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 950
Pixel Fill Rate65.97 GPixel/s38.02 GPixel/s
Texture Fill Rate122.5 GTexel/s57.02 GTexel/s
FP32 Performance3.92 TFLOPS1.83 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance122.5 GFLOPS57.02 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.

SpecGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 950
DirectX12 (12_1)12 (12_1)
OpenCL3.03.0
OpenGL4.64.6
Shader Model6.86.8

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* Performance rating, performance per dollar, and rankings are based on the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark and MSRP.