NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti

VS
Performance
GeForce GTX 970
16,03315% of 104,598
GeForce GTX 980 Ti44% better
23,05722% of 104,598

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti has 44% better performance than the GeForce GTX 970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Performance per dollar
GeForce GTX 97037% better
48.7330% of 161.45
GeForce GTX 980 Ti
35.5322% of 161.45

The GeForce GTX 970 has 37% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 980 Ti for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

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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 980 Ti GPU

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti is an end-of-life desktop graphics card that released in Q2 2015 with a MSRP of $649. It is built on the Maxwell 2.0 GPU microarchitecture (codename GM200) and is manufactured on a 28 nm process.

Memory

The GTX 980 Ti has 6 GB of GDDR5 memory, with a 1,753 MHz memory clock and a 384 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 336.6 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 980 Ti includes 2,816 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 1,000 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,076 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 176 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 96 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing.

Compatibility & Power Consumption

The GTX 980 Ti occupies 2 PCIe expansion slots. It supports DVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 display connections. NVIDIA recommends a power supply of at least 600 W to handle the GPU's thermal design power (TDP) of 250 W.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The GTX 980 Ti has the 101st best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 22.04% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 23,057 score and $649 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 35.53. This is the 74th 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 980 Ti
ManufacturerNVIDIANVIDIA
ArchitectureMaxwell 2.0Maxwell 2.0
Market SegmentDesktopDesktop
Release DateQ3 2014Q2 2015
Launch Price (MSRP)$329$649
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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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 980 Ti
Low - 720p
--
--
Medium - 1080p
74 FPS
--
High - 1080p
49 FPS
--
Ultra - 1080p
37 FPS
53 FPS(+45.23%)
QHD - 1440p
--
38 FPS
4K UHD - 2160p
--
20 FPS
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 980 Ti

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 980 Ti
GPUCost Per Frame
Radeon RX Vega 6421.32-34%
GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB)21.36-34%
Radeon VII21.98-32%
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti22.2-31%
GeForce GTX 108022.6-30%
GeForce GTX 980 Ti32.13

Benchmark Performance

#
Performance
GeForce GTX 970
16,03315% of 104,598
GeForce GTX 980 Ti44% better
23,05722% of 104,598

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti has 44% better performance than the GeForce GTX 970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce GTX 970 is ranked 138th with a score of 16,033, and the GeForce GTX 980 Ti is ranked 101st with a score of 23,057.

Performance per dollar
GeForce GTX 97037% better
48.7330% of 161.45
GeForce GTX 980 Ti
35.5322% of 161.45

The GeForce GTX 970 has 37% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 980 Ti 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 980 Ti is ranked 74th with a performance per dollar of 35.53.

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
GeForce GTX 107024,652+54%
Radeon RX 59023,362.5+46%
GeForce GTX 980 Ti23,057+44%
Radeon RX 6500 XT22,954+43%
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti22,891.5+43%
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%

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 96054.11+11%
GeForce GTX 95052.52+8%
GeForce GTX 108048.85+0%
GeForce GTX 97048.73
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti47.21-3%
Radeon R9 390X41.83-14%
Radeon R9 280X36.09-26%
GeForce GTX 980 Ti35.53-27%
GeForce GTX 98032.07-34%
Radeon R9 FURY31.95-34%

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
BenchmarkGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 980 Ti
3DMark Time Spy Graphics
3,544
5,058
(+42.72%)
3DMark Time Spy Score
3,693
5,026
(+36.1%)
3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics
72,819
98,958
(+35.9%)
3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics
11,954
16,961
(+41.89%)
3DMark 11 Performance Score
13,249
18,303
(+38.15%)
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit
141.6
--
PassMark G3D Mark
9,638
13,809
(+43.28%)
PassMark G2D Mark
767
861
(+12.26%)
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 980 Ti
CodenameGM204GM200
ArchitectureMaxwell 2.0Maxwell 2.0
Process Size28 nm28 nm
Transistors5,200 million8,000 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 980 Ti
Memory Size4 GB6 GB
Memory TypeGDDR5GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth224.4 Gb/s336.6 Gb/s
Memory Clock1,753 MHz1,753 MHz
Memory Interface256 bit384 bit
L1 Cache48 KB48 KB
L2 Cache2 MB3 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.

SpecGeForce GTX 970GeForce GTX 980 Ti
Slots2 slots2 slots
Bus InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
Thermal Design Power (TDP)148 W250 W
Suggested PSU300 W600 W
Power Connectors2x 6-pin1x 6-pin + 1x 8-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 980 Ti
CUDA Cores1,6642,816
Texture Mapping Units (TMU)104176
Render Output Units (ROP)5696
Core Clock Speed1,050 MHz1,000 MHz
Core Clock Speed (Boost)1,178 MHz1,076 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 980 Ti
Pixel Fill Rate65.97 GPixel/s103.3 GPixel/s
Texture Fill Rate122.5 GTexel/s189.4 GTexel/s
FP32 Performance3.92 TFLOPS6.06 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance122.5 GFLOPS189.4 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 980 Ti
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.