NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080

VS
Performance
GeForce GTX 970
16,03315% of 104,598
GeForce RTX 2080151% better
40,27839% of 104,598

The GeForce RTX 2080 has 151% better performance than the GeForce GTX 970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Performance per dollar
GeForce GTX 970
48.7330% of 161.45
GeForce RTX 208018% better
57.6236% of 161.45

The GeForce RTX 2080 has 18% 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 RTX 2080 GPU

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 is a desktop graphics card that launched in Q3 2018 with a MSRP of $699. It is built on the Turing GPU microarchitecture (codename TU104) and is manufactured on a 12 nm process.

Memory

The RTX 2080 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, with a 1,750 MHz memory clock and a 256 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 448 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 RTX 2080 includes 2,944 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 1,515 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,710 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 184 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 64 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing. Additionally, the GPU features 368 tensor cores optimized for AI-accelerated workloads and 46 RT cores dedicated to real-time ray tracing calculations.

Compatibility & Power Consumption

The RTX 2080 occupies 2 PCIe expansion slots. It supports HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4a, USB Type-C display connections. NVIDIA recommends a power supply of at least 550 W to handle the GPU's thermal design power (TDP) of 215 W.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The RTX 2080 has the 40th best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 38.51% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 40,278 score and $699 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 57.62. This is the 58th 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 RTX 2080
ManufacturerNVIDIANVIDIA
ArchitectureMaxwell 2.0Turing
Market SegmentDesktopDesktop
Release DateQ3 2014Q3 2018
Launch Price (MSRP)$329$699
Production StatusEnd-of-lifeActive
ShopCheck PriceCheck Price

Gaming Performance

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Select a game to compare FPS metrics

Display FPS for Crysis Remastered
Crysis Remastered
Display FPS for F1 2021
F1 2021
Display FPS for Resident Evil Village
Resident Evil Village
Display FPS for Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Display FPS for Outriders
Outriders
Display FPS for Hitman 3
Hitman 3
Display FPS for Cyberpunk 2077 (1.0)
Cyberpunk 2077 (1.0)

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 Crysis Remastered
Crysis Remastered
GeForce GTX 970GeForce RTX 2080
Low - 720p
--
--
Medium - 1080p
--
166 FPS
High - 1080p
--
96 FPS
Ultra - 1080p
--
62 FPS
QHD - 1440p
--
48 FPS
4K UHD - 2160p
--
28 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 RTX 2080

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 RTX 2080
GPUCost Per Frame
Radeon RX Vega 6421.32-13%
GeForce RTX 207022.28-9%
Radeon VII22.77-7%
GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER22.84-7%
Radeon RX 6600 XT24.29-1%
GeForce RTX 208024.61
Radeon RX 660024.92+1%
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti26.57+8%

Benchmark Performance

#
Performance
GeForce GTX 970
16,03315% of 104,598
GeForce RTX 2080151% better
40,27839% of 104,598

The GeForce RTX 2080 has 151% 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 RTX 2080 is ranked 40th with a score of 40,278.

Performance per dollar
GeForce GTX 970
48.7330% of 161.45
GeForce RTX 208018% better
57.6236% of 161.45

The GeForce RTX 2080 has 18% 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 RTX 2080 is ranked 58th with a performance per dollar of 57.62.

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
Arc A77041,303+158%
GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER40,963+155%
GeForce RTX 208040,278+151%
Radeon RX 6600 XT39,051+144%
GeForce RTX 406038,191+138%
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
Radeon RX 6900 XT59.18+21%
GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER58.6+20%
GeForce RTX 208057.62+18%
Radeon VII54.19+11%
GeForce GTX 96054.11+11%
GeForce GTX 1080 Ti53.89+11%
GeForce GTX 95052.52+8%
GeForce GTX 97048.73
Radeon R9 390X41.83-14%
Radeon R9 280X36.09-26%

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 RTX 2080
3DMark Time Spy Graphics
3,544
11,126
(+213.94%)
3DMark Time Spy Score
3,693
10,820
(+192.99%)
3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics
72,819
143,576
(+97.17%)
3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics
11,954
27,620
(+131.05%)
3DMark 11 Performance Score
13,249
29,073.5
(+119.44%)
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit
141.6
--
PassMark G3D Mark
9,638
18,798
(+95.04%)
PassMark G2D Mark
767
916
(+19.43%)
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 RTX 2080
CodenameGM204TU104
ArchitectureMaxwell 2.0Turing
Process Size28 nm12 nm
Transistors5,200 million13,600 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 RTX 2080
Memory Size4 GB8 GB
Memory TypeGDDR5GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth224.4 Gb/s448 Gb/s
Memory Clock1,753 MHz1,750 MHz
Memory Interface256 bit256 bit
L1 Cache48 KB64 KB
L2 Cache2 MB4 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 RTX 2080
Slots2 slots2 slots
Bus InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
Thermal Design Power (TDP)148 W215 W
Suggested PSU300 W550 W
Power Connectors2x 6-pin1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin
OutputsDVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4a, USB Type-C

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 RTX 2080
CUDA Cores1,6642,944
Stream Multiprocessors (SM)--46
Texture Mapping Units (TMU)104184
Render Output Units (ROP)5664
Tensor Cores--368
Ray Tracing Cores--46
Core Clock Speed1,050 MHz1,515 MHz
Core Clock Speed (Boost)1,178 MHz1,710 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 RTX 2080
Pixel Fill Rate65.97 GPixel/s109.4 GPixel/s
Texture Fill Rate122.5 GTexel/s314.6 GTexel/s
FP32 Performance3.92 TFLOPS10.07 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance122.5 GFLOPS314.6 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 RTX 2080
DirectX12 (12_1)12 Ultimate (12_2)
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.