NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080

VS
Performance
GeForce GTX 970
16,03315% of 104,598
GeForce RTX 4080438% better
86,26782% of 104,598

The GeForce RTX 4080 has 438% 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 408048% better
71.9545% of 161.45

The GeForce RTX 4080 has 48% 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 4080 GPU

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a desktop graphics card that launched in Q4 2022 with a MSRP of $1,199. It is built on the Ada Lovelace GPU microarchitecture (codename AD103) and is manufactured on a 5 nm process.

Memory

The RTX 4080 has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory, with a 1,400 MHz memory clock and a 256 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 716.8 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 RTX 4080 includes 9,728 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 2,205 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 2,505 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 304 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 112 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing. Additionally, the GPU features 304 tensor cores optimized for AI-accelerated workloads and 76 RT cores dedicated to real-time ray tracing calculations.

Compatibility & Power Consumption

The RTX 4080 is a large graphics card, occupying 3 PCIe 4.0 x16 expansion slots. It supports HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a display connections. With a thermal design power (TDP) of 320 W and a large, 3-slot size, it is recommended to use a power supply of 700 W and a case with sufficient space to accommodate the card. Compare your card's model and your case's dimensions to verify compatibility.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The RTX 4080 has the 3rd best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 82.47% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 86,267 score and $1,199 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 71.95. This is the 43rd 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 4080
ManufacturerNVIDIANVIDIA
ArchitectureMaxwell 2.0Ada Lovelace
Market SegmentDesktopDesktop
Release DateQ3 2014Q4 2022
Launch Price (MSRP)$329$1,199
Production StatusEnd-of-lifeActive
ShopCheck PriceCheck Price

Gaming Performance

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Select a game to compare FPS metrics

Display FPS for God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök
Display FPS for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Space Marine 2
Display FPS for Star Wars Outlaws
Star Wars Outlaws
Display FPS for Once Human
Once Human
Display FPS for The First Descendant
The First Descendant
Display FPS for F1 24
F1 24
Display FPS for Senua's Saga Hellblade 2
Senua's Saga Hellblade 2

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 God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök
GeForce GTX 970GeForce RTX 4080
Low - 1080p
--
294 FPS
Medium - 1080p
--
260 FPS
High - 1080p
--
230 FPS
Ultra - 1080p
--
214 FPS
QHD - 1440p
--
166 FPS
4K UHD - 2160p
--
101 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 4080
GPUFrames Per Second
GeForce RTX 4080100.8
Radeon RX 7900 XT86.1-15%

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 4080
GPUCost Per Frame
Radeon RX 7900 XT10.44-12%
GeForce RTX 408011.89

Benchmark Performance

#
Performance
GeForce GTX 970
16,03315% of 104,598
GeForce RTX 4080438% better
86,26782% of 104,598

The GeForce RTX 4080 has 438% 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 4080 is ranked 3rd with a score of 86,267.

Performance per dollar
GeForce GTX 970
48.7330% of 161.45
GeForce RTX 408048% better
71.9545% of 161.45

The GeForce RTX 4080 has 48% 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 4080 is ranked 43rd with a performance per dollar of 71.95.

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 RTX 4090104,598+552%
GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER87,055+443%
GeForce RTX 408086,267+438%
Radeon RX 7900 XTX83,322+420%
Radeon RX 7900 XT75,896+373%
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 6800 XT80.19+65%
GeForce RTX 308076.84+58%
GeForce RTX 408071.95+48%
GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)70.88+45%
Radeon RX 6950 XT65.72+35%
GeForce GTX 96054.11+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 4080
3DMark Time Spy Graphics
3,544
27,735
(+682.59%)
3DMark Time Spy Score
3,693
25,625
(+593.88%)
3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics
72,819
185,431
(+154.65%)
3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics
11,954
57,903
(+384.38%)
3DMark Night Raid Graphics
--
211,103
3DMark 11 Performance Score
13,249
57,741
(+335.81%)
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit
141.6
158.9
(+12.22%)
PassMark G3D Mark
9,638
34,626
(+259.27%)
PassMark G2D Mark
767
1,239
(+61.54%)
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 4080
CodenameGM204AD103
ArchitectureMaxwell 2.0Ada Lovelace
Process Size28 nm5 nm
Transistors5,200 million45,900 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 4080
Memory Size4 GB16 GB
Memory TypeGDDR5GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth224.4 Gb/s716.8 Gb/s
Memory Clock1,753 MHz1,400 MHz
Memory Interface256 bit256 bit
L1 Cache48 KB128 KB
L2 Cache2 MB64 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 4080
Slots2 slots3 slots
Bus InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 4.0 x16
Thermal Design Power (TDP)148 W320 W
Suggested PSU300 W700 W
Power Connectors2x 6-pin1x 16-pin
OutputsDVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a

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 4080
CUDA Cores1,6649,728
Stream Multiprocessors (SM)--76
Texture Mapping Units (TMU)104304
Render Output Units (ROP)56112
Tensor Cores--304
Ray Tracing Cores--76
Core Clock Speed1,050 MHz2,205 MHz
Core Clock Speed (Boost)1,178 MHz2,505 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 4080
Pixel Fill Rate65.97 GPixel/s280.6 GPixel/s
Texture Fill Rate122.5 GTexel/s761.5 GTexel/s
FP32 Performance3.92 TFLOPS48.74 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance122.5 GFLOPS761.5 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.

SpecGeForce GTX 970GeForce RTX 4080
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.