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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970

NVIDIA
VS
NVIDIA
Performance
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti210% better
49,76048% of 104,737
GeForce GTX 970
16,03315% of 104,737

The GeForce RTX 3070 Ti has 210% better performance than the GeForce GTX 970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Performance per dollar
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti70% better
83.0751% of 161.45
GeForce GTX 970
48.7330% of 161.45

The GeForce RTX 3070 Ti has 70% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

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Summary

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About the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is a desktop graphics card that launched in Q2 2021 with a MSRP of $599. It is built on the Ampere GPU microarchitecture (codename GA104) and is manufactured on a 8 nm process.

Memory

The RTX 3070 Ti has 8 GB of GDDR6X memory, with a 1,188 MHz memory clock and a 256 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 608.3 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 3070 Ti includes 6,144 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 1,575 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,770 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 192 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 96 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing. Additionally, the GPU features 192 tensor cores optimized for AI-accelerated workloads and 48 RT cores dedicated to real-time ray tracing calculations.

Compatibility & Power Consumption

The RTX 3070 Ti occupies 2 PCIe expansion slots. It supports HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a display connections. NVIDIA recommends a power supply of at least 600 W to handle the GPU's thermal design power (TDP) of 290 W.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The RTX 3070 Ti has the 27th best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 47.51% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 49,760 score and $599 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 83.07. This is the 34th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

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 15.31% 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.

General Info

General overview of the GPU, including details like its manufacturer, release date, launch price, and current production status.

InfoGeForce RTX 3070 TiGeForce GTX 970
ManufacturerNVIDIANVIDIA
ArchitectureAmpereMaxwell 2.0
Market SegmentDesktopDesktop
Release DateQ2 2021Q3 2014
Launch Price (MSRP)$599$329
Production StatusActiveEnd-of-life
ShopCheck PriceCheck Price

Gaming Performance

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Select a game to compare FPS metrics

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
Display FPS for Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima
Display FPS for Dragon's Dogma 2
Dragon's Dogma 2
Display FPS for Horizon Forbidden West
Horizon Forbidden West
Display FPS for Alone in the Dark (2024)
Alone in the Dark (2024)

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 The First Descendant
The First Descendant
GeForce RTX 3070 TiGeForce GTX 970
Low - 1080p
214 FPS
--
Medium - 1080p
142 FPS
--
High - 1080p
110 FPS
--
Ultra - 1080p
94 FPS
--
QHD - 1440p
64 FPS
--
4K UHD - 2160p
36 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 RTX 3070 Ti orGeForce GTX 970
GPUFrames Per Second
GeForce RTX 408062.5+74%
Radeon RX 7900 XT58.7+64%
GeForce RTX 309052.1+45%
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti35.9
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti29.4-18%

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 RTX 3070 Ti orGeForce GTX 970
GPUCost Per Frame
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti13.57-19%
Radeon RX 7900 XT15.32-8%
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti16.69
GeForce RTX 408019.18+15%
GeForce RTX 309028.77+72%

Benchmark Performance

#
Performance
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti210% better
49,76048% of 104,737
GeForce GTX 970
16,03315% of 104,737

The GeForce RTX 3070 Ti has 210% better performance than the GeForce GTX 970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is ranked 27th with a score of 49,760, and the GeForce GTX 970 is ranked 138th with a score of 16,033.

Performance per dollar
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti70% better
83.0751% of 161.45
GeForce GTX 970
48.7330% of 161.45

The GeForce RTX 3070 Ti has 70% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is ranked 34th with a performance per dollar of 83.07, and the GeForce GTX 970 is ranked 66th with a performance per dollar of 48.73.

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 RTX 3070 Ti or
GPUBenchmark Performance
GeForce RTX 308053,713+8%
Radeon RX 6800 XT52,046+5%
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti49,760
GeForce RTX 4060 Ti (8 GB)47,803-4%
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti47,166-5%
Radeon R9 Nano17,282-65%
Radeon R9 290X16,167.5-68%
GeForce GTX 97016,033-68%
GeForce GTX 780 Ti15,619-69%
GeForce GTX 165013,645-73%

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 RTX 3070 Ti or
GPUPerformance Per Dollar
Radeon RX 7900 XT84.42+2%
Radeon RX 7900 XTX83.41+0%
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti83.07
Radeon RX 6800 XT80.19-3%
GeForce RTX 308076.84-7%
GeForce GTX 96054.11-35%
GeForce GTX 95052.52-37%
GeForce GTX 97048.73-41%
Radeon R9 390X41.83-50%
Radeon R9 280X36.09-57%

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 RTX 3070 TiGeForce GTX 970
3DMark Time Spy Graphics
14,923
(+321.08%)
3,544
3DMark Time Spy Score
15,243
(+312.75%)
3,693
3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics
208,428
(+186.23%)
72,819
3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics
37,663
(+215.07%)
11,954
3DMark Night Raid Graphics
170,907
--
3DMark 11 Performance Score
44,497
(+235.85%)
13,249
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit
--
141.6
PassMark G3D Mark
23,612
(+144.99%)
9,638
PassMark G2D Mark
1,054
(+37.24%)
768
Benchmarks Source: Notebookcheck

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.

SpecGeForce RTX 3070 TiGeForce GTX 970
CodenameGA104GM204
ArchitectureAmpereMaxwell 2.0
Process Size8 nm28 nm
Transistors17,400 million5,200 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.

SpecGeForce RTX 3070 TiGeForce GTX 970
Memory Size8 GB4 GB
Memory TypeGDDR6XGDDR5
Memory Bandwidth608.3 Gb/s224.4 Gb/s
Memory Clock1,188 MHz1,753 MHz
Memory Interface256 bit256 bit
L1 Cache128 KB48 KB
L2 Cache4 MB2 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 RTX 3070 TiGeForce GTX 970
Slots2 slots2 slots
Bus InterfacePCIe 4.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
Thermal Design Power (TDP)290 W148 W
Suggested PSU600 W300 W
Power Connectors1x 12-pin2x 6-pin
OutputsHDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4aDVI, 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 RTX 3070 TiGeForce GTX 970
CUDA Cores6,1441,664
Stream Multiprocessors (SM)48--
Texture Mapping Units (TMU)192104
Render Output Units (ROP)9656
Tensor Cores192--
Ray Tracing Cores48--
Core Clock Speed1,575 MHz1,050 MHz
Core Clock Speed (Boost)1,770 MHz1,178 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.

SpecGeForce RTX 3070 TiGeForce GTX 970
Pixel Fill Rate169.9 GPixel/s65.97 GPixel/s
Texture Fill Rate339.8 GTexel/s122.5 GTexel/s
FP32 Performance21.75 TFLOPS3.92 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance339.8 GFLOPS122.5 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 RTX 3070 TiGeForce GTX 970
DirectX12 Ultimate (12_2)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.