FirePro D300 vs GeForce GTX 970M

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

FirePro D300 vs GeForce GTX 970M FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

FirePro D300 vs GeForce GTX 970M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

FirePro D300

2014

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($500 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌85.2% higher power demand at 150W vs 81W.
❌24100% longer card at 242mm vs 1mm.

GeForce GTX 970M

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 81W instead of 150W, a 69W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 242mm, a 241mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 11.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $500 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

FirePro D300 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.3% in PassMark G3D (5,722 vs 5,705), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

FirePro D300 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 3 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

FirePro D300 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

FirePro D300 vs GeForce GTX 970M Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

FirePro D300

The FirePro D300 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 18 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,722 points.

GeForce GTX 970M

The GeForce GTX 970M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 7 2014. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 924 MHz to 1038 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 81W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,705 points. Launch price was $2,560.89.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The FirePro D300 scores 5,722 and the GeForce GTX 970M reaches 5,705 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro D300 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GTX 970M uses Maxwell 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (FirePro D300) vs 1,280 (GeForce GTX 970M). Raw compute: 2.176 TFLOPS (FirePro D300) vs 2.657 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970M).

Feature	FirePro D300	GeForce GTX 970M
G3D Mark Score	5,722	5,705
Architecture	GCN 1.0	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1280	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.176 TFLOPS	2.657 TFLOPS+22%
ROPs	32	48+50%
TMUs	80	80
L1 Cache	320 KB	480 KB+50%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1.5 MB+200%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 970M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FirePro D300 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	FirePro D300	GeForce GTX 970M
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro D300 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 970M carries 3 GB. FirePro D300 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the FirePro D300 and 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 970M. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (FirePro D300) vs 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 970M) — the GeForce GTX 970M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	FirePro D300	GeForce GTX 970M
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+33%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit	192-bit+50%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1.5 MB+200%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro D300) vs 12_1 (GeForce GTX 970M). Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 0.

Feature	FirePro D300	GeForce GTX 970M
DirectX	12	12_1
Max Displays	6	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro D300) vs NVENC 5th Gen (GeForce GTX 970M). Decoder: UVD 4.0 vs NVDEC 2nd Gen.

Feature	FirePro D300	GeForce GTX 970M
Encoder	VCE 1.0	NVENC 5th Gen
Decoder	UVD 4.0	NVDEC 2nd Gen
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-4,MPEG-2,VC-1	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro D300 draws 150W versus the GeForce GTX 970M's 81W — a 59.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 970M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro D300) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 970M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 1mm, occupying 1 vs 0 slots.

Feature	FirePro D300	GeForce GTX 970M
TDP	150W	81W-46%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Length	242mm	1mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80°C	—
Perf/Watt	38.1	70.4+85%