GeForce GTX 470 vs GeForce GTX 860M

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.

GeForce GTX 470 vs GeForce GTX 860M 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.

GeForce GTX 470 vs GeForce GTX 860M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

GeForce GTX 470

2010

Why buy it

✅49.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2010 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌186.7% higher power demand at 215W vs 75W.

GeForce GTX 860M

2014

Why buy it

✅60% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Draws 75W instead of 215W, a 140W reduction.
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 470 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2014 hardware with 2 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 9.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 470 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 49.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.6% in PassMark G3D (3,145 vs 3,095), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GTX 470 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 470 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 470 vs GeForce GTX 860M Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 470

The GeForce GTX 470 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 26 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 607 MHz. It has 448 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 215W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,145 points. Launch price was $349.

GeForce GTX 860M

The GeForce GTX 860M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 13 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 797 MHz to 1085 MHz. It has 1152 or 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,095 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 470 scores 3,145 and the GeForce GTX 860M reaches 3,095 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 470 is built on Fermi while the GeForce GTX 860M uses Maxwell, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 448 (GeForce GTX 470) vs 1,152 (GeForce GTX 860M). Raw compute: 1.089 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 470) vs 1.389 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 860M).

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	GeForce GTX 860M
G3D Mark Score	3,145+2%	3,095
Architecture	Fermi	Maxwell
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	448	1152 or 640+157%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.089 TFLOPS	1.389 TFLOPS+28%
ROPs	40+150%	16
TMUs	56+40%	40
L1 Cache	896 KB+180%	320 KB
L2 Cache	0.63 MB	2 MB+217%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	GeForce GTX 860M
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 470 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 860M carries 2 GB. GeForce GTX 860M gives you 60% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 470 and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 860M. L2 Cache: 0.63 MB (GeForce GTX 470) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 860M) — the GeForce GTX 860M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	GeForce GTX 860M
VRAM Capacity	1.25 GB	2 GB+60%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.63 MB	2 MB+217%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (GeForce GTX 470) vs 11.0 (GeForce GTX 860M). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 1.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	GeForce GTX 860M
DirectX	11.0	11.0
Vulkan	N/A	1.2
OpenGL	4.6+2%	4.5
Max Displays	2+100%	1

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce GTX 470) vs NVENC 2.0 (GeForce GTX 860M). Decoder: PureVideo VP4 vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264 (GeForce GTX 470) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP,H.265 (GeForce GTX 860M).

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	GeForce GTX 860M
Encoder	None	NVENC 2.0
Decoder	PureVideo VP4	PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs	MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP,H.265

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 470 draws 215W versus the GeForce GTX 860M's 75W — a 96.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 860M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 470) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 860M). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 241mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 93 vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	GeForce GTX 860M
TDP	215W	75W-65%
Recommended PSU	550W	350W-36%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	241mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	93	80°C-14%
Perf/Watt	14.6	41.3+183%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 860M (2014 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	GeForce GTX 860M
MSRP	$349	—
Codename	GF100	GM107
Release	March 26 2010	January 13 2014
Ranking	#572	#578

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