GeForce GTX 470 vs Radeon R9 260

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 Radeon R9 260 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 Radeon R9 260: 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

✅Draws 215W instead of 275W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 260 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌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.
❌
151.1% HIGHER MSRP
$349 MSRPvs$139 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 9.0 vs 21.9 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $139 MSRP).

Radeon R9 260

2013

Why buy it

✅16.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $210 less on MSRP ($139 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅Delivers 143.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.9 vs 9.0 G3D/$ ($139 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅60% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 1 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌27.9% higher power demand at 275W vs 215W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 260 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 16.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 470 instead at 3,145 vs 3,048, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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?

Radeon R9 260 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $210 cheaper on MSRP at $139 vs $349, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 143.3% (21.9 vs 9.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 260 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 470 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 470 vs Radeon R9 260 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.

Radeon R9 260

The Radeon R9 260 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 5 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 947 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,048 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 470 scores 3,145 and the Radeon R9 260 reaches 3,048 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 470 is built on Fermi while the Radeon R9 260 uses GCN 2.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 448 (GeForce GTX 470) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 260). Raw compute: 1.089 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 470) vs 4.849 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 260).

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 260
G3D Mark Score	3,145+3%	3,048
Architecture	Fermi	GCN 2.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	448	2560+471%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.089 TFLOPS	4.849 TFLOPS+345%
ROPs	40	64+60%
TMUs	56	160+186%
L1 Cache	896 KB+40%	640 KB
L2 Cache	0.63 MB	1 MB+59%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 470 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 260 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 260
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 470 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 260 carries 2 GB. Radeon R9 260 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 Radeon R9 260. L2 Cache: 0.63 MB (GeForce GTX 470) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 260) — the Radeon R9 260 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 260
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	1 MB+59%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 470 draws 215W versus the Radeon R9 260's 275W — a 24.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 470 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 470) vs 450W (Radeon R9 260). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 260
TDP	215W-22%	275W
Recommended PSU	550W	450W-18%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	241mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	93	—
Perf/Watt	14.6+32%	11.1

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 470 came in at $349, while the Radeon R9 260 launched at $139. On MSRP, Radeon R9 260 was 60.2% cheaper ($210 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 9.0 (GeForce GTX 470) vs 21.9 (Radeon R9 260) — the Radeon R9 260 offers 143.3% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 260 (2013 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 260
MSRP	$349	$139-60%
Performance per Dollar	9.0	21.9+143%
Codename	GF100	Hawaii
Release	March 26 2010	November 5 2013
Ranking	#572	#316

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