GeForce GTX 470M vs Radeon R9 M385X

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 470M

2010Core: 535 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M385X

2015Core: 1000 MHzBoost: 1100 MHz
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GeForce GTX 470M vs Radeon R9 M385X Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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 470M vs Radeon R9 M385X 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 470M vs Radeon R9 M385X: 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 470M

2010

Why buy it

  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M385X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2010 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 6.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $300 MSRP).

Radeon R9 M385X

2015

Why buy it

  • 34.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • More future proof: GCN 2.0 (2013−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon R9 M385X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 34.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.1% in PassMark G3D (1,994 vs 1,953), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 470M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 M385X makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 M385X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 470M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 470M vs Radeon R9 M385X Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 470M

The GeForce GTX 470M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 3 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 535 MHz. It has 288 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,953 points.

AMD

Radeon R9 M385X

The Radeon R9 M385X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 5 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1000 MHz to 1100 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,994 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 470M scores 1,953 and the Radeon R9 M385X reaches 1,994 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 470M is built on Fermi while the Radeon R9 M385X uses GCN 2.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 288 (GeForce GTX 470M) vs 896 (Radeon R9 M385X). Raw compute: 0.6163 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 470M) vs 1.971 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M385X).

FeatureGeForce GTX 470MRadeon R9 M385X
G3D Mark Score
1,953
1,994+2%
Architecture
Fermi
GCN 2.0
Process Node
40 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
288
896+211%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.6163 TFLOPS
1.971 TFLOPS+220%
ROPs
24+50%
16
TMUs
48
56+17%
L1 Cache
384 KB+71%
224 KB
L2 Cache
384 KB+50%
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 470M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 M385X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 470MRadeon R9 M385X
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 470M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M385X carries 512 MB. GeForce GTX 470M gives you 200% 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 470M and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M385X. L2 Cache: 384 KB (GeForce GTX 470M) vs 256 KB (Radeon R9 M385X) — the GeForce GTX 470M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 470MRadeon R9 M385X
VRAM Capacity
1.5 GB+200%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
384 KB+50%
256 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 470M) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R9 M385X). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 470MRadeon R9 M385X
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12 (12_0)
Vulkan
1.2
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP4 (GeForce GTX 470M) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 M385X). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GTX 470M) vs H.264,MPEG-4,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon R9 M385X).

FeatureGeForce GTX 470MRadeon R9 M385X
Encoder
PureVideo HD VP4
VCE 2.0
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP4
UVD 4.2
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP
H.264,MPEG-4,VC-1,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 470M draws 75W versus the Radeon R9 M385X's 75W — a 0% difference. The Radeon R9 M385X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 470M) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M385X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 85.

FeatureGeForce GTX 470MRadeon R9 M385X
TDP
75W
75W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
Mobile
Length
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
85°C
85
Perf/Watt
26.0
26.6+2%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon R9 M385X (2015 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce GTX 470MRadeon R9 M385X
MSRP
$300
Codename
GF104
Strato
Release
September 3 2010
May 5 2015
Ranking
#689
#681

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