GeForce GTX 670 vs Radeon HD 8990

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 670 vs Radeon HD 8990 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 670 vs Radeon HD 8990: 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 670

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $600 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 157.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 13.4 vs 5.2 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Draws 170W instead of 375W, a 205W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8990 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon HD 8990

2013

Why buy it

✅21.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
150.4% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.2 vs 13.4 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
❌120.6% higher power demand at 375W vs 170W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 8990 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 21.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 670 instead at 5,361 vs 5,214, 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 670 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?

GeForce GTX 670 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $600 cheaper on MSRP at $399 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 157.4% (13.4 vs 5.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon HD 8990 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 670 vs Radeon HD 8990 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 670

The GeForce GTX 670 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 10 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 915 MHz to 980 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,361 points. Launch price was $399.

Radeon HD 8990

The Radeon HD 8990 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 950 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 2048 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,214 points. Launch price was $999.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 670 scores 5,361 and the Radeon HD 8990 reaches 5,214 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 670 is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 8990 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,344 (GeForce GTX 670) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 8990). Raw compute: 2.634 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 670) vs 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 8990). Boost clocks: 980 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 670	Radeon HD 8990
G3D Mark Score	5,361+3%	5,214
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1344	2048 ×2+52%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.634 TFLOPS	4.096 TFLOPS ×2+56%
Boost Clock	980 MHz	1000 MHz+2%
ROPs	32	32 ×2
TMUs	112	128 ×2+14%
L1 Cache	112 KB	512 KB+357%
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 670 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8990 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 670	Radeon HD 8990
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 670 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8990 carries 3 GB. GeForce GTX 670 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 670) vs 288 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 8990) — a 1401% advantage for the Radeon HD 8990. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 670 and 384-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 8990. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GeForce GTX 670) vs 768 KB (Radeon HD 8990) — the Radeon HD 8990 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 670	Radeon HD 8990
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+33%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	288 GB/s x2+50%
Bus Width	256-bit	384-bit x2+50%
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 670 draws 170W versus the Radeon HD 8990's 375W — a 75.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 670 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 670) vs 750W (Radeon HD 8990). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 2x 8-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 670	Radeon HD 8990
TDP	170W-55%	375W
Recommended PSU	500W-33%	750W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	241mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	82 C	—
Perf/Watt	31.5+127%	13.9

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 670 came in at $399, while the Radeon HD 8990 launched at $999. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 670 was 60.1% cheaper ($600 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 13.4 (GeForce GTX 670) vs 5.2 (Radeon HD 8990) — the GeForce GTX 670 offers 157.7% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 8990 (2013 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GTX 670	Radeon HD 8990
MSRP	$399-60%	$999
Performance per Dollar	13.4+158%	5.2
Codename	GK104	Malta
Release	May 10 2012	April 24 2013
Ranking	#424	#412

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