GeForce GTX 680 vs GeForce GTX 970M SLI

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 680 vs GeForce GTX 970M SLI 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 680 vs GeForce GTX 970M SLI: 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 680

2012

Why buy it

✅25.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌20.4% higher power demand at 195W vs 162W.

GeForce GTX 970M SLI

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 162W instead of 195W, a 33W reduction.
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 680 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2014 hardware with 4 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 11.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 680 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 25.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2% in PassMark G3D (5,609 vs 5,500), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GTX 680 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 680 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 680 vs GeForce GTX 970M SLI Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 680

The GeForce GTX 680 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 1006 MHz to 1058 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 195W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,609 points. Launch price was $499.

GeForce GTX 970M SLI

The GeForce GTX 970M SLI is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 7 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 924 MHz to 1038 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 162W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,500 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 680 scores 5,609 and the GeForce GTX 970M SLI reaches 5,500 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 680 is built on Kepler while the GeForce GTX 970M SLI uses Maxwell, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 680) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 970M SLI). Boost clocks: 1058 MHz vs 1038 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	GeForce GTX 970M SLI
G3D Mark Score	5,609+2%	5,500
Architecture	Kepler	Maxwell
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1536	2560+67%
Boost Clock	1058 MHz+2%	1038 MHz

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	GeForce GTX 970M SLI
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)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth: 192.2 GB/s (GeForce GTX 680) vs 120 GB/s x2 (GeForce GTX 970M SLI) — a 525.4% advantage for the GeForce GTX 970M SLI. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 680 and 192-bit x2 on the GeForce GTX 970M SLI.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	GeForce GTX 970M SLI
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192.2 GB/s+60%	120 GB/s x2
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit x2

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 11_0) (GeForce GTX 680) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce GTX 970M SLI). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	GeForce GTX 970M SLI
DirectX	12 (FL 11_0)	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.1	1.2+9%
OpenGL	4.6+5%	4.4
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st gen (GeForce GTX 680) vs NVENC (GeForce GTX 970M SLI). Decoder: PureVideo VP5 vs PureVideo HD (VP6). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 680) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970M SLI).

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	GeForce GTX 970M SLI
Encoder	NVENC 1st gen	NVENC
Decoder	PureVideo VP5	PureVideo HD (VP6)
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,H.265/HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 680 draws 195W versus the GeForce GTX 970M SLI's 162W — a 18.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 970M SLI is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 680) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 970M SLI). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 256mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 98°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	GeForce GTX 970M SLI
TDP	195W	162W-17%
Recommended PSU	550W	350W-36%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	256mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	98°C	80°C-18%
Perf/Watt	28.8	34.0+18%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 970M SLI (2014 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	GeForce GTX 970M SLI
MSRP	$499	—
Codename	GK104	—
Release	March 22 2012	October 7 2014
Ranking	#410	#284

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