GeForce GTX 680 vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 680

2012

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
66.3% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$300 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 11.2 vs 18.3 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $199 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 63.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 18.3 vs 11.2 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

GeForce GTX 680

2012

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

2012

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅Costs $199 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 63.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 18.3 vs 11.2 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
66.3% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$300 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 11.2 vs 18.3 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 680 better than Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 5,609 vs 5,500 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 680 is the overall package: you are getting no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 680 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce GTX 680 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 680 is about 66.3% more expensive on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $300 MSRP, and you are getting 2.0% higher G3D Mark. Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire is 2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 5,500 in G3D Mark, and FSR upscaling. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 680 Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
1080p
low	78 FPS	96 FPS
medium	66 FPS	84 FPS
high	53 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	39 FPS
1440p
low	68 FPS	87 FPS
medium	60 FPS	75 FPS
high	42 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	30 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	27 FPS
medium	23 FPS	26 FPS
high	15 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	13 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 680 Open Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
1080p
low	116 FPS	94 FPS
medium	86 FPS	65 FPS
high	66 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	31 FPS
1440p
low	64 FPS	53 FPS
medium	44 FPS	31 FPS
high	32 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	23 FPS	16 FPS
4K
low	24 FPS	18 FPS
medium	17 FPS	11 FPS
high	13 FPS	9 FPS
ultra	9 FPS	7 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 680 Open Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
1080p
low	252 FPS	248 FPS
medium	202 FPS	198 FPS
high	168 FPS	165 FPS
ultra	126 FPS	124 FPS
1440p
low	189 FPS	186 FPS
medium	151 FPS	148 FPS
high	126 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	93 FPS
4K
low	126 FPS	124 FPS
medium	101 FPS	99 FPS
high	84 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	63 FPS	62 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 680 Open Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
1080p
low	126 FPS	156 FPS
medium	101 FPS	128 FPS
high	86 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	97 FPS	114 FPS
medium	78 FPS	95 FPS
high	67 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	52 FPS	66 FPS
4K
low	57 FPS	66 FPS
medium	44 FPS	52 FPS
high	35 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	25 FPS	31 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 680 Open Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 680 and Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

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.

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

The Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 1 2012. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,500 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 680 scores 5,609 and the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire 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 Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire uses GCN, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 680) vs 2,560 (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire). Boost clocks: 1058 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
G3D Mark Score	5,609+2%	5,500
Architecture	Kepler	GCN
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1536	2560+67%
Boost Clock	1058 MHz+18%	900 MHz

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 680 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
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)

Both cards feature 4 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth: 192.2 GB/s (GeForce GTX 680) vs 153.6 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire) — a 25.1% advantage for the GeForce GTX 680. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit x2.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192.2 GB/s+25%	153.6 GB/s x2
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit x2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 680 draws 195W versus the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire's 200W — a 2.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 680 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 680) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
TDP	195W-3%	200W
Recommended PSU	550W	350W-36%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	256mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	98°C	—
Perf/Watt	28.8+5%	27.5

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 680 launched at $499 MSRP, while the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire launched at $300. The Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire costs 39.9% less ($199 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 11.2 (GeForce GTX 680) vs 18.3 (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire) — the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire offers 63.4% better value.