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.

GeForce GTX 680 vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire 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 Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire: 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

✅11.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

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.
❌
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

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 680 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.

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 11.1% 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?

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire makes the most sense to buy today. It is $199 cheaper on MSRP at $300 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 63.1% (18.3 vs 11.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 680 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 680 vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire 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.

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.

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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 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

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 ship with 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. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 680 and 256-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire.

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

At launch, the GeForce GTX 680 came in at $499, while the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire launched at $300. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire was 39.9% cheaper ($199 less). 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.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
MSRP	$499	$300-40%
Performance per Dollar	11.2	18.3+63%
Codename	GK104	Neptune CF
Release	March 22 2012	May 1 2012
Ranking	#410	#350

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