GeForce GTX 680M SLI vs GeForce GTX 870M

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 680M SLI vs GeForce GTX 870M 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 680M SLI vs GeForce GTX 870M: 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 680M SLI

2012

Why buy it

✅3.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Draws 75W instead of 100W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce GTX 870M

2014

Why buy it

✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 680M SLI across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2014 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌33.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 680M SLI is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 3.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.9% in PassMark G3D (3,569 vs 3,536), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

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

GeForce GTX 680M SLI vs GeForce GTX 870M Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 680M SLI

The GeForce GTX 680M SLI is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 4 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 720 MHz. It has 2688 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,569 points.

GeForce GTX 870M

The GeForce GTX 870M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 12 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 941 MHz to 967 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,536 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 680M SLI scores 3,569 and the GeForce GTX 870M reaches 3,536 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 680M SLI is built on Kepler while the GeForce GTX 870M uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,688 (GeForce GTX 680M SLI) vs 1,344 (GeForce GTX 870M).

Feature	GeForce GTX 680M SLI	GeForce GTX 870M
G3D Mark Score	3,569	3,536
Architecture	Kepler	Kepler
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2688+100%	1344

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 680M SLI	GeForce GTX 870M
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 680M SLI has 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 870M carries 6 GB. GeForce GTX 870M gives you 200% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 680M SLI and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 870M.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680M SLI	GeForce GTX 870M
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	6 GB+200%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 680M SLI) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 870M). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680M SLI	GeForce GTX 870M
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 (11_0)
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (1st Gen) (GeForce GTX 680M SLI) vs 1st Gen NVENC (Kepler) (GeForce GTX 870M). Decoder: VP5 vs PureVideo HD VP5. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (GeForce GTX 680M SLI) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 870M).

Feature	GeForce GTX 680M SLI	GeForce GTX 870M
Encoder	NVENC (1st Gen)	1st Gen NVENC (Kepler)
Decoder	VP5	PureVideo HD VP5
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 680M SLI draws 75W versus the GeForce GTX 870M's 100W — a 28.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 680M SLI is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 680M SLI) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 870M). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85°C.