GeForce GTX 680M vs Radeon R9 M470X

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 680M

2012Core: 719 MHzBoost: 758 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M470X

2016Core: 1000 MHzBoost: 1100 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 680M vs Radeon R9 M470X Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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 vs Radeon R9 M470X 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 vs Radeon R9 M470X: 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

2012

Why buy it

  • 34.3% 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.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 9.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
  • 33.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 75W.

Radeon R9 M470X

2016

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($350 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Draws 75W instead of 100W, a 25W reduction.
  • More future proof: GCN 2.0 (2013−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 680M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2016 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 680M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 34.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1% in PassMark G3D (3,277 vs 3,244), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 680M 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 R9 M470X makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 M470X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 680M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 680M vs Radeon R9 M470X Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 680M

The GeForce GTX 680M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 4 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 719 MHz to 758 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,277 points. Launch price was $310.50.

AMD

Radeon R9 M470X

The Radeon R9 M470X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 15 2016. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1000 MHz to 1100 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,244 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 680M scores 3,277 and the Radeon R9 M470X reaches 3,244 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 680M is built on Kepler while the Radeon R9 M470X uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,344 (GeForce GTX 680M) vs 896 (Radeon R9 M470X). Raw compute: 2.038 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 680M) vs 1.971 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M470X). Boost clocks: 758 MHz vs 1100 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680MRadeon R9 M470X
G3D Mark Score
3,277+1%
3,244
Architecture
Kepler
GCN 2.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1344+50%
896
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.038 TFLOPS+3%
1.971 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
758 MHz
1100 MHz+45%
ROPs
32+100%
16
TMUs
112+100%
56
L1 Cache
112 KB
224 KB+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 680M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 M470X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680MRadeon R9 M470X
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 bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 680M and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M470X. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GeForce GTX 680M) vs 256 KB (Radeon R9 M470X) — the GeForce GTX 680M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680MRadeon R9 M470X
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 680M draws 100W versus the Radeon R9 M470X's 75W — a 28.6% difference. The Radeon R9 M470X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 680M) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M470X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680MRadeon R9 M470X
TDP
100W
75W-25%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
Mobile
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
81°C
Perf/Watt
32.8
43.3+32%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon R9 M470X (2016 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce GTX 680MRadeon R9 M470X
MSRP
$350
Codename
GK104
Emerald
Release
June 4 2012
May 15 2016
Ranking
#561
#563

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