GeForce GTX 690 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 690 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 690 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 690

2012

Why buy it

✅11.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 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.
❌
233% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$300 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.5 vs 18.3 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
❌50% higher power demand at 300W vs 200W.

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $699 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 230.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 18.3 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 200W instead of 300W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 690 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 690 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 11.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (5,536 vs 5,500), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GTX 690 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 $699 cheaper on MSRP at $300 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 230.8% (18.3 vs 5.5), 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 690 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 690 vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 690

The GeForce GTX 690 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 3 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 915 MHz to 1019 MHz. It has 3072 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,536 points. Launch price was $999.

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 690 scores 5,536 and the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire reaches 5,500 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 690 is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire uses GCN, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 2,560 (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire). Boost clocks: 1019 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 690	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
G3D Mark Score	5,536	5,500
Architecture	Kepler	GCN
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	3072 ×2+20%	2560
Boost Clock	1019 MHz+13%	900 MHz

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 690 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 690	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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 690 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire carries 4 GB. Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 192.2 GB/s x2 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 153.6 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire) — a 25.1% advantage for the GeForce GTX 690. Memory bus width is 256-bit x2 on the GeForce GTX 690 and 256-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire.

Feature	GeForce GTX 690	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192.2 GB/s x2+25%	153.6 GB/s x2
Bus Width	256-bit x2	256-bit x2

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 690 draws 300W versus the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire's 200W — a 40% difference. The Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce GTX 690) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 690	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
TDP	300W	200W-33%
Recommended PSU	650W	350W-46%
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	279mm	—
Slots	2	—
Perf/Watt	18.5	27.5+49%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 690 came in at $999, while the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire launched at $300. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire was 70% cheaper ($699 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.5 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 18.3 (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire) — the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire offers 232.7% better value.

Feature	GeForce GTX 690	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
MSRP	$999	$300-70%
Performance per Dollar	5.5	18.3+233%
Codename	GK104	Neptune CF
Release	May 3 2012	May 1 2012
Ranking	#414	#350

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