GeForce GTX 760 Ti vs Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce GTX 760 Ti is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.1% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	GeForce GTX 760 Ti	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+1.1%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.1%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / Kepler (2012−2018))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+50%)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly	Standard Size (275mm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X holds the technical lead. Priced at $40 (vs $249), it costs 84% less, resulting in a 515.6% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	GeForce GTX 760 Ti	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+515.6%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($249)	✅More affordable ($40)

Performance Check

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 7800X3D 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 760 Ti Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 760 Ti and Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

GeForce GTX 760 Ti

The GeForce GTX 760 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 7 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 875 MHz to 928 MHz. It has 2880 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,307 points. Launch price was $699.

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,248 points. Launch price was $299.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 760 Ti scores 5,307 and the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X reaches 5,248 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 760 Ti is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,880 (GeForce GTX 760 Ti) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Raw compute: 5.345 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 760 Ti) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Boost clocks: 928 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 760 Ti	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
G3D Mark Score	5,307+1%	5,248
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2880+41%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.345 TFLOPS+30%	4.096 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	928 MHz	1000 MHz+8%
ROPs	48+50%	32
TMUs	240+88%	128
L1 Cache	240 KB	512 KB+113%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB+100%	0.75 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 760 Ti	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
Upscaling Tech	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	FSR 3 (Compatible)	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 760 Ti comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X has 3 GB. The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 760 Ti) vs 264 GB/s (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — a 37.5% advantage for the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X. Bus width: 256-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 760 Ti) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — the GeForce GTX 760 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 760 Ti	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	3 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	264 GB/s+38%
Bus Width	256-bit	384-bit+50%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB+100%	0.75 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11_0 (GeForce GTX 760 Ti) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce GTX 760 Ti	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
DirectX	11_0	12 (11_1)+9%
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3rd Gen (GeForce GTX 760 Ti) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs UVD 3.2.

Feature	GeForce GTX 760 Ti	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
Encoder	NVENC 3rd Gen	VCE 1.0
Decoder	NVDEC 1st Gen	UVD 3.2
Codecs	—	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 760 Ti draws 250W versus the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X's 200W — a 22.2% difference. The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 760 Ti) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 241mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 760 Ti	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
TDP	250W	200W-20%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	241mm	275mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	80 C
Perf/Watt	21.2	26.2+24%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 760 Ti launched at $249 MSRP and currently averages $249, while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X launched at $299 and now averages $40. The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X costs 83.9% less ($209 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 21.3 (GeForce GTX 760 Ti) vs 131.2 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X offers 516% better value.