GeForce GTX 770 vs Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 770

2013Core: 1046 MHzBoost: 1085 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

2011Core: 680 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce GTX 770 vs Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire 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 770 vs Radeon HD 6970M 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 770 vs Radeon HD 6970M 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 770

2013

Why buy it

  • 33.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 166% HIGHER MSRP
    $399 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 14.9 vs 37.6 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • 360% higher power demand at 230W vs 50W.
  • 26600% longer card at 267mm vs 1mm.

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

2011

Why buy it

  • Costs $249 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • Delivers 151.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 37.6 vs 14.9 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • Draws 50W instead of 230W, a 180W reduction.
  • Measures 1mm instead of 267mm, a 266mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 770 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2011 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 770 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 33.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 5.7% in PassMark G3D (5,961 vs 5,637), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 770 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2013 generation instead of 2011. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire makes the most sense to buy today. It is $249 cheaper on MSRP at $150 vs $399, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 151.5% (37.6 vs 14.9), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 770 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 770 vs Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 770

The GeForce GTX 770 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 30 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 1046 MHz to 1085 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 230W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,961 points. Launch price was $399.

AMD

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 6 2011. It features the Terascale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 680 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,637 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 770 scores 5,961 versus the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire's 5,637 — the GeForce GTX 770 leads by 5.7%. The GeForce GTX 770 is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire uses Terascale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 770) vs 1,920 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire).

FeatureGeForce GTX 770Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire
G3D Mark Score
5,961+6%
5,637
Architecture
Kepler
Terascale 2
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
1536
1920+25%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 770 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 770Radeon HD 6970M 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: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 770) vs 115.2 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire) — a 94.4% advantage for the GeForce GTX 770. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 770 and 256-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire.

FeatureGeForce GTX 770Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
224 GB/s+94%
115.2 GB/s x2
Bus Width
256-bit
256-bit x2
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (GeForce GTX 770) vs 11_0 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce GTX 770Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire
DirectX
12.0+9%
11_0
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st gen (GeForce GTX 770) vs UVD 3 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire). Decoder: PureVideo VP5 vs UVD 3.

FeatureGeForce GTX 770Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire
Encoder
NVENC 1st gen
UVD 3
Decoder
PureVideo VP5
UVD 3
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 770 draws 230W versus the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire's 50W — a 128.6% difference. The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 770) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 770Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire
TDP
230W
50W-78%
Recommended PSU
600W
350W-42%
Power Connector
6-pin + 8-pin
1x 6-pin
Length
267mm
1mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
25.9
112.7+335%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 770 came in at $399, while the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire launched at $150. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire was 62.4% cheaper ($249 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 14.9 (GeForce GTX 770) vs 37.6 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire) — the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire offers 152.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 770 (2013 vs 2011).

FeatureGeForce GTX 770Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire
MSRP
$399
$150-62%
Performance per Dollar
14.9
37.6+152%
Codename
GK104
Blackcomb XT
Release
May 30 2013
January 6 2011
Ranking
#398
#537

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.