GeForce GTX 960M vs Radeon HD8970M
GeForce GTX 960M
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Radeon HD8970M
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
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. The GeForce GTX 960M is positioned at rank 35 and the Radeon HD8970M is on rank 154, so the GeForce GTX 960M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 960M
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD8970M
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce GTX 960M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.2% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (4 GB vs 2 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD8970M.
| Insight | GeForce GTX 960M | Radeon HD8970M |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.2%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.2%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / Maxwell (2014−2017)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | — | — |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce GTX 960M remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 960M and Radeon HD8970M
GeForce GTX 960M
The GeForce GTX 960M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1096 MHz to 1176 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,375 points.
Radeon HD8970M
The Radeon HD8970M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 14 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,369 points.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GTX 960M scores 3,375 and the Radeon HD8970M reaches 3,369 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 960M is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD8970M uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD8970M). Raw compute: 1.505 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon HD8970M). Boost clocks: 1176 MHz vs 900 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 960M | Radeon HD8970M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 3,375 | 3,369 |
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 640 | 1280+100% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 1.505 TFLOPS | 2.304 TFLOPS+53% |
| Boost Clock | 1176 MHz+31% | 900 MHz |
| ROPs | 16 | 32+100% |
| TMUs | 40 | 80+100% |
| L1 Cache | 320 KB | 320 KB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+300% | 0.5 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | GeForce GTX 960M | Radeon HD8970M |
|---|---|---|
| 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 960M comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD8970M has 2 GB. The GeForce GTX 960M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs System. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD8970M) — the GeForce GTX 960M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 960M | Radeon HD8970M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB+100% | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | Shared |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | System |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | System |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+300% | 0.5 MB |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 960M draws 75W versus the Radeon HD8970M's 100W — a 28.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 960M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 960M) vs 350W (Radeon HD8970M). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 960M | Radeon HD8970M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 75W-25% | 100W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 0mm | — |
| Height | 0mm | — |
| Slots | 0 | — |
| Temp (Load) | 82 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 45.0+34% | 33.7 |
Value Analysis
The GeForce GTX 960M is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2013).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 960M | Radeon HD8970M |
|---|---|---|
| Avg Price (30d) | $50 | — |
| Codename | GM107 | Neptune |
| Release | March 13 2015 | May 14 2013 |
| Ranking | #552 | #507 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
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