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 970 vs GeForce RTX 2060 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 970 vs GeForce RTX 2060: 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 970

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $20 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 29.3 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

✅63.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 38% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 29.3 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 2060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 63.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 46.4% in PassMark G3D (14,114 vs 9,640), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 2060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 12nm process instead of 28nm, and 30 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 2060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $20 more expensive on MSRP at $349 vs $329, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 38% (40.4 vs 29.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 970 vs GeForce RTX 2060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 970

The GeForce GTX 970 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 19 2014. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1050 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 1664 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,640 points. Launch price was $329.

GeForce RTX 2060

The GeForce RTX 2060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 7 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1365 MHz to 1680 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 30 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 14,114 points. Launch price was $349.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 14,114 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 46.4%. The GeForce GTX 970 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 2060 uses Turing, both on 28 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060). Raw compute: 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970) vs 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1680 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 2060
G3D Mark Score	9,640	14,114+46%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Turing
Process Node	28 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	1664	1920+15%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.92 TFLOPS	6.451 TFLOPS+65%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	1680 MHz+43%
ROPs	56+17%	48
TMUs	104	120+15%
L1 Cache	0.61 MB	1.9 MB+211%
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 970 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 2060
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 970 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2060 carries 6 GB. GeForce RTX 2060 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970) vs 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060) — a 50% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 970 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 970) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 2060
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	6 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	336 GB/s+50%
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 2060
DirectX	12 (FL 12_1)	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2nd gen (GeForce GTX 970) vs NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs NVDEC (Turing). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 2060
Encoder	NVENC 2nd gen	NVENC (Turing)
Decoder	PureVideo VP6	NVDEC (Turing)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 160W — a 6.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 970 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 2060). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 229mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 72.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 2060
TDP	150W-6%	160W
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	229mm
Height	111mm	113mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	72-10%
Perf/Watt	64.3	88.2+37%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 970 came in at $329, while the GeForce RTX 2060 launched at $349. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 970 was 5.7% cheaper ($20 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 29.3 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 37.9% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2060 (2019 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 2060
MSRP	$329-6%	$349
Performance per Dollar	29.3	40.4+38%
Codename	GM204	TU106
Release	September 19 2014	January 7 2019
Ranking	#269	#168

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