GeForce GTX 970 vs GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design

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 GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design

#25

Radeon RX 7600M XT

MSRP: $329|Avg: $300

92%

#67

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

223%

#69

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

202%

#70

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

202%

#74

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

184%

#75

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

182%

#77

GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#78

Radeon HD 8970M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $170

100%

#82

Arc 7-Core iGPU

MSRP: $199|Avg: N/A

97%

#87

Radeon RX 560 (móvel)

MSRP: $99|Avg: $50

93%

#92

Radeon RX 550 (móvel)

MSRP: $79|Avg: $40

91%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design is significantly newer (2020 vs 2014). The GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce GTX 970 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.4% higher G3D Mark score and 50% more VRAM (6 GB vs 4 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce GTX 970.

Insight	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.4%)	✅Leading raw performance (+0.4%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019))	Turing (2018−2022) (12nm)
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	✨ DLSS 2 Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	🎮 High Capacity (6 GB)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	Standard Size (267mm)	—

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design 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.

GeForce GTX 970 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 970 and GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design

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 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 29 2020. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 975 MHz to 1185 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 30 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,674 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 and the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design reaches 9,674 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 970 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design uses Turing, both on 28 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design). Raw compute: 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970) vs 4.55 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1185 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design
G3D Mark Score	9,640	9,674
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Turing
Process Node	28 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	1664	1920+15%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.92 TFLOPS	4.55 TFLOPS+16%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	1185 MHz
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)

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design
Upscaling Tech	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)	DLSS 2.0
Frame Generation	FSR 3 (Compatible)	FSR 3 / AFMF (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 970 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design has 6 GB. The GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970) vs 264 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design) — a 17.9% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design. Bus width: 256-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 970) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design) — the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	6 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	264 GB/s+18%
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 with Max-Q Design). 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 with Max-Q Design
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 with Max-Q Design). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs NVDEC (4th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design
Encoder	NVENC 2nd gen	NVENC (Turing)
Decoder	PureVideo VP6	NVDEC (4th Gen)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design's 65W — a 79.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design
TDP	150W	65W-57%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	1-50%
Temp (Load)	80°C	75°C-6%
Perf/Watt	64.3	148.8+131%