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 3050 4GB Laptop GPU 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 3050 4GB Laptop GPU: 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

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 29.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌66.7% higher power demand at 150W vs 90W.

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅6.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 90W instead of 150W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 29.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 6.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 970 instead at 9,640 vs 9,489, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 16 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2014. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 970 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 970 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 970 vs GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU 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 3050 4GB Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 27 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1545 MHz to 1740 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 90W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,489 points. Launch price was $199.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 and the GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU reaches 9,489 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 970 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 2,048 (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970) vs 7.127 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1740 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	9,640+2%	9,489
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1664	2048+23%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.92 TFLOPS	7.127 TFLOPS+82%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	1740 MHz+48%
ROPs	56+75%	32
TMUs	104+63%	64
L1 Cache	0.61 MB	2 MB+228%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 970 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU
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)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970) vs 192 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) — a 16.7% advantage for the GeForce GTX 970. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 970 and 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s+17%	192 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU
DirectX	12 (FL 12_1)	12 Ultimate
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 (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs NVDEC (5th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU
Encoder	NVENC 2nd gen	NVENC (7th Gen)
Decoder	PureVideo VP6	NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU's 90W — a 50% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU
TDP	150W	90W-40%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	Mobile
Length	267mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80°C-6%	85°C
Perf/Watt	64.3	105.4+64%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU (2022 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU
MSRP	$329	—
Codename	GM204	GA107
Release	September 19 2014	January 27 2022
Ranking	#269	#276

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