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 3060 Ti 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 3060 Ti: 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 $70 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 150W instead of 200W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 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 50.9 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅131.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 73.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 29.3 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌33.3% higher power demand at 200W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 131.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 110.7% in PassMark G3D (20,312 vs 9,640), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, and 38 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 3060 Ti makes the most sense to buy today. It is $70 more expensive on MSRP at $399 vs $329, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 73.7% (50.9 vs 29.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 970 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 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 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 110.7%. The GeForce GTX 970 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score	9,640	20,312+111%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1664	4864+192%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.92 TFLOPS	16.2 TFLOPS+313%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	1665 MHz+41%
ROPs	56	80+43%
TMUs	104	152+46%
L1 Cache	0.61 MB	4.8 MB+687%
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 970 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
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 3060 Ti carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gives you 100% 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 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — a 100% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 970 and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 970) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	448 GB/s+100%
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
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 (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder	NVENC 2nd gen	NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder	PureVideo VP6	NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 28.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 970 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP	150W-25%	200W
Recommended PSU	500W-17%	600W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	75-6%
Perf/Watt	64.3	101.6+58%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 970 came in at $329, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 970 was 17.5% cheaper ($70 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 29.3 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 73.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (2020 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
MSRP	$329-18%	$399
Performance per Dollar	29.3	50.9+74%
Codename	GM204	GA104
Release	September 19 2014	December 1 2020
Ranking	#269	#73

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