GeForce GTX 970 vs Radeon 8040S

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 Radeon 8040S

#52

Radeon 8060S

MSRP: $800|Avg: $800

92%

#206

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

445%

#208

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

404%

#209

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

402%

#213

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

366%

#214

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

363%

#216

Radeon 8040S

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

100%

#217

Radeon R7 +8G

MSRP: $49|Avg: $20

100%

#221

Radeon HD 6550A

MSRP: $30|Avg: $30

97%

#222

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

MSRP: $150|Avg: $75

96%

#224

GeForce GT 640M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

93%

#228

GeForce GT 750M Mac Edition

MSRP: $149|Avg: $40

91%

#230

Maxwell GPU Surface Book

MSRP: $150|Avg: $75

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon 8040S is significantly newer (2025 vs 2014). The Radeon 8040S 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 Radeon 8040S is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.2% higher G3D Mark score. 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	Radeon 8040S
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.2%)	✅Leading raw performance (+1.2%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019))	RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) (4nm)
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	🎮 High Capacity (4 GB)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	Standard Size (267mm)	—

💎 Value Proposition

The GeForce GTX 970 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $50 versus $400 for the Radeon 8040S, it costs 88% less. While it maintains competitive performance, this results in a 690.5% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon 8040S
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+690.5%)	❌Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($50)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($400)

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

Radeon 8040S Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 970 and Radeon 8040S

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.

Radeon 8040S

The Radeon 8040S is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 6 2025. It features the RDNA 3.5 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1295 MHz to 2800 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 55W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,756 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 and the Radeon 8040S reaches 9,756 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 970 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon 8040S uses RDNA 3.5, both on 28 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 1,024 (Radeon 8040S). Raw compute: 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970) vs 5.734 TFLOPS (Radeon 8040S). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 2800 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon 8040S
G3D Mark Score	9,640	9,756+1%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	RDNA 3.5
Process Node	28 nm	4 nm
Shading Units	1664+63%	1024
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.92 TFLOPS	5.734 TFLOPS+46%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	2800 MHz+138%
ROPs	56+75%	32
TMUs	104+63%	64
L2 Cache	2 MB	8 MB+300%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon 8040S
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)

Both cards feature 4 GB of video memory. Bus width: 256-bit vs System. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 970) vs 8 MB (Radeon 8040S) — the Radeon 8040S has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon 8040S
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	System
Bus Width	256-bit	System
L2 Cache	2 MB	8 MB+300%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970) vs 12.2 (Radeon 8040S). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon 8040S
DirectX	12 (FL 12_1)	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2nd gen (GeForce GTX 970) vs VCN 4.5 (Radeon 8040S). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs VCN 4.5. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Radeon 8040S).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon 8040S
Encoder	NVENC 2nd gen	VCN 4.5
Decoder	PureVideo VP6	VCN 4.5
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the Radeon 8040S's 55W — a 92.7% difference. The Radeon 8040S is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 500W (Radeon 8040S). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon 8040S
TDP	150W	55W-63%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80°C-6%	85°C
Perf/Watt	64.3	177.4+176%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 970 launched at $329 MSRP and currently averages $50, while the Radeon 8040S launched at $400 and now averages $400. The GeForce GTX 970 costs 87.5% less ($350 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 192.8 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 24.4 (Radeon 8040S) — the GeForce GTX 970 offers 690.2% better value. The Radeon 8040S is the newer GPU (2025 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	Radeon 8040S
MSRP	$329-18%	$400
Avg Price (30d)	$50-88%	$400
Performance per Dollar	192.8+690%	24.4
Codename	GM204	Strix Halo
Release	September 19 2014	January 6 2025
Ranking	#269	#265