GeForce GTX 970
VS
Radeon R9 Fury

GeForce GTX 970 vs Radeon R9 Fury

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 970

2014Core: 1050 MHzBoost: 1178 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon R9 Fury

2015Boost: 1000 MHz

Performance Spectrum - GPU

About G3D Mark

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

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce GTX 970 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 Radeon R9 Fury.

InsightGeForce GTX 970Radeon R9 Fury
Performance
Leading raw performance (+1.2%)
Lower raw frame rates (-1.2%)
Longevity
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019))
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / GCN 3.0 (2014−2019))
Ecosystem
Supports FSR Upscaling
Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM
❌ Less VRAM capacity
✅ More VRAM (+0%)
Efficiency
💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit
Standard Size (267mm)
📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The GeForce GTX 970 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GeForce GTX 970 holds the technical lead. Priced at $50 (vs $50), it costs 0% less, resulting in a 1.2% higher cost efficiency score.

InsightGeForce GTX 970Radeon R9 Fury
Cost Efficiency
Better overall value (+1.2%)
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 970 and Radeon R9 Fury

NVIDIA

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.

AMD

Radeon R9 Fury

The Radeon R9 Fury is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 10 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,521 points. Launch price was $549.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 and the Radeon R9 Fury reaches 9,521 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 R9 Fury uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 3,584 (Radeon R9 Fury). Raw compute: 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970) vs 7.168 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 Fury). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970Radeon R9 Fury
G3D Mark Score
9,640+1%
9,521
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
GCN 3.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1664
3584+115%
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.92 TFLOPS
7.168 TFLOPS+83%
Boost Clock
1178 MHz+18%
1000 MHz
ROPs
56
64+14%
TMUs
104
224+115%
L1 Cache
624 KB
896 KB+44%
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce GTX 970Radeon R9 Fury
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. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970) vs 512 GB/s (Radeon R9 Fury) — a 128.6% advantage for the Radeon R9 Fury. Bus width: 256-bit vs 4096-bit.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970Radeon R9 Fury
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
HBM
Memory Bandwidth
224 GB/s
512 GB/s+129%
Bus Width
256-bit
4096-bit+1500%
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 Fury). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970Radeon R9 Fury
DirectX
12 (FL 12_1)
12.0
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.6+5%
4.4
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2nd gen (GeForce GTX 970) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 Fury). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs UVD 6.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon R9 Fury).

FeatureGeForce GTX 970Radeon R9 Fury
Encoder
NVENC 2nd gen
VCE 3.0
Decoder
PureVideo VP6
UVD 6.0
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the Radeon R9 Fury's 275W — a 58.8% difference. The GeForce GTX 970 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 600W (Radeon R9 Fury). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 195mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 65°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970Radeon R9 Fury
TDP
150W-45%
275W
Recommended PSU
500W-17%
600W
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
2x 8-pin
Length
267mm
195mm
Height
111mm
115mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
65°C-19%
Perf/Watt
64.3+86%
34.6
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 970 launched at $329 MSRP and currently averages $50, while the Radeon R9 Fury launched at $549 and now averages $50. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 192.8 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 190.4 (Radeon R9 Fury) — the GeForce GTX 970 offers 1.3% better value. The Radeon R9 Fury is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce GTX 970Radeon R9 Fury
MSRP
$329-40%
$549
Avg Price (30d)
$50
$50
Performance per Dollar
192.8+1%
190.4
Codename
GM204
Fiji
Release
September 19 2014
July 10 2015
Ranking
#269
#274