GeForce GTX 970 vs RTX A1000 Mobile

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 RTX A1000 Mobile 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 RTX A1000 Mobile: 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

✅11.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 29.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌150% higher power demand at 150W vs 60W.

RTX A1000 Mobile

2022

Why buy it

✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 60W instead of 150W, a 90W reduction.
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 970 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌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 GTX 970 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 11.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.9% in PassMark G3D (9,640 vs 9,463), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

RTX A1000 Mobile is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 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, RTX A1000 Mobile has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 970 vs RTX A1000 Mobile 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.

RTX A1000 Mobile

The RTX A1000 Mobile is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 30 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 630 MHz to 1140 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 60W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,463 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 and the RTX A1000 Mobile reaches 9,463 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 970 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the RTX A1000 Mobile uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 2,048 (RTX A1000 Mobile). Raw compute: 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970) vs 4.669 TFLOPS (RTX A1000 Mobile). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1140 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	RTX A1000 Mobile
G3D Mark Score	9,640+2%	9,463
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1664	2048+23%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.92 TFLOPS	4.669 TFLOPS+19%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz+3%	1140 MHz
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)

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	RTX A1000 Mobile
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 970 and 128-bit on the RTX A1000 Mobile.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	RTX A1000 Mobile
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
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 12.2 (RTX A1000 Mobile). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	RTX A1000 Mobile
DirectX	12 (FL 12_1)	12.2+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 7th Gen NVENC (RTX A1000 Mobile). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (RTX A1000 Mobile).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	RTX A1000 Mobile
Encoder	NVENC 2nd gen	7th Gen NVENC
Decoder	PureVideo VP6	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the RTX A1000 Mobile's 60W — a 85.7% difference. The RTX A1000 Mobile is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 500W (RTX A1000 Mobile). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	RTX A1000 Mobile
TDP	150W	60W-60%
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	80°C
Perf/Watt	64.3	157.7+145%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is RTX A1000 Mobile (2022 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	RTX A1000 Mobile
MSRP	$329	—
Codename	GM204	GA107
Release	September 19 2014	March 30 2022
Ranking	#269	#277

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