GeForce GTX 970M SLI vs GRID P40-12Q

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 970M SLI

2014Core: 924 MHzBoost: 1038 MHz
Similar parts
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VS

GRID P40-12Q

2015Core: 557 MHzBoost: 1178 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 970M SLI vs GRID P40-12Q Performance Spectrum

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.

GeForce GTX 970M SLI vs GRID P40-12Q: 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 970M SLI

2014

Why buy it

  • Draws 162W instead of 225W, a 63W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 1.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $5,699 MSRP).

GRID P40-12Q

2015

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 1.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($5,699 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • More future proof: Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 38.9% higher power demand at 225W vs 162W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GRID P40-12Q is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (5,540 vs 5,500), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 970M SLI is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GRID P40-12Q 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, GRID P40-12Q is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 970M SLI has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 970M SLI vs GRID P40-12Q Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 970M SLI

The GeForce GTX 970M SLI is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 7 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 924 MHz to 1038 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 162W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,500 points.

NVIDIA

GRID P40-12Q

The GRID P40-12Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 30 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 557 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,540 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 970M SLI scores 5,500 and the GRID P40-12Q reaches 5,540 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 970M SLI is built on Maxwell while the GRID P40-12Q uses Maxwell 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 970M SLI) vs 2,048 (GRID P40-12Q). Boost clocks: 1038 MHz vs 1178 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970M SLIGRID P40-12Q
G3D Mark Score
5,500
5,540
Architecture
Maxwell
Maxwell 2.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
2560+25%
2048
Boost Clock
1038 MHz
1178 MHz+13%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 970M SLI gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The GRID P40-12Q leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970M SLIGRID P40-12Q
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is 192-bit x2 on the GeForce GTX 970M SLI and 128-bit on the GRID P40-12Q.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970M SLIGRID P40-12Q
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Bus Width
192-bit x2+50%
128-bit
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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970M SLI draws 162W versus the GRID P40-12Q's 225W — a 32.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 970M SLI is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 970M SLI) vs 350W (GRID P40-12Q). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970M SLIGRID P40-12Q
TDP
162W-28%
225W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
34.0+38%
24.6
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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GRID P40-12Q (2015 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce GTX 970M SLIGRID P40-12Q
MSRP
$5699
Codename
GM204
Release
October 7 2014
August 30 2015
Ranking
#284
#433

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