GeForce GTX 970M vs GeForce RTX 4070 Ti

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 970M

2014Core: 924 MHzBoost: 1038 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 4070 Ti
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070 Ti

2023Core: 2310 MHzBoost: 2610 MHz

Popular choices:

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 970M

2014

Why buy it

  • Draws 81W instead of 285W, a 204W reduction.
  • Measures 1mm instead of 285mm, a 284mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,705 vs 31,578).
  • Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 39.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $799 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4070 Ti

2023

Why buy it

  • +453.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 39.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($799 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 3 GB).
  • More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 251.9% higher power demand at 285W vs 81W.
  • 28400% longer card at 285mm vs 1mm.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4070 Ti better than GeForce GTX 970M?
Yes. GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 31,578 vs 5,705 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, while GeForce GTX 970M is a 2014 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2014, 453.5% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 3 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $799 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 453.5% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is GeForce GTX 970M still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. GeForce GTX 970M is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around an unclear MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

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 9800X3D 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 970MGeForce RTX 4070 Ti
1080p
low77 FPS188 FPS
medium63 FPS171 FPS
high49 FPS155 FPS
ultra32 FPS135 FPS
1440p
low65 FPS151 FPS
medium53 FPS125 FPS
high37 FPS111 FPS
ultra24 FPS102 FPS
4K
low24 FPS92 FPS
medium23 FPS79 FPS
high14 FPS66 FPS
ultra12 FPS59 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 970MGeForce RTX 4070 Ti
1080p
low156 FPS664 FPS
medium127 FPS539 FPS
high102 FPS415 FPS
ultra70 FPS366 FPS
1440p
low108 FPS496 FPS
medium82 FPS400 FPS
high65 FPS329 FPS
ultra43 FPS269 FPS
4K
low47 FPS250 FPS
medium38 FPS211 FPS
high35 FPS187 FPS
ultra25 FPS159 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 970MGeForce RTX 4070 Ti
1080p
low257 FPS921 FPS
medium205 FPS742 FPS
high171 FPS652 FPS
ultra128 FPS569 FPS
1440p
low193 FPS720 FPS
medium154 FPS578 FPS
high128 FPS497 FPS
ultra96 FPS427 FPS
4K
low128 FPS498 FPS
medium103 FPS403 FPS
high86 FPS352 FPS
ultra58 FPS296 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 970MGeForce RTX 4070 Ti
1080p
low134 FPS879 FPS
medium109 FPS731 FPS
high94 FPS664 FPS
ultra78 FPS600 FPS
1440p
low98 FPS706 FPS
medium81 FPS585 FPS
high70 FPS514 FPS
ultra56 FPS460 FPS
4K
low58 FPS477 FPS
medium45 FPS408 FPS
high35 FPS366 FPS
ultra26 FPS324 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 970M and GeForce RTX 4070 Ti

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 970M

The GeForce GTX 970M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 7 2014. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 924 MHz to 1038 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 81W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,705 points. Launch price was $2,560.89.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070 Ti

The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 3 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2310 MHz to 2610 MHz. It has 7680 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 285W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 60 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 31,578 points. Launch price was $799.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 970M scores 5,705 versus the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti's 31,578 — the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti leads by 453.5%. The GeForce GTX 970M is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 7,680 (GeForce RTX 4070 Ti). Raw compute: 2.657 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 40.09 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070 Ti). Boost clocks: 1038 MHz vs 2610 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970MGeForce RTX 4070 Ti
G3D Mark Score
5,705
31,578+454%
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
28 nm
4 nm
Shading Units
1280
7680+500%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.657 TFLOPS
40.09 TFLOPS+1409%
Boost Clock
1038 MHz
2610 MHz+151%
ROPs
48
80+67%
TMUs
80
240+200%
L1 Cache
0.47 MB
7.5 MB+1496%
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
48 MB+3100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce GTX 970M lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 970M is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970MGeForce RTX 4070 Ti
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 970M comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 120 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 504 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4070 Ti) — a 320% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. Bus width: 192-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 48 MB (GeForce RTX 4070 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970MGeForce RTX 4070 Ti
VRAM Capacity
3 GB
12 GB+300%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth
120 GB/s
504 GB/s+320%
Bus Width
192-bit
192-bit
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
48 MB+3100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_1 (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4070 Ti). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970MGeForce RTX 4070 Ti
DirectX
12_1
12 Ultimate
Max Displays
0
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5th Gen (GeForce GTX 970M) vs NVENC (8th Gen) (GeForce RTX 4070 Ti). Decoder: NVDEC 2nd Gen vs NVDEC (5th Gen).

FeatureGeForce GTX 970MGeForce RTX 4070 Ti
Encoder
NVENC 5th Gen
NVENC (8th Gen)
Decoder
NVDEC 2nd Gen
NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs
AV1,H.264,H.265,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970M draws 81W versus the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti's 285W — a 111.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 970M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 700W (GeForce RTX 4070 Ti). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 1mm vs 285mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 970MGeForce RTX 4070 Ti
TDP
81W-72%
285W
Recommended PSU
350W-50%
700W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
8-pin
Length
1mm
285mm
Height
112mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
70°C
Perf/Watt
70.4
110.8+57%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce GTX 970MGeForce RTX 4070 Ti
MSRP
$799
Codename
GM204
AD104
Release
October 7 2014
January 3 2023
Ranking
#408
#11