GeForce GTX 970M
GRID P40-12Q
GeForce GTX 970M 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 vs GRID P40-12Q 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
GeForce GTX 970M 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
2014Why buy it
- ✅Draws 81W instead of 225W, a 144W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌2014 hardware with 3 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 $5,699 MSRP).
GRID P40-12Q
2015Why buy it
- ✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 1.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($5,699 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
- ✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
- ✅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.
- ❌177.8% higher power demand at 225W vs 81W.
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GeForce GTX 970M vs GRID P40-12Q Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
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.
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 scores 5,705 and the GRID P40-12Q reaches 5,540 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 970M is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GRID P40-12Q uses Maxwell 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 2,048 (GRID P40-12Q). Raw compute: 2.657 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 4.825 TFLOPS (GRID P40-12Q). Boost clocks: 1038 MHz vs 1178 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 970M | GRID P40-12Q |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 5,705+3% | 5,540 |
| Architecture | Maxwell 2.0 | Maxwell 2.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 1280 | 2048+60% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 2.657 TFLOPS | 4.825 TFLOPS+82% |
| Boost Clock | 1038 MHz | 1178 MHz+13% |
| ROPs | 48 | 64+33% |
| TMUs | 80 | 128+60% |
| L1 Cache | 480 KB | 768 KB+60% |
| L2 Cache | 1.5 MB | 2 MB+33% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce GTX 970M 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.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 970M | GRID P40-12Q |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | Upscaling support | Upscaling support |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | NVIDIA Reflex | Standard |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce GTX 970M has 3 GB of VRAM, while the GRID P40-12Q carries 4 GB. GRID P40-12Q gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 970M and 128-bit on the GRID P40-12Q. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 2 MB (GRID P40-12Q) — the GRID P40-12Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 970M | GRID P40-12Q |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 3 GB | 4 GB+33% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Bus Width | 192-bit+50% | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 1.5 MB | 2 MB+33% |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 970M draws 81W versus the GRID P40-12Q's 225W — a 94.1% difference. The GeForce GTX 970M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 350W (GRID P40-12Q). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 970M | GRID P40-12Q |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 81W-64% | 225W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 1mm | — |
| Slots | 0 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 70.4+186% | 24.6 |
Value Analysis
The newer card here is GRID P40-12Q (2015 vs 2014).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 970M | GRID P40-12Q |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | — | $5699 |
| Codename | GM204 | GM204 |
| Release | October 7 2014 | August 30 2015 |
| Ranking | #408 | #433 |
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