GeForce GTX 970M vs Radeon R9 285 / 380

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. The GeForce GTX 970M is positioned at rank #27 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Great cost-benefit for your build. 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 GeForce GTX 970M

#17

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

152%

#19

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

138%

#20

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

138%

#24

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

125%

#25

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

124%

#27

GeForce GTX 970M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#35

GeForce GTX 960M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

95%

#37

UHD Graphics 730 (Rocket Lake)

MSRP: $50|Avg: $50

93%

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 970M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.8% higher G3D Mark score and 50% more VRAM (3 GB vs 2 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon R9 285 / 380.

Insight	GeForce GTX 970M	Radeon R9 285 / 380
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+2.8%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.8%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / GCN 3.0 (2014−2019))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	✅ More VRAM (+50%)	❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce GTX 970M remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

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.

GeForce GTX 970M Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 285 / 380 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 970M and Radeon R9 285 / 380

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.

Radeon R9 285 / 380

The Radeon R9 285 / 380 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 2 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 918 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,550 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 970M scores 5,705 and the Radeon R9 285 / 380 reaches 5,550 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 970M is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Raw compute: 2.657 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 3.29 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 285 / 380).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970M	Radeon R9 285 / 380
G3D Mark Score	5,705+3%	5,550
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1280	1792+40%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.657 TFLOPS	3.29 TFLOPS+24%
ROPs	48+50%	32
TMUs	80	112+40%
L1 Cache	480 KB+7%	448 KB
L2 Cache	1.5 MB+200%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 970M	Radeon R9 285 / 380
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)

The GeForce GTX 970M comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 has 2 GB. The GeForce GTX 970M offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 120 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 176 GB/s (Radeon R9 285 / 380) — a 46.7% advantage for the Radeon R9 285 / 380. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 285 / 380) — the GeForce GTX 970M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970M	Radeon R9 285 / 380
VRAM Capacity	3 GB+50%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	120 GB/s	176 GB/s+47%
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB+200%	0.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_1 (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 12 (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970M	Radeon R9 285 / 380
DirectX	12_1	12
Max Displays	0	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5th Gen (GeForce GTX 970M) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Decoder: NVDEC 2nd Gen vs UVD 5.0.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970M	Radeon R9 285 / 380
Encoder	NVENC 5th Gen	VCE 3.0
Decoder	NVDEC 2nd Gen	UVD 5.0
Codecs	—	H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970M draws 81W versus the Radeon R9 285 / 380's 190W — a 80.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 970M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 970M) vs 500W (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 1mm vs 221mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.