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 RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

✅+168.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 130.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 17.6 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,248 vs 14,114).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-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 17.6 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

2013

Why buy it

✅+168.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 130.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 17.6 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,248 vs 14,114).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-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 17.6 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 2060 better than Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X?

Yes. GeForce RTX 2060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 14,114 vs 5,248 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 2060 is a 2019 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is a 2013 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. 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 2060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2013, 168.9% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 3 GB, and the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling. 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 2060 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 2060 is about 16.7% more expensive on MSRP at $349 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and you are getting 168.9% higher G3D Mark. Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is 2013 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM, 5,248 in G3D Mark, and FSR upscaling. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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.

GeForce RTX 2060 Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	108 FPS	100 FPS
medium	98 FPS	82 FPS
high	82 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	38 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	83 FPS
medium	83 FPS	70 FPS
high	69 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	47 FPS	27 FPS
medium	43 FPS	26 FPS
high	31 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	290 FPS	146 FPS
medium	247 FPS	118 FPS
high	197 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	155 FPS	71 FPS
1440p
low	192 FPS	86 FPS
medium	164 FPS	63 FPS
high	131 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	35 FPS
4K
low	108 FPS	34 FPS
medium	91 FPS	25 FPS
high	75 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	57 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	635 FPS	236 FPS
medium	508 FPS	189 FPS
high	423 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	118 FPS
1440p
low	476 FPS	177 FPS
medium	381 FPS	142 FPS
high	318 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	89 FPS
4K
low	318 FPS	118 FPS
medium	254 FPS	94 FPS
high	212 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	159 FPS	59 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	428 FPS	179 FPS
medium	354 FPS	148 FPS
high	286 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	357 FPS	126 FPS
medium	302 FPS	105 FPS
high	235 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	204 FPS	74 FPS
medium	166 FPS	59 FPS
high	154 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	33 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 2060 and Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

GeForce RTX 2060

The GeForce RTX 2060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 7 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1365 MHz to 1680 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 30 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 14,114 points. Launch price was $349.

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,248 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2060 scores 14,114 versus the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X's 5,248 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 168.9%. The GeForce RTX 2060 is built on Turing while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X uses GCN 1.0, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Raw compute: 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Boost clocks: 1680 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
G3D Mark Score	14,114+169%	5,248
Architecture	Turing	GCN 1.0
Process Node	12 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1920	2048+7%
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.451 TFLOPS+57%	4.096 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1680 MHz+68%	1000 MHz
ROPs	48+50%	32
TMUs	120	128+7%
L1 Cache	1.9 MB+280%	0.5 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB+300%	0.75 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 2060 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X has 3 GB. The GeForce RTX 2060 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 264 GB/s (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — a 27.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+100%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s+27%	264 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit	384-bit+100%
L2 Cache	3 MB+300%	0.75 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
DirectX	12 Ultimate (12_2)	12 (11_1)
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Decoder: NVDEC (Turing) vs UVD 3.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X).

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
Encoder	NVENC (Turing)	VCE 1.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Turing)	UVD 3.2
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2060 draws 160W versus the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X's 200W — a 22.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 2060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 72 vs 80 C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
TDP	160W-20%	200W
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	8-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	229mm	275mm
Height	113mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	72-10%	80 C
Perf/Watt	88.2+237%	26.2

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 2060 launched at $349 MSRP, while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X launched at $299. The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X costs 14.3% less ($50 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 17.6 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 129.5% better value. The GeForce RTX 2060 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2013).