GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire

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 RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire 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.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire: 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 RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅186.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 170W instead of 200W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire

2012

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌17.6% higher power demand at 200W vs 170W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 186.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 163.4% in PassMark G3D (13,170 vs 5,000), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2012. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire Technical Specifications

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

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 12 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,170 points.

Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire

The Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 1 2012. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,000 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire's 5,000 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 163.4%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire uses GCN, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 2,560 (Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire
G3D Mark Score	13,170+163%	5,000
Architecture	Ampere	GCN
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	3584+40%	2560

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire carries 2 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gives you 200% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 153.6 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire) — a 118.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and 256-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+200%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s+119%	153.6 GB/s x2
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit x2+33%

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire's 200W — a 16.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire). Power connectors: Mobile vs 1x 6-pin.