GeForce RTX 3060 Ti vs Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020Core: 1410 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz
RTX family
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

2011Core: 680 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3060 Ti vs Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire 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 RTX 3060 Ti vs Radeon HD 6970M 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 Ti vs Radeon HD 6970M 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 Ti

2020

Why buy it

  • 319.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 35.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 37.6 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 300% higher power demand at 200W vs 50W.
  • 24100% longer card at 242mm vs 1mm.

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

2011

Why buy it

  • Costs $249 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • Draws 50W instead of 200W, a 150W reduction.
  • Measures 1mm instead of 242mm, a 241mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • 2011 hardware with 4 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 37.6 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 319.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 260.3% in PassMark G3D (20,312 vs 5,637), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 40nm, 38 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2011. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti makes the most sense to buy today. It is $249 more expensive on MSRP at $399 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 35.5% (50.9 vs 37.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti vs Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

AMD

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 6 2011. It features the Terascale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 680 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,637 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 20,312 versus the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire's 5,637 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 260.3%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is built on Ampere while the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire uses Terascale 2, both on 8 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 1,920 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon HD 6970M Crossfire
G3D Mark Score
20,312+260%
5,637
Architecture
Ampere
Terascale 2
Process Node
8 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
4864+153%
1920

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon HD 6970M 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
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire carries 4 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 115.2 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire) — a 288.8% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and 256-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon HD 6970M Crossfire
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+100%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s+289%
115.2 GB/s x2
Bus Width
256-bit
256-bit x2
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 11_0 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon HD 6970M Crossfire
DirectX
12 Ultimate (12_2)+9%
11_0
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs UVD 3 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire). Decoder: NVDEC (Ampere) vs UVD 3.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon HD 6970M Crossfire
Encoder
NVENC (Ampere)
UVD 3
Decoder
NVDEC (Ampere)
UVD 3
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti draws 200W versus the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire's 50W — a 120% difference. The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon HD 6970M Crossfire
TDP
200W
50W-75%
Recommended PSU
600W
350W-42%
Power Connector
8-pin
1x 6-pin
Length
242mm
1mm
Height
112mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75
Perf/Watt
101.6
112.7+11%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti came in at $399, while the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire launched at $150. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire was 62.4% cheaper ($249 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 37.6 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 35.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (2020 vs 2011).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon HD 6970M Crossfire
MSRP
$399
$150-62%
Performance per Dollar
50.9+35%
37.6
Codename
GA104
Blackcomb XT
Release
December 1 2020
January 6 2011
Ranking
#73
#537

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