GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon HD8970M

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 4060 Laptop GPU

2023

Why buy it

✅292.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌60% higher power demand at 160W vs 100W.

Radeon HD8970M

2013

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 160W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

2023

Radeon HD8970M

2013

Why buy it

✅292.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 160W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌60% higher power demand at 160W vs 100W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU better than Radeon HD8970M?

Yes. GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU averages 292.9% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 17,400 vs 3,369 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, while Radeon HD8970M 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 4060 Laptop GPU is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2013, 416.5% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 2 GB, and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) 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 4060 Laptop GPU is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 292.9% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 416.5% higher G3D Mark. G3D-per-dollar is basically tied between them. If you are comfortable paying the premium for the stronger gaming result, GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is the one to buy. If staying closer to budget matters more, Radeon HD8970M still makes more sense on price alone, but the performance trade-off is much harder to justify by current standards.

Is Radeon HD8970M still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon HD8970M is still a strong gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. This mostly comes down to price. If you want to stay closer to an unclear MSRP, it remains a strong choice; if you are comfortable paying more, GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU earns that extra money with a clearly stronger gaming result and a more complete overall package.

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 4060 Laptop GPU Benchmark Check

Radeon HD8970M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD8970M
1080p
low	177 FPS	77 FPS
medium	162 FPS	63 FPS
high	142 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	124 FPS	32 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	65 FPS
medium	118 FPS	53 FPS
high	101 FPS	37 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	23 FPS
4K
low	93 FPS	23 FPS
medium	79 FPS	22 FPS
high	66 FPS	14 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	12 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon HD8970M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD8970M
1080p
low	416 FPS	140 FPS
medium	348 FPS	105 FPS
high	282 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	49 FPS
1440p
low	269 FPS	96 FPS
medium	226 FPS	67 FPS
high	188 FPS	51 FPS
ultra	154 FPS	36 FPS
4K
low	117 FPS	47 FPS
medium	97 FPS	35 FPS
high	82 FPS	27 FPS
ultra	64 FPS	18 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon HD8970M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD8970M
1080p
low	783 FPS	152 FPS
medium	626 FPS	121 FPS
high	522 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	392 FPS	76 FPS
1440p
low	587 FPS	114 FPS
medium	470 FPS	91 FPS
high	392 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	294 FPS	57 FPS
4K
low	392 FPS	76 FPS
medium	313 FPS	61 FPS
high	261 FPS	51 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	38 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon HD8970M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD8970M
1080p
low	775 FPS	141 FPS
medium	626 FPS	112 FPS
high	522 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	392 FPS	76 FPS
1440p
low	587 FPS	102 FPS
medium	470 FPS	83 FPS
high	392 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	294 FPS	55 FPS
4K
low	374 FPS	60 FPS
medium	313 FPS	45 FPS
high	261 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	25 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon HD8970M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU and Radeon HD8970M

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2310 MHz to 2535 MHz. It has 4352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 34 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 17,400 points. Launch price was $399.

Radeon HD8970M

The Radeon HD8970M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 14 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,369 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU scores 17,400 versus the Radeon HD8970M's 3,369 — the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU leads by 416.5%. The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon HD8970M uses GCN 1.0, both on 5 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 4,352 (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD8970M). Raw compute: 22.06 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon HD8970M). Boost clocks: 2535 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD8970M
G3D Mark Score	17,400+416%	3,369
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	GCN 1.0
Process Node	5 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	4352+240%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	22.06 TFLOPS+857%	2.304 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	2535 MHz+182%	900 MHz
ROPs	48+50%	32
TMUs	136+70%	80
L1 Cache	4.3 MB+1287%	0.31 MB
L2 Cache	32 MB+6300%	0.5 MB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The Radeon HD8970M lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon HD8970M relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD8970M
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	Yes (DLSS 3.5)	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD8970M has 2 GB. The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs System. L2 Cache: 32 MB (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD8970M) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD8970M
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+300%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	256 GB/s	System
Bus Width	128-bit	System
L2 Cache	32 MB+6300%	0.5 MB

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU draws 160W versus the Radeon HD8970M's 100W — a 46.2% difference. The Radeon HD8970M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) vs 350W (Radeon HD8970M). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered.