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 4070

2023

Why buy it

✅+412.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 156% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 17.6 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌10.5% longer card at 304mm vs 275mm.

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Measures 275mm instead of 304mm, a 29mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,248 vs 26,919).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 12 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 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 44.9 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4070

2023

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

2013

Why buy it

✅+412.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 156% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 17.6 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Measures 275mm instead of 304mm, a 29mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌10.5% longer card at 304mm vs 275mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,248 vs 26,919).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 12 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 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 44.9 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4070 better than Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X?

Yes. GeForce RTX 4070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 26,919 vs 5,248 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4070 is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, 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 4070 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2013, 412.9% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 3 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 4070 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 4070 is about 100.3% more expensive on MSRP at $599 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and you are getting 412.9% 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 4070 Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	183 FPS	100 FPS
medium	167 FPS	82 FPS
high	151 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	38 FPS
1440p
low	150 FPS	83 FPS
medium	124 FPS	70 FPS
high	110 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	92 FPS	27 FPS
medium	78 FPS	26 FPS
high	65 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4070 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	544 FPS	146 FPS
medium	454 FPS	118 FPS
high	353 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	299 FPS	71 FPS
1440p
low	351 FPS	86 FPS
medium	288 FPS	63 FPS
high	235 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	35 FPS
4K
low	172 FPS	34 FPS
medium	144 FPS	25 FPS
high	125 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4070 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	884 FPS	236 FPS
medium	713 FPS	189 FPS
high	643 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	569 FPS	118 FPS
1440p
low	684 FPS	177 FPS
medium	549 FPS	142 FPS
high	483 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	89 FPS
4K
low	467 FPS	118 FPS
medium	373 FPS	94 FPS
high	326 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	59 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4070 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	751 FPS	179 FPS
medium	612 FPS	148 FPS
high	536 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	497 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	615 FPS	126 FPS
medium	500 FPS	105 FPS
high	433 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	395 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	384 FPS	74 FPS
medium	324 FPS	59 FPS
high	301 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	33 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4070 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 4070 and Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

GeForce RTX 4070

The GeForce RTX 4070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1920 MHz to 2475 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,919 points. Launch price was $599.

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 4070 scores 26,919 versus the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X's 5,248 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 412.9%. The GeForce RTX 4070 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X uses GCN 1.0, both on 5 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Raw compute: 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Boost clocks: 2475 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
G3D Mark Score	26,919+413%	5,248
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	GCN 1.0
Process Node	5 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	5888+188%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	29.15 TFLOPS+612%	4.096 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	2475 MHz+148%	1000 MHz
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	184+44%	128
L1 Cache	5.8 MB+1060%	0.5 MB
L2 Cache	36 MB+4700%	0.75 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070 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 HD 7970 / R9 280X lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 4070 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 4070	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 4070 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X has 3 GB. The GeForce RTX 4070 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 504 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 264 GB/s (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — a 90.9% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070. Bus width: 192-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+300%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6X	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	504 GB/s+91%	264 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit	384-bit+100%
L2 Cache	36 MB+4700%	0.75 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070) 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 4070	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
DirectX	12.2+2%	12 (11_1)
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4070) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs UVD 3.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X).

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
Encoder	8th Gen NVENC (2x)	VCE 1.0
Decoder	5th Gen NVDEC	UVD 3.2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4070 draws 200W versus the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X's 200W — a 0% difference. The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 304mm vs 275mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80 C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
TDP	200W	200W
Recommended PSU	650W	500W-23%
Power Connector	8-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	304mm	275mm
Height	137mm	111mm
Slots	3	2-33%
Temp (Load)	80°C	80 C
Perf/Watt	134.6+414%	26.2

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 4070 launched at $599 MSRP, while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X launched at $299. The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X costs 50.1% less ($300 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 17.6 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — the GeForce RTX 4070 offers 155.1% better value. The GeForce RTX 4070 is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2013).