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

✅+634.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌100% higher power demand at 200W vs 100W.

Radeon HD 7970M

2012

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 200W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,663 vs 26,919).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 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: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 44.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4070

2023

Radeon HD 7970M

2012

Why buy it

✅+634.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 200W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌100% higher power demand at 200W vs 100W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,663 vs 26,919).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 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: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 44.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4070 better than Radeon HD 7970M?

Yes. GeForce RTX 4070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 26,919 vs 3,663 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4070 is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, while Radeon HD 7970M is a 2012 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 2012, 634.9% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 4 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 today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 4070 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $599 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 634.9% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Radeon HD 7970M still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon HD 7970M is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around an unclear MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 4070 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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 7970M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970M
1080p
low	183 FPS	81 FPS
medium	167 FPS	69 FPS
high	151 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	36 FPS
1440p
low	150 FPS	71 FPS
medium	124 FPS	61 FPS
high	110 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	92 FPS	25 FPS
medium	78 FPS	24 FPS
high	65 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4070 Open Radeon HD 7970M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970M
1080p
low	544 FPS	150 FPS
medium	454 FPS	112 FPS
high	353 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	299 FPS	54 FPS
1440p
low	351 FPS	102 FPS
medium	288 FPS	71 FPS
high	235 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	39 FPS
4K
low	172 FPS	51 FPS
medium	144 FPS	37 FPS
high	125 FPS	29 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	20 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4070 Open Radeon HD 7970M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970M
1080p
low	884 FPS	165 FPS
medium	713 FPS	132 FPS
high	643 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	569 FPS	82 FPS
1440p
low	684 FPS	124 FPS
medium	549 FPS	99 FPS
high	483 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	62 FPS
4K
low	467 FPS	82 FPS
medium	373 FPS	66 FPS
high	326 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	41 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4070 Open Radeon HD 7970M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970M
1080p
low	751 FPS	144 FPS
medium	612 FPS	114 FPS
high	536 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	497 FPS	80 FPS
1440p
low	615 FPS	104 FPS
medium	500 FPS	85 FPS
high	433 FPS	73 FPS
ultra	395 FPS	56 FPS
4K
low	384 FPS	61 FPS
medium	324 FPS	46 FPS
high	301 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	25 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4070 Open Radeon HD 7970M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 4070 and Radeon HD 7970M

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 7970M

The Radeon HD 7970M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,663 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4070 scores 26,919 versus the Radeon HD 7970M's 3,663 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 634.9%. The GeForce RTX 4070 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon HD 7970M uses GCN 1.0, both on 5 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 7970M). Raw compute: 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 2.176 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970M).

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970M
G3D Mark Score	26,919+635%	3,663
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	GCN 1.0
Process Node	5 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	5888+360%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	29.15 TFLOPS+1240%	2.176 TFLOPS
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	184+130%	80
L1 Cache	5.8 MB+1771%	0.31 MB
L2 Cache	36 MB+7100%	0.5 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 7970M 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 7970M relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970M
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 7970M has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 4070 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs System. L2 Cache: 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7970M) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970M
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+200%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6X	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	504 GB/s	System
Bus Width	192-bit	System
L2 Cache	36 MB+7100%	0.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7970M). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970M
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 7970M). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs UVD 3. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 7970M).

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970M
Encoder	8th Gen NVENC (2x)	VCE 1.0
Decoder	5th Gen NVDEC	UVD 3
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4070 draws 200W versus the Radeon HD 7970M's 100W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon HD 7970M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7970M). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7970M
TDP	200W	100W-50%
Recommended PSU	650W	350W-46%
Power Connector	8-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	304mm	—
Height	137mm	—
Slots	3	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80°C-6%	85°C
Perf/Watt	134.6+268%	36.6