GRID K260Q vs Radeon HD 6970

GRID K260Q

2013Core: 745 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6970

2010Boost: 880 MHz
Similar parts
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GRID K260Q vs Radeon HD 6970 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.

GRID K260Q vs Radeon HD 6970: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GRID K260Q

2013

Why buy it

  • More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 153.9% HIGHER MSRP
    $937 MSRPvs$369 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 3.1 vs 7.7 G3D/$ ($937 MSRP vs $369 MSRP).

Radeon HD 6970

2010

Why buy it

  • Costs $568 less on MSRP ($369 MSRP vs $937 MSRP).
  • Delivers 143.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.7 vs 3.1 G3D/$ ($369 MSRP vs $937 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • 2010 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GRID K260Q is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 4.2% in PassMark G3D (2,949 vs 2,831), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GRID K260Q is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2013 generation instead of 2010. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 6970 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $568 cheaper on MSRP at $369 vs $937, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 143.8% (7.7 vs 3.1), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6970 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GRID K260Q has the stronger long-term case.

GRID K260Q vs Radeon HD 6970 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GRID K260Q

The GRID K260Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 28 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 745 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,949 points. Launch price was $937.

AMD

Radeon HD 6970

The Radeon HD 6970 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 14 2010. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The boost clock speed is 880 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,831 points. Launch price was $369.

Graphics Performance

The GRID K260Q scores 2,949 and the Radeon HD 6970 reaches 2,831 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID K260Q is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 6970 uses TeraScale 3, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GRID K260Q) vs 1,536 (Radeon HD 6970). Raw compute: 2.289 TFLOPS (GRID K260Q) vs 2.703 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6970).

FeatureGRID K260QRadeon HD 6970
G3D Mark Score
2,949+4%
2,831
Architecture
Kepler
TeraScale 3
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
1536
1536
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.289 TFLOPS
2.703 TFLOPS+18%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
128+33%
96
L1 Cache
128 KB
192 KB+50%
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGRID K260QRadeon HD 6970
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GRID K260Q and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6970.

FeatureGRID K260QRadeon HD 6970
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GRID K260Q draws 225W versus the Radeon HD 6970's 250W — a 10.5% difference. The GRID K260Q is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID K260Q) vs 550W (Radeon HD 6970). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin.

FeatureGRID K260QRadeon HD 6970
TDP
225W-10%
250W
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
6-pin + 8-pin
Length
286mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
90
Perf/Watt
13.1+16%
11.3
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GRID K260Q came in at $937, while the Radeon HD 6970 launched at $369. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6970 was 60.6% cheaper ($568 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 3.1 (GRID K260Q) vs 7.7 (Radeon HD 6970) — the Radeon HD 6970 offers 148.4% better value. The newer card here is GRID K260Q (2013 vs 2010).

FeatureGRID K260QRadeon HD 6970
MSRP
$937
$369-61%
Performance per Dollar
3.1
7.7+148%
Codename
GK104
Cayman
Release
June 28 2013
December 14 2010
Ranking
#589
#596

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