Quadro K1200 vs Radeon HD 6970

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.

Quadro K1200 vs Radeon HD 6970 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.

Quadro K1200 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.

Quadro K1200

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $69 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $369 MSRP).
✅Delivers 28.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.9 vs 7.7 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $369 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 45W instead of 250W, a 205W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 6970 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon HD 6970

2010

Why buy it

✅50.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2010 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
23% HIGHER MSRP
$369 MSRPvs$300 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 7.7 vs 9.9 G3D/$ ($369 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
❌455.6% higher power demand at 250W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 6970 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 50.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Quadro K1200 instead at 2,965 vs 2,831, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Quadro K1200 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2010. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Quadro K1200 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $69 cheaper on MSRP at $300 vs $369, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 28.8% (9.9 vs 7.7), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon HD 6970 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Quadro K1200 vs Radeon HD 6970 Technical Specifications

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

Quadro K1200

The Quadro K1200 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 28 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 954 MHz to 1033 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,965 points. Launch price was $321.97.

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 Quadro K1200 scores 2,965 and the Radeon HD 6970 reaches 2,831 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro K1200 is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 6970 uses TeraScale 3, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 512 (Quadro K1200) vs 1,536 (Radeon HD 6970). Raw compute: 1.0578 TFLOPS (Quadro K1200) vs 2.703 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6970). Boost clocks: 1033 MHz vs 880 MHz.

Feature	Quadro K1200	Radeon HD 6970
G3D Mark Score	2,965+5%	2,831
Architecture	Maxwell	TeraScale 3
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	512	1536+200%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.0578 TFLOPS	2.703 TFLOPS+156%
Boost Clock	1033 MHz+17%	880 MHz
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	32	96+200%
L1 Cache	256 KB+33%	192 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Quadro K1200	Radeon 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)

The Quadro K1200 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6970 carries 2 GB. Quadro K1200 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Quadro K1200 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6970. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Quadro K1200) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6970) — the Quadro K1200 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Quadro K1200	Radeon HD 6970
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+100%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro K1200 draws 45W versus the Radeon HD 6970's 250W — a 139% difference. The Quadro K1200 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro K1200) vs 550W (Radeon HD 6970). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin.

Feature	Quadro K1200	Radeon HD 6970
TDP	45W-82%	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	65.9+483%	11.3

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Quadro K1200 came in at $300, while the Radeon HD 6970 launched at $369. On MSRP, Quadro K1200 was 18.7% cheaper ($69 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 9.9 (Quadro K1200) vs 7.7 (Radeon HD 6970) — the Quadro K1200 offers 28.6% better value. The newer card here is Quadro K1200 (2015 vs 2010).

Feature	Quadro K1200	Radeon HD 6970
MSRP	$300-19%	$369
Performance per Dollar	9.9+29%	7.7
Codename	GM107	Cayman
Release	January 28 2015	December 14 2010
Ranking	#586	#596

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