Quadro M3000M vs Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

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 M3000M vs Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire 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 M3000M vs Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire: 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 M3000M

2015

Why buy it

✅32.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅More future proof: Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 37.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌50% higher power demand at 75W vs 50W.

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

2011

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 37.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 50W instead of 75W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Quadro M3000M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2011 hardware with 4 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?

Quadro M3000M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 32.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire instead at 5,637 vs 5,574, 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 M3000M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2011. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Quadro M3000M has the stronger long-term case.

Quadro M3000M vs Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire Technical Specifications

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

Quadro M3000M

The Quadro M3000M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 18 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 1050 MHz. It has 1,024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,574 points.

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 6 2011. It features the Terascale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 680 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,637 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Quadro M3000M scores 5,574 and the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire reaches 5,637 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro M3000M is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire uses Terascale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 1 (Quadro M3000M) vs 1,920 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire).

Feature	Quadro M3000M	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire
G3D Mark Score	5,574	5,637+1%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Terascale 2
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	1,024	1920+88%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Quadro M3000M	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire
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 4 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Quadro M3000M and 256-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire.

Feature	Quadro M3000M	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit x2+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (Quadro M3000M) vs 11_0 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	Quadro M3000M	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire
DirectX	12 (12_1)+9%	11_0
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 3rd Gen NVENC (Maxwell) (Quadro M3000M) vs UVD 3 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs UVD 3.

Feature	Quadro M3000M	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire
Encoder	3rd Gen NVENC (Maxwell)	UVD 3
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	UVD 3
Codecs	H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Decode Only)	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro M3000M draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire's 50W — a 40% difference. The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro M3000M) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	Quadro M3000M	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire
TDP	75W	50W-33%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Length	—	1mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	74.3	112.7+52%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Quadro M3000M (2015 vs 2011).

Feature	Quadro M3000M	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire
MSRP	—	$150
Codename	GM204	Blackcomb XT
Release	August 18 2015	January 6 2011
Ranking	#411	#537

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