GeForce GTX 970 vs Radeon RX 580
On raw speed the Radeon RX 580 comes out ahead: well ahead on speed, about 20% ahead of the GeForce GTX 970. Best performance and best value in one card here — the clear recommendation if you can afford it.
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Comparable or lower specs
Radeon RX 580 vs GeForce GTX 970: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Radeon RX 580 vs GeForce GTX 970
The Radeon RX 580 is significantly faster, around 20% ahead of the GeForce GTX 970. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
The GeForce GTX 970 currently lists from $120 EUR, $20 EUR less than the Radeon RX 580 at $140 EUR. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the Radeon RX 580 wins on performance-per-dollar. The GeForce GTX 970 is trading below its $329 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal. The Radeon RX 580 is trading below its $229 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
At 145W against 185W, the GeForce GTX 970 is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
VRAM favors the Radeon RX 580 at 8GB versus 4GB on the GeForce GTX 970 — that extra 4GB matters most at 4K, with high-res texture packs, and for content-creation/local-AI work.
Generation & Longevity
The Radeon RX 580 is roughly 3 years newer than the GeForce GTX 970 (GCN 4.0 (Polaris) vs Maxwell), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX 970 brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon RX 580 offers AMD FSR upscaling and strong rasterization value. If you lean on upscaling or ray tracing, that ecosystem difference can matter as much as the frame-rate gap.
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon RX 580?
The Radeon RX 580 is the all-round winner here — it's faster and the better value, so buy it if it fits your budget. Only consider the GeForce GTX 970 if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Radeon RX 580 better than the GeForce GTX 970?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 970 or the Radeon RX 580?
Is the Radeon RX 580 worth the extra $20 EUR over the GeForce GTX 970?
Does the Radeon RX 580 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon RX 580?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 970 | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 4.0 (Polaris) |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | GloFo 14nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 1,664 | 2,304✓ |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 970 | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,050 MHz | 1,257 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,178 MHz | 1,340 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 970 | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | 8 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 7 Gbps | 8 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 224.3 GB/s | 256 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 970 | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 145 W✓ | 185 W |
| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Released | Sep 2014 | Apr 2017 |
