GPU Comparison

Select up to 2 GPUs to analyze their pricing, performance, and specifications side-by-side.

Quick Verdict

On raw speed the Radeon RX 580 comes out significantly faster — about 20% ahead of the GeForce GTX 970. It also wins on performance-per-dollar, making it the cleaner choice when you can afford it.

Maximum Capacity Reached. Remove a model to add another. (2/2)

VS
Price
€344
Performance
5%
VRAM
4 GB GDDR5
Key Specs Advantage

Comparable or lower specs

AMD
Radeon RX 580
Price
€149
Performance
6%
VRAM
8 GB GDDR5
Key Specs Advantage
+38% Stream Processors (2,304 vs 1,664)
+14% Bandwidth (256 GB/s vs 224.3 GB/s)
+14% Boost Clock (1,340 MHz vs 1,178 MHz)

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 Radeon RX 580 currently lists from $149 EUR, $195 EUR less than the GeForce GTX 970 at $344 EUR. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the Radeon RX 580 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 176%. 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

The Radeon RX 580 carries 8GB versus 4GB on the GeForce GTX 970. The extra 4GB helps at 4K, with high-resolution texture packs, and for content-creation or local-AI workloads that exhaust smaller buffers.

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?

The Radeon RX 580 is significantly faster, roughly 20% ahead. If your budget allows, it's the stronger pick.

Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 970 or the Radeon RX 580?

Neither is a dedicated 4K card; both are best at entry-level 1080p. For 4K you'd want a faster GPU, or lean on upscaling.

Is the GeForce GTX 970 worth the extra $195 EUR over the Radeon RX 580?

Only if you need the extra performance or features; on pure value the Radeon RX 580 comes out ahead.

Does the Radeon RX 580 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?

Its 8GB (vs 4GB) gives real headroom for 4K, heavy texture mods, and creative/AI work. At 1080p the gap matters less.

Technical Specifications Comparison

Architecture & Cores

SpecificationGeForce GTX 970Radeon RX 580
ArchitectureMaxwellGCN 4.0 (Polaris)
Process NodeTSMC 28nmGloFo 14nm
CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors)1,6642,304

Clock Speeds

SpecificationGeForce GTX 970Radeon RX 580
Base Clock1,050 MHz1,257 MHz
Boost Clock1,178 MHz1,340 MHz

Memory

SpecificationGeForce GTX 970Radeon RX 580
VRAM Capacity4 GB8 GB
Memory TypeGDDR5GDDR5
Memory Bus256-bit256-bit
Memory Speed7 Gbps8 Gbps
Bandwidth224.3 GB/s256 GB/s

Connectivity & Power

SpecificationGeForce GTX 970Radeon RX 580
InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
TDP145 W185 W
Power Connectors2x 6-pin1x 8-pin
ReleasedSep 2014Apr 2017