GPU Comparison
Select up to 2 GPUs to analyze their pricing, performance, and specifications side-by-side.
The Radeon RX 6500 XT is dramatically faster than the GeForce GTX 970, leading by roughly 43% in our performance index. It is also the stronger value pick here, so it's the easy recommendation if your budget allows.
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Radeon RX 6500 XT vs GeForce GTX 970: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Radeon RX 6500 XT vs GeForce GTX 970
The Radeon RX 6500 XT is dramatically faster, around 43% ahead of the GeForce GTX 970. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
Right now the Radeon RX 6500 XT starts at $142 GBP against $237 GBP for the GeForce GTX 970. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the Radeon RX 6500 XT wins on performance-per-dollar by about 139%. The Radeon RX 6500 XT is trading below its $200 GBP MSRP — a genuine deal. The GeForce GTX 970 is trading below its $329 GBP MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
The Radeon RX 6500 XT draws just 113W versus 145W for the GeForce GTX 970, and it also delivers more performance per watt — so it runs cooler and quieter and needs less PSU headroom. Its more modern RDNA 2 architecture on a TSMC N6 process is part of why it does more with each watt.
Generation & Longevity
The Radeon RX 6500 XT is roughly 8 years newer than the GeForce GTX 970 (RDNA 2 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 6500 XT 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 6500 XT?
The Radeon RX 6500 XT 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.