GeForce GTX 970 vs GeForce RTX 2070
The GeForce RTX 2070 pulls ahead here — in a different league, about 200% ahead of the GeForce GTX 970. It also wins on performance-per-dollar, making it the cleaner choice when you can afford it.
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GeForce RTX 2070 vs GeForce GTX 970: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce RTX 2070 vs GeForce GTX 970
The GeForce RTX 2070 is dramatically faster, around 200% ahead of the GeForce GTX 970. That gap is enough to move it up a tier: the GeForce RTX 2070 is comfortable at 1080p, while the GeForce GTX 970 is better matched to entry-level 1080p. The GeForce RTX 2070 packs 2,304 CUDA cores versus 1,664 on the GeForce GTX 970.
Price & Value
Pricing has the GeForce GTX 970 at $65 USD, $105 USD under the GeForce RTX 2070's $170 USD. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce RTX 2070 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 15%. The GeForce GTX 970 is trading below its $329 USD MSRP — a genuine deal. The GeForce RTX 2070 is trading below its $499 USD MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
At 145W vs 175W, the GeForce GTX 970 is the gentler load on your system. The GeForce RTX 2070's extra power draw buys more performance per watt, not just more heat — worth it if your PSU has the headroom. Its more modern Turing architecture on a TSMC 12nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
The GeForce RTX 2070 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. The GeForce RTX 2070's memory is also faster — 448 GB/s versus 224 GB/s — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.
Generation & Longevity
The GeForce RTX 2070 is roughly 4 years newer than the GeForce GTX 970 (Turing vs Maxwell), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 970 or GeForce RTX 2070?
The GeForce RTX 2070 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 GeForce RTX 2070 better than the GeForce GTX 970?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 970 or the GeForce RTX 2070?
Is the GeForce RTX 2070 worth the extra $105 USD over the GeForce GTX 970?
Does the GeForce RTX 2070 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 970 or GeForce RTX 2070?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 970 | GeForce RTX 2070 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Maxwell | Turing |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | TSMC 12nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / CUDA Cores) | 1,664 | 2,304✓ |
| Ray Tracing Cores | — | 36 |
| Tensor / AI Cores | — | 288 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 970 | GeForce RTX 2070 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,050 MHz | 1,410 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,178 MHz | 1,620 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 970 | GeForce RTX 2070 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | 8 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 7 Gbps | 14 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 224.3 GB/s | 448 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 970 | GeForce RTX 2070 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 145 W✓ | 175 W |
| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Released | Sep 2014 | Oct 2018 |