680M SLI vs 970M

Price now 848$

Games supported 79%

Price now 149$

Games supported 82%

Questions and comments

General info

GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.

Place in performance rating	277	253
Value for money	3.36	24.15
Architecture	Maxwell (2014−2018)	Kepler (2012−2018)
GPU code name	GM204	N13E-GTX
Market segment	Laptop	Laptop
Release date	7 October 2014 (8 years old)	4 June 2012 (10 years old)
Launch price (MSRP)	$2,560.89	no data
Current price	$848 (0.3x MSRP)	$149

Value for money

Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.

Technical specs

General performance parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. These parameters indirectly speak of performance, but for precise assessment you have to consider their benchmark and gaming test results. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.

Pipelines / CUDA cores	1280	2688
CUDA cores	1280	no data
Core clock speed	924 MHz	720 MHz
Boost clock speed	1038 MHz	no data
Number of transistors	5,200 million	no data
Manufacturing process technology	28 nm	28 nm
Thermal design power (TDP)	unknown	no data
Texture fill rate	83.04	no data
Floating-point performance	2,657 gflops	no data

Size and compatibility

Information on GeForce GTX 970M and GeForce GTX 680M SLI compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For notebook video cards it's notebook size, connection slot and bus, if the video card is inserted into a slot instead of being soldered to the notebook motherboard.

Laptop size	large	large
Bus support	PCI Express 3.0	no data
Interface	MXM-B (3.0)	no data
Supplementary power connectors	None	no data
SLI options	+	+

Memory

Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated VRAM and use a shared part of system RAM.

Memory type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount	6 GB	2x 4 GB
Memory bus width	192 Bit	2x 256 Bit
Memory clock speed	2500 MHz	3600 MHz
Memory bandwidth	120 GB/s	no data
Shared memory	-	-

Video outputs and ports

Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.

Display Connectors	No outputs	no data
VGA аnalog display support	+	no data
DisplayPort Multimode (DP++) support	+	no data
HDMI	+	no data
G-SYNC support	+	no data

Technologies

Supported technological solutions. This information will prove useful if you need some particular technology for your purposes.

GameStream	+	no data
GeForce ShadowPlay	+	no data
GPU Boost	2.0	no data
GameWorks	+	no data
H.264, VC1, MPEG2 1080p video decoder	+	no data
Optimus	+	+
BatteryBoost	+	no data
Ansel	+	no data

API support

APIs supported, including particular versions of those APIs.

DirectX	12 (12_1)	11
Shader Model	6.4	no data
OpenGL	4.5	no data
OpenCL	1.1	no data
Vulkan	1.1.126	no data
CUDA	+	+

Benchmark performance

Non-gaming benchmark performance comparison. Note that overall benchmark performance is measured in points in 0-100 range.

Overall score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

GTX 970M 14.48

GTX 680M SLI 16.24
+12.2%

3DMark Vantage Performance
3DMark 11 Performance GPU
Unigine Heaven 3.0

3DMark Vantage Performance

3DMark Vantage is an outdated DirectX 10 benchmark using 1280x1024 screen resolution. It taxes the graphics card with two scenes, one depicting a girl escaping some militarized base located within a sea cave, the other displaying a space fleet attack on a defenseless planet. It was discontinued in April 2017, and Time Spy benchmark is now recommended to be used instead.

Benchmark coverage: 16%

GTX 970M 28845

GTX 680M SLI 32635
+13.1%

GeForce GTX 680M SLI outperforms GeForce GTX 970M by 13% in 3DMark Vantage Performance.

3DMark 11 Performance GPU

3DMark 11 is an obsolete DirectX 11 benchmark by Futuremark. It used four tests based on two scenes, one being few submarines exploring the submerged wreck of a sunken ship, the other is an abandoned temple deep in the jungle. All the tests are heavy with volumetric lighting and tessellation, and despite being done in 1280x720 resolution, are relatively taxing. Discontinued in January 2020, 3DMark 11 is now superseded by Time Spy.

Benchmark coverage: 16%

GTX 970M 9878

GTX 680M SLI 10952
+10.9%

GeForce GTX 680M SLI outperforms GeForce GTX 970M by 11% in 3DMark 11 Performance GPU.

Unigine Heaven 3.0

This is an old DirectX 11 benchmark using Unigine, a 3D game engine by eponymous Russian company. It displays a fantasy medieval town sprawling over several flying islands. Version 3.0 was released in 2012, and in 2013 it was superseded by Heaven 4.0, which introduced several slight improvements, including a newer version of Unigine.

Benchmark coverage: 4%

GTX 970M 93

GTX 680M SLI 108
+15.6%

GeForce GTX 680M SLI outperforms GeForce GTX 970M by 16% in Unigine Heaven 3.0.

Mining hashrates

Cryptocurrency mining performance of GeForce GTX 970M and GeForce GTX 680M SLI. Usually measured in megahashes per second.

Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256)

314 Mh/s

no data

Gaming performance

Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.

Average FPS

Here are the average frames per second in a large set of popular games across different resolutions:

900p	136 +2.3%	133 −2.3%
Full HD	58 −69%	98 +69%
1440p	27	no data
4K	21	no data

Popular games

Full HD
Low Preset
Full HD
Medium Preset
Full HD
High Preset
Full HD
Ultra Preset
1440p
High Preset
1440p
Ultra Preset
4K
High Preset
4K
Ultra Preset

Cyberpunk 2077

24−27

−12%

27−30
+12%

Assassin's Creed Odyssey	42 +23.5%	30−35 −23.5%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	24−27 −16.7%	27−30 +16.7%
Battlefield 5	66 +15.8%	55−60 −15.8%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	35−40 −13.2%	40−45 +13.2%
Cyberpunk 2077	24−27 −12%	27−30 +12%
Far Cry 5	46 +4.5%	40−45 −4.5%
Far Cry New Dawn	41 −9.8%	45−50 +9.8%
Forza Horizon 4	61 +5.2%	55−60 −5.2%
Hitman 3	40−45 −14.3%	45−50 +14.3%
Horizon Zero Dawn	30−35 −12.5%	35−40 +12.5%
Red Dead Redemption 2	24−27 −12%	27−30 +12%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	40 +14.3%	35−40 −14.3%
Watch Dogs: Legion	27−30 −10.7%	30−35 +10.7%

Assassin's Creed Odyssey	36 +5.9%	30−35 −5.9%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	24−27 −16.7%	27−30 +16.7%
Battlefield 5	54 −5.6%	55−60 +5.6%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	35−40 −13.2%	40−45 +13.2%
Cyberpunk 2077	24−27 −12%	27−30 +12%
Far Cry 5	43 −2.3%	40−45 +2.3%
Far Cry New Dawn	38 −18.4%	45−50 +18.4%
Forza Horizon 4	53 −9.4%	55−60 +9.4%
Hitman 3	40−45 −14.3%	45−50 +14.3%
Horizon Zero Dawn	30−35 −12.5%	35−40 +12.5%
Metro Exodus	24 −4.2%	24−27 +4.2%
Red Dead Redemption 2	24−27 −12%	27−30 +12%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	34 −2.9%	35−40 +2.9%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt	45 +25%	35−40 −25%
Watch Dogs: Legion	27−30 −10.7%	30−35 +10.7%

Assassin's Creed Odyssey	21 −61.9%	30−35 +61.9%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	24−27 −16.7%	27−30 +16.7%
Battlefield 5	49 −16.3%	55−60 +16.3%
Cyberpunk 2077	24−27 −12%	27−30 +12%
Far Cry 5	39 −12.8%	40−45 +12.8%
Far Cry New Dawn	35 −28.6%	45−50 +28.6%
Forza Horizon 4	36 −61.1%	55−60 +61.1%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt	26 −38.5%	35−40 +38.5%
Watch Dogs: Legion	27−30 −10.7%	30−35 +10.7%

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	21−24 −13.6%	24−27 +13.6%
Hitman 3	24−27 −12.5%	27−30 +12.5%
Horizon Zero Dawn	20−22 −15%	21−24 +15%
Metro Exodus	14 −7.1%	14−16 +7.1%
Red Dead Redemption 2	10−12 −18.2%	12−14 +18.2%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	20 −5%	21−24 +5%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt	10−11	no data

Assassin's Creed Odyssey	17 +0%	16−18 +0%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	10−12 −27.3%	14−16 +27.3%
Battlefield 5	33 −12.1%	35−40 +12.1%
Cyberpunk 2077	9−10 −11.1%	10−11 +11.1%
Far Cry 5	27 +0%	27−30 +0%
Far Cry New Dawn	25 −24%	30−35 +24%
Forza Horizon 4	23 −43.5%	30−35 +43.5%
Watch Dogs: Legion	9−10 −22.2%	10−12 +22.2%

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	10−11 −20%	12−14 +20%
Hitman 3	14−16 −14.3%	16−18 +14.3%
Horizon Zero Dawn	10−12 −9.1%	12−14 +9.1%
Metro Exodus	7 −28.6%	9−10 +28.6%
Red Dead Redemption 2	8−9 −12.5%	9−10 +12.5%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	9 −11.1%	10−11 +11.1%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt	16 +0%	16−18 +0%

Assassin's Creed Odyssey	8−9 −25%	10−11 +25%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	6−7 −16.7%	7−8 +16.7%
Battlefield 5	15 −26.7%	18−20 +26.7%
Cyberpunk 2077	3−4 +0%	3−4 +0%
Far Cry 5	13 +0%	12−14 +0%
Far Cry New Dawn	12 −33.3%	16−18 +33.3%
Forza Horizon 4	6 −267%	21−24 +267%
Watch Dogs: Legion	5−6 −20%	6−7 +20%

Advantages and disadvantages

Performance rating	14.48	16.24
Recency	7 October 2014	4 June 2012
Memory bus width	192	256
Pipelines / CUDA cores	1280	2688

Judging by the results of synthetic and gaming tests, Technical City recommends

GeForce GTX 680M SLI

since it shows better performance.

Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Cast your vote

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GeForce GTX 970M

GeForce GTX 680M SLI

Competitors of GeForce GTX 970M by AMD

According to our data, the closest AMD alternative to GeForce GTX 970M is Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, which is slower by 4% and lower by 9 positions in our ranking.