I bought this Nvidia GTX 970 graphics card 10 years ago, here’s how it holds up in 2024
Apr. 16, 2024Still a GeForce to be reckoned with?
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Rather than try and get the GTX 970 to pull off the same tricks as something like theNvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super, I decided to cut the aging graphics card some slack. By that, I mean I used the same approach as when testing thebest gaming handheldsand set all game settings to low. Not doing so would more or less result in PowerPoint presentation levels of speed, and dialing things back means we’ll actually get meaningful figures.
What I have kept the same is my selection of test games, as that’ll help us compare the experience to modern-day alternatives. While the GTX 970 won’t be able to remotely keep up with anything from the past five years, I enjoy the idea of potentially getting it to provide the same fps by compromising settings. Anyway, here’s a bunch of figures to glance at before we dive into the qualitative side of things.
Okay, let’s get the stinkyCyberpunk 2077result out the way first, as I’m not even a little bit surprised that it’s low. I wouldn’t call 40fps unplayable, but for the amount of visual compromise involved, it’s not an ideal setup. I guess I’m still surprised that the game can handle Night City’s shenanigans, and I reckon it fares better than the PS4 when the RPG first launched. (I’m only half joking.)
Place the fact we’re talking about lowest settings aside, and I’m pretty gobsmacked by the rest of the benchmarks. I mean it when I say I could happily playHitman 3and Total War: Warhammer 3 on a GTX 970 today, especially if my eyes had never witnessed better textures and visuals. Don’t get me wrong, everything does end up looking a bit low res to achieve frame rates well over 60fps, but nothing looked overly egregious when it comes to these two games specifically.
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I had a bit of a funny run-in withHalo Infinite, as when I first booted it up using the GTX 970, I was presented with what could be OG Xbox graphics. Turns out that the weirdly charming lack of textures was a symptom of in-game scaling, as I’d accidentally set my desktop resolution to 4K. Sticking with native 1080p instantly remedied the issues, providing over 70fps in most multiplayer matches.
If there’s one certainty in my life these days, it’s that I’ll never escape the urge to dive intoBaldur’s Game 3at least once a month. So, it felt only right to include the massive D&D outing in my GTX 970 benchmarks, and this isn’t even the first time I’ve done so. Back when the game first launched, I fetched my trusty old GPU to check whether Larian’s minimum requirements were sensible, as the developer included the card within its recommended specs.
In case you didn’t read that previous Baldur’s Gate 3 specs run down, the GTX 970 can handle the RPG with settings cranked down low. You won’t quite reach that golden 60fps average during gameplay, and I did experience some stuttering during flashy battles. But hey, it works, and if you’re not too fussed about the detailing on that gnarly set of armor you’ve slapped on Karlach, you should be able to save Faerun without a hardware hitch. That said, the beaten path will also look like something from a PS2 outing, so perhaps curb your visual expectations.
One thing I’d like to commend this EVGA version of the GTX 970 is temps, as the card managed to stay at 70°C or below. Perhaps if I pushed the GPU a little, we’d end up with warmer results that’d spark concern, but the vendor’s dual fan cooling solution isn’t too different from what you’d find on modern models.
For starters, GTX graphics cards can’t use Nvidia’s AI-powered DLSS toolkit, which provides access to handy Super Resolution and Frame Generation abilities. New 70-series cards like the GeForce RTX 4070 Super can effectively boost fps with minimal caveats using clever upscaling tricks, enabling you to use higher resolutions than what should be possible natively. Not every game is compatible, but the feature is a budget PC godsend, and it should mean you’ll be able to hold onto the Lovelace card for longer. Put it this way, I’ll be disappointed if someone isn’t able to write an article just like this about the 4070 in 10 years, assuming that we aren’t just beaming 4K visuals into our brains by that point.
Anyway, here’s to another 10 years of the GTX 970 smugly sitting on my GPU shelf. If I’m sat here in a decade, I’ll let it finally die trying to runThe Elder Scrolls 6.
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I’ve been messing around with PCs, video game consoles, and tech since before I could speak. Don’t get me wrong, I kickstarted my relationship with technology by jamming a Hot Wheels double-decker bus into my parent’s VCR, but we all have to start somewhere. I even somehow managed to become a walking, talking buyer’s guide at my teenage supermarket job, which helped me accept my career fate. So, rather than try to realise my musician dreams, or see out my University degree, I started running my own retro pop culture site and writing about video games and tech for the likes of TechRadar, The Daily Star, and the BBC before eventually ending up with a job covering graphics card shenanigans at PCGamesN. Now, I’m your friendly neighbourhood Hardware Editor at GamesRadar, and it’s my job to make sure you can kick butt in all your favourite games using the best gaming hardware, whether you’re a sucker for handhelds like the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch or a hardcore gaming PC enthusiast.
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