GeForce GTX 1630 vs Radeon HD 7970

Speed and memory

In our performance index the GeForce GTX 1630 scores 5.2 and the Radeon HD 7970 scores 5, which makes the GeForce GTX 1630 about 4% faster. That is a small gap, below what most people notice without a frame counter.

The GeForce GTX 1630 has 4 GB of video memory and the Radeon HD 7970 has 3 GB. That is a small difference and unlikely to decide anything.

In our estimates for popular games at 1080p on High, the biggest gap is in ELDEN RING (18 against 13 fps), and the smallest is in Minecraft: Java Edition (98 against 95 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The GeForce GTX 1630 is rated at 75 W and the Radeon HD 7970 at 250 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 450 W for the first and 650 W for the second. A gap of 175 W shows up in heat and fan noise, and in your electricity use over a few years.

At launch the GeForce GTX 1630 cost $149 and the Radeon HD 7970 $549. Per dollar, the GeForce GTX 1630 gave more performance (3.5 points per $100 against 0.9). Current prices differ, so run the same sum on what you can actually buy today.

Which one to buy

Choose the GeForce GTX 1630 if you want the faster card, and it also has at least as much memory. It makes the most sense at 1440p and above, or on a monitor with a high refresh rate.

Choose the Radeon HD 7970 if the price gap matters more than the 4% speed difference. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.