How the GeForce GTX 970 performs at 1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1080p the GeForce GTX 970 averages about 30 fps on High across the 14 games people check most. Newer games need Low or Medium, and some will not reach 60 fps at all.
At 1440p the typical result drops to 18 fps. 1440p is a stretch; stay at 1080p or use upscaling. At 4K it is about 8 fps. 4K is not what this card is for.
The heaviest game we checked is Hogwarts Legacy, at 17 fps on High at 1080p. The lightest is VALORANT, which the card handles at 300+ fps. If your own games are somewhere in between, the table above shows where.
Memory and power
Four gigabytes of video memory is the tight spot on this card. Many games from 2023 on want 6 to 8 GB at High textures, so set textures to Medium first. It costs little in looks and often removes stutter.
The GeForce GTX 970 is rated at 145 W. With a mid-range processor, plan on a 550 W power supply (450 W is the minimum). That is low enough for small cases and basic power supplies, which is part of the appeal.
Where it sits
Released in 2014, the GeForce GTX 970 is 12 years old, and the newest games already treat it as an entry level card. The next card up in our list is the GeForce GTX 1060 6GB, about 6% faster (launch price $249). The next card down is the Radeon RX 480, about 6% slower.
It launched at $329, which works out to 2.7 points of performance per $100. Prices on the used and discount market are different, so treat this as a way to compare cards, not as today's price.
Which processor to pair it with, and who it suits
To keep a processor from holding it back at 1080p, you want something like a Ryzen 3 1200, and the same chip is enough at 1440p. Slower processors will still work, but you give up some of the card's speed.
The GeForce GTX 970 is an entry level card. It is fine for 1080p at Medium, for older games at High and for esports titles at any setting. If you play new releases, look one tier up.