GeForce GTX 970 vs Radeon RX 480 mobile

When comparing GeForce GTX 970 and Radeon RX 480 mobile, we look primarily at benchmarks and game tests. But it is not only about the numbers. Often you can find third-party models with higher clock speeds, better cooling, or a customizable RGB lighting. Not all of them will have all the features you need. Another thing to consider is the port selection. Most graphics cards have at least one DisplayPort and HDMI interface, but some monitors require DVI. Before you buy, check the TDP of the graphics card - this characteristic will help you estimate the consumption of the graphics card. You may even have to upgrade your PSU to meet its requirements. An important factor when choosing between GeForce GTX 970 and Radeon RX 480 mobile is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Radeon RX 480 mobile is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Radeon RX 480 mobile is only used in laptop graphics. It has lower GPU clock speed compared to the desktop variant, which results in lower power consumption, but also 10-30% lower gaming performance. Check available laptop models with Radeon RX 480 mobile here:

Main Specs

  GeForce GTX 970 Radeon RX 480 mobile
Power consumption (TDP) 148 Watt 100 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x16 MXM-B (3.0)
Supplementary power connectors 2x 6-pins
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 4 GB 8 GB
Display Connectors 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort No outputs
Recommended system power (PSU) 500 Watt
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  • GeForce GTX 970 has 48% more power consumption, than Radeon RX 480 mobile.
  • GeForce GTX 970 is connected by PCIe 3.0 x16, and Radeon RX 480 mobile uses MXM-B (3.0) interface.
  • Radeon RX 480 mobile has 4 GB more memory, than GeForce GTX 970.
  • GeForce GTX 970 is used in Desktops, and Radeon RX 480 mobile - in Laptops.
  • GeForce GTX 970 is build with Maxwell architecture, and Radeon RX 480 mobile - with Polaris.
  • GeForce GTX 970 is manufactured by 28 nm process technology, and Radeon RX 480 mobile - by 14 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon RX 480 mobile is 7993 MHz higher, than GeForce GTX 970.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 50−55 12−14
ultra / 1080p 30−35 7−8
QHD / 1440p 27−30 0−1
4K / 2160p 14−16
low / 720p 75−80 27−30
medium / 1080p 60−65 14−16
The average gaming FPS of GeForce GTX 970 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 250% more, than Radeon RX 480 mobile.

Full Specs

  GeForce GTX 970 Radeon RX 480 mobile
Architecture Maxwell Polaris
Code name GM204 Polaris
Type Desktop Laptop
Release date 19 September 2014 1 August 2016
Pipelines 1664 2304
Core clock speed 1050 MHz
Boost Clock 1178 MHz 1077 MHz
Transistor count 5,200 million 5,700 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 14 nm
Texture fill rate 109 billion/sec 155.1
Floating-point performance 3,920 gflops 4,963 gflops
Length 10.5" (26.7 cm)
Memory bus width 256 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 7.0 GB/s 8000 MHz
Memory bandwidth 224 GB/s 256.0 GB/s
Shared memory - -
G-SYNC support +
DirectX 12 (12_1) 12 (12_0)
Shader Model 6.4 6.4
OpenGL 4.4 4.6
OpenCL 1.2 2.0
Vulkan 1.1.126 1.2.131
CUDA +
Monero / XMR (CryptoNight) 0.48 kh/s
CUDA cores 1664
Bus support PCI Express 3.0
Height 4.376" (11.1 cm)
SLI options +
Multi monitor support 4 displays
HDCP +
Maximum VGA resolution 2048x1536
Audio input for HDMI Internal
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 478 Mh/s
Laptop size large
Decred / DCR (Decred) 1.51 Gh/s
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 22.21 Mh/s
Zcash / ZEC (Equihash) 291.61 Sol/s
GameStream +
GeForce ShadowPlay +
GPU Boost 2.0
GameWorks +
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