AMD Radeon HD 7970
vs
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660

AMD Radeon HD 7970
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660
HD 7970 GTX 660 Difference
AMD Radeon HD 7970 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660
Price $ 299.0 $ 79.0 220 (74%)
Year 2011 2012 1 (0%)
Maximum Recorded Temperature 80C 81C 1 (1%)
Max Fan Noise 58.7dB 48.3dB 10.4 (18%)
Recommended Power Supply 600W 490W 110 (18%)
Benchmark CPU Intel Core i7-2600K @ 3.40GHz ($197.99) Intel Core i7-2700K @ 3.50GHz ($199.99)
CPU Impact on FPS +0.0 FPS +0.0 FPS 0 (0%)
CPU Impact on FPS % 0.0% 0.0% 0 (0%)
Benchmark Quality Settings Ultra Quality Settings Ultra Quality Settings
Average 1080p Performance 51.5 FPS 33.9 FPS 17.6 (34%)
Average 1440p Performance 37.8 FPS 19.4 FPS 18.4 (49%)
(Ultrawide) Average 1440p Performance 30.4 FPS 16.7 FPS 13.7 (45%)
Average 4K Performance 19.0 FPS 11.9 FPS 7.1 (37%)
Memory 3 GB 2 GB 1 (33%)
1080p Cost Per Frame $ 10.7 $ 6.8 3.9 (36%)
1440p Cost Per Frame $ 14.5 $ 11.8 2.7 (19%)
(Ultrawide) 1440p Cost Per Frame $ 18.1 $ 13.7 4.4 (24%)
4K Cost Per Frame $ 28.9 $ 19.2 9.7 (34%)
Variant AMD Radeon HD 7970 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660
Overall Combination Score 54/100 53/100 1 (2%)
Our Verdict: The HD 7970 is faster by 95% for 1440p gaming. The price/performance ratio is much better for GTX 660 .

AMD Radeon HD 7970

The good news is, with the release of the HD 7970 GHz Edition, the HD 7970 's price is getting more discount. The HD 7970 is much more expensive than the HD 7870 GHz Edition as it costs a whopping $ 549. Compare this to the HD 7870 GHz Edition, which came originally at a price of $ 349. Meanwhile, the NVIDIA closest equivalent card is the GTX 680 which costs $ 499.

For 1080p Full HD, we were able to play Valorant at 78 fps to 78 fps and kept frame rates hovering around 78 fps. For 1440p Quad HD, we were able to play Valorant at 63 fps to 63 fps and kept frame rates hovering around 63 fps.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660

The GTX 670 might be the mid-range flagship of the latest Kepler set of graphics cards, but their prices keep them out of the reach of most entry-level PC gamers. On the other hand, the GTX 660 is closer to being reasonably affordable at a price tag of $ 229. The good news is, with the release of the GTX 660 Ti, the GTX 660 's price is getting more discount.

NVIDIA ’s xx60 cards have always been defined by entry-level prices with performance that knocks on the door of mid-range graphics cards – especially when overclocked. After taking the time to fully test the Kepler graphics card inside the GTX 660, we can say without a doubt that it continues the trend. Spec for spec, this GTX 660 leapfrogs its direct predecessor, the GTX 560, by boasting 24.2 % more fps.

The GTX 660 has 2 GB RAM compared to the GTX 560 's 1 GB video memory. Fortunately, gaming performance was quite impressive. The GTX 660 consistently delivers great frame rate increases over the GTX 560, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti and it really justifies an upgrade.

The GTX 670 might be the mid-range flagship of the latest Kepler set of graphics cards, but their prices keep them out of the reach of most entry-level PC gamers. On the other hand, the GTX 660 is closer to being reasonably affordable at a price tag of $ 229. The good news is, with the release of the GTX 660 Ti, the GTX 660 's price is getting more discount.

NVIDIA ’s xx60 cards have always been defined by entry-level prices with performance that knocks on the door of mid-range graphics cards – especially when overclocked. After taking the time to fully test the Kepler graphics card inside the GTX 660, we can say without a doubt that it continues the trend. Spec for spec, this GTX 660 leapfrogs its direct predecessor, the GTX 560, by boasting 24.2 % more fps.

The GTX 660 has 2 GB RAM compared to the GTX 560 's 1 GB video memory. Fortunately, gaming performance was quite impressive. The GTX 660 consistently delivers great frame rate increases over the GTX 560, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti and it really justifies an upgrade.

Game Performance at selected quality settings

Change Quality Settings

1920x1080

AMD Radeon HD 7970
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660
Year Game Frames Per Second
2023 Resident Evil 4
35
39.7
21
23.9
2023 A Plague Tale: Requiem
24
27.1
14
16.3
2023 Hogwarts Legacy
21
23.5
12
14.1
2023 The Last of Us Part I
16
18.1
9
10.9
2023 Forspoken
18
20.9
11
12.6
2023 The Callisto Protocol
14
16.2
8
9.8
2023 Dead Space
24
27.1
14
16.3
2023 Baldur's Gate 3
28
32.1
17
19.3
2023 Armored Core VI
28
32.1
17
19.3
2023 Immortals of Aveum
12
14.4
7
8.7
2023 Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart
26
28.9
15
17.4
2023 Remnant II
14
16.2
8
9.8
2023 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
19
21.7
11
13.0
2023 Atomic Heart
19
21.7
11
13.0
2023 Starfield
9
10.8
5
6.5
2022 Elden Ring
20
22.8
14
16.5
2022 God of War
19
21.7
14
15.6
2022 Overwatch 2
36
40.3
26
29.1
2022 F1 22
29
32.5
17
19.6
2022 Dying Light 2
27
30.7
16
18.5
2022 Total War: Warhammer III
27
30.7
16
18.5
2022 Spider-Man Remastered
45
50.5
27
30.4
2022 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
32
36.1
19
21.7
2021 Forza Horizon 5
19
21.9
14
15.8
2021 Halo Infinite
15
16.7
10
12.1
2021 Battlefield 2042
27
30.9
20
22.3
2021 Hitman 3
37
41.5
22
25.0
2021 Far Cry 6
34
38.6
20
23.3
2021 Guardians of the Galaxy
37
42.2
22
25.4
2020 Watch Dogs: Legion
38
42.6
23
25.6
2020 Assassin's Creed Valhalla
15
17.7
11
12.8
2020 Microsoft Flight Simulator
10
11.5
7
8.3
2020 Valorant
69
77.5
50
55.9
2020 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
27
30.4
19
21.9
2020 Death Stranding
31
35.1
22
25.3
2020 Marvel's Avengers
20
22.8
14
16.5
2020 Godfall
30
34.1
22
24.7
2020 Cyberpunk 2077
15
17.7
11
12.8
2019 Apex Legends
32
36.0
24
27.0
2019 Anthem
20
23.2
15
17.4
2019 Far Cry New Dawn
30
34.0
22
25.5
2019 Resident Evil 2
42
47.6
30
34.3
2019 Metro Exodus
19
21.2
13
15.3
2019 World War Z
35
39.1
25
28.2
2019 Gears of War 5
27
30.9
20
22.3
2019 F1 2019
34
38.7
25
27.9
2019 GreedFall
31
34.9
22
25.2
2019 Borderlands 3
22
24.5
15
17.7
2019 Call of Duty Modern Warfare
42
47.1
30
34.0
2019 Red Dead Redemption 2
16
18.1
11
13.1
2019 Need For Speed: Heat
25
28.5
18
20.6
2018 Just Cause 4
27
30.6
19
22.1
2018 Monster Hunter: World
29
33.0
21
23.8
2018 Strange Brigade
44
49.7
32
35.9
2017 PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
28
32.0
12
13.5
2017 Need For Speed: Payback
38
42.4
27
30.6
2017 For Honor
50
56.5
36
40.8
2017 Project CARS 2
36
40.0
26
28.9
2017 Forza Motorsport 7
43
48.5
31
35.0
2016 Ashes of the Singularity
24
26.9
14
15.7
2016 Hitman
36
40.8
15
17.6
2016 Rise of the Tomb Raider
34
38.1
18
20.1
2016 The Division
41
45.6
16
17.8
2016 Dishonored 2
26
29.2
18
21.1
2015 DiRT Rally
61
68.1
35
39.1
2015 Grand Theft Auto V
33
36.9
22
25.1
2015 The Witcher 3
26
29.2
16
18.5
2015 Total War: Attila
26
29.6
15
17.4
2015 Rocket League
148
164.9
107
119.0
2015 Need For Speed
41
45.7
29
33.0
2015 Project CARS
39
43.8
28
31.6
2015 Rainbow Six Siege
72
80.1
52
57.8
2014 Dragon Age: Inquisition
44
49.7
25
28.3
2014 Far Cry 4
47
52.9
28
31.2
2014 GRID Autosport
63
71.0
42
47.6
2014 Shadow of Mordor
53
59.6
18
20.8
2014 The Talos Principle
61
67.9
36
40.4
2014 Thief
44
49.6
26
29.3
2013 Bioshock Infinite
63
70.9
45
50.9
2013 Company of Heroes 2
37
41.9
20
22.6
2013 Crysis 3
34
38.8
24
27.6
2013 GRID 2
78
87.5
46
51.3
2013 Metro: Last Light
52
58.0
28
32.2
2013 Total War: Rome 2
44
49.5
26
28.9
2013 Battlefield 4
45
50.0
30
34.0
2012 DiRT: Showdown
72
80.9
39
43.9
2012 Far Cry 3
34
38.1
25
28.8
2012 Hitman: Absolution
47
52.5
25
28.1
2012 Sleeping Dogs
78
87.4
50
56.4
2012 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
101
113.0
73
81.6
2011 DiRT 3
117
130.3
73
81.3
2011 Portal 2
174
194.3
135
151.0
2011 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
77
86.0
69
77.5
2011 Batman: Arkham City
84
94.0
60
67.5
2011 Total War: Shogun 2
103
114.8
72
81.1
2011 Battlefield 3
46
52.1
39
43.4
2010 Civilization V
72
80.3
47
52.7
2010 Metro: 2033
54
60.5
33
37.3
2010 Starcraft II
89
99.0
78
86.9
2009 League of Legends
190
212.0
137
153.0
2008 Crysis: Warhead
49
54.7
30
33.4

2560x1440

AMD Radeon HD 7970
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660
Year Game Frames Per Second
2023 Resident Evil 4
23
28.9
13
17.4
2023 A Plague Tale: Requiem
15
19.9
9
12.0
2023 Hogwarts Legacy
14
18.1
8
10.9
2023 The Last of Us Part I
10
13.7
6
8.3
2023 Forspoken
10
13.7
6
8.3
2023 The Callisto Protocol
9
11.6
5
7.0
2023 Dead Space
14
18.1
8
10.9
2023 Baldur's Gate 3
20
26.0
12
15.6
2023 Armored Core VI
20
26.0
12
15.6
2023 Immortals of Aveum
8
10.1
4
6.1
2023 Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart
15
19.9
9
12.0
2023 Remnant II
8
10.8
5
6.5
2023 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
12
16.2
7
9.8
2023 Atomic Heart
12
15.5
7
9.3
2023 Starfield
7
9.7
4
5.9
2022 Elden Ring
14
18.0
10
13.0
2022 God of War
14
18.6
10
13.4
2022 Overwatch 2
27
34.6
20
25.0
2022 F1 22
15
19.9
9
12.0
2022 Dying Light 2
15
19.9
9
12.0
2022 Total War: Warhammer III
17
21.7
10
13.0
2022 Spider-Man Remastered
28
36.1
17
21.7
2022 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
18
23.5
11
14.1
2021 Forza Horizon 5
15
18.8
10
13.6
2021 Halo Infinite
12
15.1
8
10.9
2021 Battlefield 2042
16
20.5
11
14.8
2021 Hitman 3
23
29.6
14
17.8
2021 Far Cry 6
23
28.9
13
17.4
2021 Guardians of the Galaxy
24
30.0
14
18.0
2020 Watch Dogs: Legion
22
27.8
13
16.7
2020 Assassin's Creed Valhalla
12
15.3
8
11.1
2020 Microsoft Flight Simulator
8
10.1
5
7.3
2020 Valorant
50
63.3
36
45.7
2020 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
19
23.8
13
17.2
2020 Death Stranding
21
27.2
15
19.7
2020 Marvel's Avengers
12
16.2
9
11.7
2020 Godfall
18
22.8
13
16.5
2020 Cyberpunk 2077
13
16.5
9
11.9
2019 Apex Legends
21
26.8
16
20.1
2019 Anthem
14
18.4
11
13.8
2019 Far Cry New Dawn
21
26.4
15
19.8
2019 Resident Evil 2
25
32.0
18
23.1
2019 Metro Exodus
13
16.5
9
11.9
2019 World War Z
22
28.5
16
20.6
2019 Gears of War 5
17
22.4
12
16.1
2019 F1 2019
21
27.4
15
19.8
2019 GreedFall
20
25.2
14
18.2
2019 Borderlands 3
13
17.2
9
12.4
2019 Call of Duty Modern Warfare
27
33.9
19
24.5
2019 Red Dead Redemption 2
11
14.8
8
10.7
2019 Need For Speed: Heat
17
22.4
12
16.1
2018 Just Cause 4
18
22.6
13
16.3
2018 Monster Hunter: World
18
23.1
13
16.7
2018 Strange Brigade
27
34.6
20
25.0
2017 PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
19
24.0
12
16.2
2017 Need For Speed: Payback
24
30.6
17
22.1
2017 For Honor
26
33.0
19
23.8
2017 Project CARS 2
22
28.3
16
20.4
2017 Forza Motorsport 7
35
43.8
25
31.6
2016 Dishonored 2
20
25.0
14
18.0
2015 Rocket League
56
70.7
40
51.0
2015 Need For Speed
28
35.3
20
25.5
2015 Project CARS
26
33.4
19
24.1
2015 Rainbow Six Siege
41
51.8
29
37.4
2012 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
75
94.2
54
68.0
2009 League of Legends
94
117.8
68
85.0

3440x1440

AMD Radeon HD 7970
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660
Year Game Frames Per Second
2019 Apex Legends
17
22.9
13
17.2
2019 Anthem
11
15.2
8
11.4
2019 Far Cry New Dawn
16
21.6
12
16.2
2019 Resident Evil 2
19
25.6
14
18.5
2019 Metro Exodus
10
14.4
7
10.4
2019 World War Z
18
24.0
13
17.3
2019 Gears of War 5
14
19.5
10
14.1
2019 F1 2019
18
24.0
13
17.3
2019 GreedFall
14
19.0
10
13.7
2019 Borderlands 3
10
14.0
7
10.1
2019 Call of Duty Modern Warfare
22
29.0
15
20.9
2019 Red Dead Redemption 2
9
12.9
7
9.4
2019 Need For Speed: Heat
14
19.5
10
14.1
2018 Just Cause 4
13
18.4
10
13.3
2018 Monster Hunter: World
13
18.3
10
13.2
2018 Strange Brigade
21
28.6
15
20.7
2017 PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
15
20.3
10
13.5
2017 Need For Speed: Payback
21
27.7
15
20.0
2017 For Honor
20
26.5
14
19.1
2017 Project CARS 2
21
27.8
15
20.0
2017 Forza Motorsport 7
32
43.1
23
31.1
2016 Dishonored 2
18
24.0
13
17.3
2015 Rocket League
42
55.4
30
40.0
2015 Need For Speed
23
31.5
17
22.7
2015 Project CARS
23
30.5
16
22.0
2015 Rainbow Six Siege
30
40.6
22
29.3
2012 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
72
95.8
52
69.1
2009 League of Legends
67
88.2
48
63.7

3840x2160

AMD Radeon HD 7970
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660
Year Game Frames Per Second
2023 Resident Evil 4
15
21.7
9
13.0
2023 A Plague Tale: Requiem
8
12.6
5
7.6
2023 Hogwarts Legacy
8
12.6
5
7.6
2023 The Last of Us Part I
5
7.2
3
4.3
2023 Forspoken
4
6.5
2
3.9
2023 The Callisto Protocol
4
5.8
2
3.5
2023 Dead Space
5
7.2
3
4.3
2023 Baldur's Gate 3
10
14.4
6
8.7
2023 Armored Core VI
10
14.4
6
8.7
2023 Immortals of Aveum
3
4.7
1
2.8
2023 Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart
7
10.8
4
6.5
2023 Remnant II
3
5.4
2
3.3
2023 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
5
7.9
3
4.8
2023 Atomic Heart
6
9.7
4
5.9
2023 Starfield
4
6.5
2
3.9
2022 Elden Ring
7
10.3
5
7.4
2022 God of War
10
14.5
7
10.4
2022 Overwatch 2
18
26.1
13
18.9
2022 F1 22
10
14.4
6
8.7
2022 Dying Light 2
10
14.4
6
8.7
2022 Total War: Warhammer III
11
16.2
6
9.8
2022 Spider-Man Remastered
17
25.3
10
15.2
2022 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
10
14.4
6
8.7
2021 Forza Horizon 5
10
14.6
7
10.5
2021 Halo Infinite
7
10.4
5
7.5
2021 Battlefield 2042
9
13.2
6
9.5
2021 Hitman 3
12
18.1
7
10.9
2021 Far Cry 6
10
15.5
6
9.3
2021 Guardians of the Galaxy
11
16.2
6
9.8
2020 Watch Dogs: Legion
12
18.1
7
10.9
2020 Assassin's Creed Valhalla
7
10.4
5
7.5
2020 Microsoft Flight Simulator
5
8.0
4
5.8
2020 Valorant
38
55.1
27
39.8
2020 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
8
12.7
6
9.2
2020 Death Stranding
11
16.5
8
11.9
2020 Marvel's Avengers
5
8.5
4
6.2
2020 Godfall
7
10.9
5
7.9
2020 Cyberpunk 2077
7
10.8
5
7.8
2019 Apex Legends
11
16.0
8
12.0
2019 Anthem
7
10.0
5
7.5
2019 Far Cry New Dawn
9
14.0
7
10.5
2019 Resident Evil 2
11
15.8
7
11.4
2019 Metro Exodus
7
10.4
5
7.5
2019 World War Z
11
16.4
8
11.8
2019 Gears of War 5
9
14.1
7
10.2
2019 F1 2019
12
17.4
8
12.6
2019 GreedFall
7
10.4
5
7.5
2019 Borderlands 3
6
8.9
4
6.5
2019 Call of Duty Modern Warfare
14
20.3
10
14.6
2019 Red Dead Redemption 2
6
9.4
4
6.8
2019 Need For Speed: Heat
9
14.1
7
10.2
2018 Just Cause 4
8
11.8
5
8.5
2018 Monster Hunter: World
7
11.1
5
8.0
2018 Strange Brigade
13
18.8
9
13.6
2017 PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
9
14.0
6
9.0
2017 Need For Speed: Payback
14
21.2
10
15.3
2017 For Honor
11
16.5
8
11.9
2017 Project CARS 2
16
23.6
11
17.0
2017 Forza Motorsport 7
25
36.7
18
26.5
2016 Dishonored 2
13
19.8
10
14.3
2015 Rocket League
23
33.0
16
23.8
2015 Need For Speed
16
23.6
11
17.0
2015 Project CARS
16
23.6
11
17.0
2015 Rainbow Six Siege
16
24.0
12
17.3
2012 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
59
84.8
42
61.2
2009 League of Legends
32
47.1
23
34.0
HD 7970 vs GTX 660 with i7-2600K vs i7-2700K at 1080p and ultra vs ultra settings
HD 7970 vs GTX 660 with i7-2600K vs i7-2700K at 1440p and ultra vs ultra settings
HD 7970 vs GTX 660 with i7-2600K vs i7-2700K at 4K and ultra vs ultra settings

AMD Radeon HD 7970 / i7-2600K

For the most part, the HD 7970 is still capable of playing modern games, but you would have to reduce settings to sustain those higher framerates. If keeping graphics quality settings closer to ultra or high is important, there are a few options for upgrades. It is worth noting that the HD 7970 is a very power hungry card and requires a decent power supply unit. This combination between HD 7970 and Intel Core i7-2600K @ 3.40GHz has less than 8% bottleneck in many games and is perfect match to avoid FPS loss. This combination between HD 7970 and Intel Core i7-2600K @ 3.40GHz is a perfect match to avoid FPS loss. With current 3072 MB RAM, the HD 7970 can have very few memory-related bottlenecks in more modern games.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 / i7-2700K

With current 2048 MB RAM, the GTX 660 can have serious memory-related bottlenecks in more modern games. This combination between GTX 660 and Intel Core i7-2700K @ 3.50GHz has less than 8% bottleneck in many games and is perfect match to avoid FPS loss. This combination between GTX 660 and Intel Core i7-2700K @ 3.50GHz is a perfect match to avoid FPS loss. With current 2048 MB RAM, the GTX 660 can have very few memory-related bottlenecks in more modern games.

HD 7970 vs GTX 660 Specifications Comparison

Board Design

HD 7970 GTX 660
Board NumberC380P2030
Length10.8 inches 274 mm9.5 inches 241 mm
Outputs1x DVI1x HDMI2x mini-DisplayPort2x DVI1x HDMI1x DisplayPort
Power Connectors1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin1x 6-pin
Slot WidthDual-slotDual-slot
TDP250 W140 W

Clock Speeds

HD 7970 GTX 660
GPU Clock925 MHz980 MHz
Memory Clock1375 MHz 5500 MHz effective1502 MHz 6008 MHz effective

Graphics Card

HD 7970 GTX 660
Bus InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
GenerationSouthern Islands (HD 7900)GeForce 600
Launch Price549 USD229 USD
ProductionEnd-of-lifeEnd-of-life
Release DateDec 22nd, 2011Sep 6th, 2012

Graphics Features

HD 7970 GTX 660
DirectX12.0 (11_1)12.0 (11_0)
OpenCL1.21.2
OpenGL4.54.6
Shader Model5.15.1
Vulkan1.1.771.1.82

Graphics Processor

HD 7970 GTX 660
ArchitectureGCN 1.0Kepler
Die Size352 mm²221 mm²
GPU NameTahitiGK106
GPU VariantTahiti XT (215-0821060)GK106-400-A1
Process Size28 nm28 nm
Transistors4,313 million2,540 million

Memory

HD 7970 GTX 660
Bandwidth264.0 GB/s144.2 GB/s
Memory Bus384 bit192 bit
Memory Size3072 MB2048 MB
Memory TypeGDDR5GDDR5

Render Config

HD 7970 GTX 660
ROPs3224
Shading Units2048960
TMUs12880

Theoretical Performance

HD 7970 GTX 660
FP32 (float) performance3,789 GFLOPS1,981 GFLOPS
FP64 (double) performance947.2 GFLOPS (1:4)82.56 GFLOPS (1:24)
Pixel Rate29.60 GPixel/s20.64 GPixel/s
Texture Rate118.4 GTexel/s82.56 GTexel/s

Discussion and Comments

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