So you’re an AMD fan and you’re looking for GTX 970 AMD Equivalent graphics cards, well, you’re in luck because I’ve compiled a list of the best GPUs equivalent to the Iconic Nvidia GTX 970! but before you buy an AMD equivalent GPU to the GTX 970 you should know a few things.
Here’s What You Need To Know
- GTX 970 is a very old GPU so you’ll only find an AMD GPU that’s older as well
- AMD GPUs tend to heat up a bit
- AMD graphics cards provide the best bang for the buck, at the expense of early retirement
now I know that there’s a lot of hate and controversies involving AMD cards , but at the end of the day you really can’t argue with the fact AMD graphics cards provide the best performance for a minimal amount of money.
Even though I’m more of an Nvidia guy but I acknowledge the fact that AMD GPUs are literally the best bang for the buck GPUs.
So without further a due, here’s a list of the top 6 and cheapest AMD Graphics Cards Equivalent to The GTX 970.
Top 6 GPUs Equivalent to GTX 970
1. AMD Radeon R9 390 8GB Graphics Card
| Nvidia GTX 970 4GB | AMD Radeon R9 390 8GB | |
| Speed | 1050 Mhz | 1000 Mhz |
| Memory Bus | 256 Bit | 512 Bit |
The R9 390 is one of the best and cheapest graphics cards produced by AMD, even now in 2022, the card does fairly well against new graphics cards like the RX 580.
Priced at around $300, this card is one of the best cards in the price range, however, in 2022, I wouldn’t recommend it as it’s too old.
But it still gives a decent performance in most AAA titles of 2022 and should run them pretty easily.
2. AMD Radeon R9 290X 4GB Graphics Card
| Nvidia GTX 970 4GB | AMD Radeon R9 290x 4GB | |
| Speed | 1050 Mhz | 1040 Mhz |
| Memory Bus | 256 Bit | 512 Bit |
The R9 290x is a GPU released all the way back in 2013, which is roughly 10 years old, I know, the card is pretty old and isn’t really power efficient, plus there’s the heating problem of AMD graphics cards and the 290x being one of the notoriously popular GPUs that are prone to overheating.
However, one thing is for sure, the 290x was one of the best cards produced at that time, and in this day and age, it’s going to perform marvelously if paired up with a decent processor.
The GPU currently costs around $500 on amazon (certified pre-owned) but you should get one off of Kijiji or craigslist since you’ll find a better deal.
3. AMD Radeon R9 380x 4GB Graphics Card
| Nvidia GTX 970 4GB | AMD Radeon R9 290x 4GB | |
| Speed | 1050 Mhz | 970 Mhz |
| Memory Bus | 256 Bit | 256 Bit |
The R9 380x was released in 2015, roughly a year after the 970 was released, the GPU does seem a little under-powered when compared with the 970, however, it’s capable of handling the latest games and provides a consistent 60fps @medium-high settings on most of the games.
It’s priced at $500 and is definitely not the money if you ask for my opinion, however, based on the historical data and facts, it is an excellent GPU, but not because of the price point.
4. AMD Radeon RX 480 4GB Graphics Card
| Nvidia GTX 970 4GB | AMD Radeon Rx480 4GB | |
| Speed | 1050 Mhz | 1120 Mhz |
| Memory Bus | 256 Bit | 256 Bit |
The main thing to note here is the memory speed and the core speed, along with other factors of course, the RX480 was released in 2016 and has been widely regarded as one of the best graphics cards for mining crypto currency such as bitcoin.
Overall , the RX480 still remains a very good GPU in 2022, however when it comes to the 480 you’ve got to be very careful because most of the RX480 GPUs have been used in mining and that tends to wear down graphics cards at a very fast rate.
So always use proper benchmarking tools to make sure that the Graphics card is in good condition, especially if it’s used.
5. AMD Radeon RX 570 4GB Graphics Card
| Nvidia GTX 970 4GB | AMD Radeon Rx570 4GB | |
| Speed | 1050 Mhz | 1150 Mhz |
| Memory Bus | 256 Bit | 256 Bit |
The Rx570 was released in 2017 and is a predecessor to the RX480 with enhanced capabilities, don’t let the core speed fool you because this GPU is also quite powerful.
According to game-debate, the 570 is just 3% better than the 970, however the main differences that can be found between the two are core speed and power consumption so this is probably the most similar GPU to the 970 in this list.
6. AMD Radeon RX6600 8GB GDDR6 Graphics Card
| Nvidia GTX 970 4GB | AMD Radeon Rx6600 8GB | |
| Speed | 1050 Mhz | 1605 Mhz |
| Memory Bus | 256 Bit | 256 Bit |
This is the best graphics card in this list, and it’s the cheapest as well! priced at just $220, the RX6600 will practically walk over all the other graphics cards that we’ve reviewed so far.
The RX6600 was released just last year i.e in 2021 and it’s proven to be one of the best AMD graphics cards, mainly because it boasts the GDDR6 ram and that too 8GB!
This graphics card is approximately 10% better than the GTX 970 according to game debate, however the difference in actual bench marks is quite big.
Conclusion
We’ve reviewed the best GPUs equivalent to the Nvidia GTX 970, but the best one that I’d recommend to anyone is the RX6600.
