FirePro W7170M vs Radeon HD 7970M

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

FirePro W7170M vs Radeon HD 7970M FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

FirePro W7170M vs Radeon HD 7970M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

FirePro W7170M

2015

Why buy it

✅More future proof: GCN 3.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon HD 7970M

2012

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 7970M is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.6% in PassMark G3D (3,663 vs 3,605), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

FirePro W7170M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2015 generation instead of 2012. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 7970M makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 7970M is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro W7170M has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro W7170M vs Radeon HD 7970M Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

FirePro W7170M

The FirePro W7170M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 2 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 723 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,605 points.

Radeon HD 7970M

The Radeon HD 7970M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,663 points.

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Graphics Performance

The FirePro W7170M scores 3,605 and the Radeon HD 7970M reaches 3,663 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W7170M is built on GCN 3.0 while the Radeon HD 7970M uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (FirePro W7170M) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 7970M). Raw compute: 2.961 TFLOPS (FirePro W7170M) vs 2.176 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970M).

Feature	FirePro W7170M	Radeon HD 7970M
G3D Mark Score	3,605	3,663+2%
Architecture	GCN 3.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048+60%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.961 TFLOPS+36%	2.176 TFLOPS
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	128+60%	80
L1 Cache	512 KB+60%	320 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	FirePro W7170M	Radeon HD 7970M
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the FirePro W7170M and System on the Radeon HD 7970M.

Feature	FirePro W7170M	Radeon HD 7970M
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Bus Width	64-bit	System
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro W7170M) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7970M). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 6.

Feature	FirePro W7170M	Radeon HD 7970M
DirectX	12	12 (11_1)
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	3	6+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 3.1 (FirePro W7170M) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7970M). Decoder: UVD 6.0 vs UVD 3. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,HEVC (FirePro W7170M) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 7970M).

Feature	FirePro W7170M	Radeon HD 7970M
Encoder	VCE 3.1	VCE 1.0
Decoder	UVD 6.0	UVD 3
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,HEVC	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4

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Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W7170M draws 100W versus the Radeon HD 7970M's 100W — a 0% difference. The Radeon HD 7970M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W7170M) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7970M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 85°C.