GeForce 7900 GT vs Radeon HD 8470

NVIDIA

GeForce 7900 GT

2008Core: 500 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 8470

2012Core: 1000 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce 7900 GT vs Radeon HD 8470 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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.

GeForce 7900 GT vs Radeon HD 8470 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.

GeForce 7900 GT vs Radeon HD 8470: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

GeForce 7900 GT

2008

Why buy it

  • Draws 150W instead of 200W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8470 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 256 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2008 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 498% HIGHER MSRP
    $299 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.9 vs 5.0 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).

Radeon HD 8470

2012

Why buy it

  • 1.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $249 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • Delivers 474.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.0 vs 0.9 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 256 MB).

Trade-offs

  • 2012 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 33.3% higher power demand at 200W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 8470 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce 7900 GT instead at 258 vs 248, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce 7900 GT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 8470 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $249 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 474.8% (5.0 vs 0.9), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8470 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 7900 GT has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 7900 GT vs Radeon HD 8470 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 7900 GT

The GeForce 7900 GT is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 15 2008. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 500 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 258 points.

AMD

Radeon HD 8470

The Radeon HD 8470 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 248 points. Launch price was $349.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 7900 GT scores 258 and the Radeon HD 8470 reaches 248 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 7900 GT is built on G9x while the Radeon HD 8470 uses GCN 1.0, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 7900 GT) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 8470).

FeatureGeForce 7900 GTRadeon HD 8470
G3D Mark Score
258+4%
248
Architecture
G9x
GCN 1.0
Process Node
65 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
224
1280+471%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 7900 GT gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8470 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce 7900 GTRadeon HD 8470
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 7900 GT has 256 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8470 carries 1 GB. Radeon HD 8470 gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce 7900 GT and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8470.

FeatureGeForce 7900 GTRadeon HD 8470
VRAM Capacity
0.25 GB
1 GB+300%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 7900 GT draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 8470's 200W — a 28.6% difference. The GeForce 7900 GT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 7900 GT) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8470). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureGeForce 7900 GTRadeon HD 8470
TDP
150W-25%
200W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
1x 6-pin
Length
198mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1
Temp (Load)
80
Perf/Watt
1.7+42%
1.2
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 7900 GT came in at $299, while the Radeon HD 8470 launched at $50. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8470 was 83.3% cheaper ($249 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.9 (GeForce 7900 GT) vs 5.0 (Radeon HD 8470) — the Radeon HD 8470 offers 455.6% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 8470 (2012 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce 7900 GTRadeon HD 8470
MSRP
$299
$50-83%
Performance per Dollar
0.9
5.0+456%
Codename
NB9E-GTX
Pitcairn
Release
July 15 2008
March 5 2012
Ranking
#825
#460

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