GeForce GTX 680M SLI vs Radeon HD 7970M
GeForce GTX 680M SLI
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Radeon HD 7970M
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The GeForce GTX 680M SLI is positioned at rank 141 and the Radeon HD 7970M is on rank 133, so the Radeon HD 7970M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 680M SLI
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 7970M
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 7970M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.6% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (4 GB vs 2 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce GTX 680M SLI.
| Insight | GeForce GTX 680M SLI | Radeon HD 7970M |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.6%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+2.6%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / Kepler (2012−2018)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | — | — |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon HD 7970M remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.
Performance Check
Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.
Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 680M SLI and Radeon HD 7970M
GeForce GTX 680M SLI
The GeForce GTX 680M SLI is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 4 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 720 MHz. It has 2688 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,569 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.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GTX 680M SLI scores 3,569 and the Radeon HD 7970M reaches 3,663 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 680M SLI is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 7970M uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,688 (GeForce GTX 680M SLI) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 7970M).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 680M SLI | Radeon HD 7970M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 3,569 | 3,663+3% |
| Architecture | Kepler | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 2688+110% | 1280 |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | GeForce GTX 680M SLI | Radeon HD 7970M |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 2.1 (Compatible) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | FSR 3 (Compatible) | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | Standard | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce GTX 680M SLI comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7970M has 4 GB. The Radeon HD 7970M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs System.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 680M SLI | Radeon HD 7970M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 4 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | Shared |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | System |
| Bus Width | 256-bit | System |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 680M SLI) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7970M). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 680M SLI | Radeon HD 7970M |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 (11_1) |
| Vulkan | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 6+50% |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC (1st Gen) (GeForce GTX 680M SLI) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7970M). Decoder: VP5 vs UVD 3. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (GeForce GTX 680M SLI) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 7970M).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 680M SLI | Radeon HD 7970M |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC (1st Gen) | VCE 1.0 |
| Decoder | VP5 | UVD 3 |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 680M SLI draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 7970M's 100W — a 28.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 680M SLI is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 680M SLI) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7970M). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85°C.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 680M SLI | Radeon HD 7970M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 75W-25% | 100W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | 1x 6-pin |
| Slots | — | 0 |
| Temp (Load) | 80°C-6% | 85°C |
| Perf/Watt | 47.6+30% | 36.6 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
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