GeForce GTX 880M vs Radeon HD 8970M

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 GTX 880M vs Radeon HD 8970M 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 GTX 880M vs Radeon HD 8970M: 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 GTX 880M

2014

Why buy it

✅14.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌22% higher power demand at 122W vs 100W.

Radeon HD 8970M

2013

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 122W, a 22W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 880M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 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?

GeForce GTX 880M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 14.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 8970M instead at 3,876 vs 3,826, 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 GTX 880M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM and a newer 2014 generation instead of 2013. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 880M makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 880M vs Radeon HD 8970M Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 880M

The GeForce GTX 880M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 12 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 954 MHz to 993 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 122W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,826 points.

Radeon HD 8970M

The Radeon HD 8970M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 14 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,876 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 880M scores 3,826 and the Radeon HD 8970M reaches 3,876 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 880M is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 8970M uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 880M) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 8970M). Raw compute: 3.05 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 880M) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8970M). Boost clocks: 993 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 880M	Radeon HD 8970M
G3D Mark Score	3,826	3,876+1%
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1536+20%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.05 TFLOPS+32%	2.304 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	993 MHz+10%	900 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	128+60%	80
L1 Cache	128 KB	320 KB+150%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 880M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8970M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 880M	Radeon HD 8970M
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 880M has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8970M carries 4 GB. GeForce GTX 880M gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 880M and System on the Radeon HD 8970M.

Feature	GeForce GTX 880M	Radeon HD 8970M
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	System
Bus Width	256-bit	System
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 880M draws 122W versus the Radeon HD 8970M's 100W — a 19.8% difference. The Radeon HD 8970M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 880M) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8970M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.