GRID K520 vs Radeon HD 7970M
GRID K520
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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 GRID K520 is positioned at rank 350 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 GRID K520
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 4.2% 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 GRID K520.
| Insight | GRID K520 | Radeon HD 7970M |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-4.2%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+4.2%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / 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 | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | Standard Size (267mm) | — |
💎 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 GRID K520 and Radeon HD 7970M
GRID K520
The GRID K520 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 23 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 745 MHz. It has 1536 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,516 points. Launch price was $3,599.
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 GRID K520 scores 3,516 and the Radeon HD 7970M reaches 3,663 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID K520 is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 7970M uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (GRID K520) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 7970M). Raw compute: 2.289 TFLOPS ×2 (GRID K520) vs 2.176 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970M).
| Feature | GRID K520 | Radeon HD 7970M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 3,516 | 3,663+4% |
| Architecture | Kepler | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 1536 ×2+20% | 1280 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 2.289 TFLOPS ×2+5% | 2.176 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 32 ×2 | 32 |
| TMUs | 128 ×2+60% | 80 |
| L1 Cache | 128 KB | 320 KB+150% |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB | 512 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | GRID K520 | Radeon HD 7970M |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | Standard | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GRID K520 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: 64-bit vs System.
| Feature | GRID K520 | Radeon HD 7970M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 4 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | Shared |
| Bus Width | 64-bit | System |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB | 512 KB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GRID K520) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7970M). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 6.
| Feature | GRID K520 | Radeon HD 7970M |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 (11_1) |
| Vulkan | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 0 | 6 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC 1 (GRID K520) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7970M). Decoder: NVDEC 1 vs UVD 3. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GRID K520) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 7970M).
| Feature | GRID K520 | Radeon HD 7970M |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 1 | VCE 1.0 |
| Decoder | NVDEC 1 | UVD 3 |
| Codecs | H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 |
Power & Dimensions
The GRID K520 draws 225W versus the Radeon HD 7970M's 100W — a 76.9% difference. The Radeon HD 7970M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID K520) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7970M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85°C.
| Feature | GRID K520 | Radeon HD 7970M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 225W | 100W-56% |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | 267mm | — |
| Height | 111mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 75°C-12% | 85°C |
| Perf/Watt | 15.6 | 36.6+135% |
Value Analysis
The GRID K520 is the newer GPU (2013 vs 2012).
| Feature | GRID K520 | Radeon HD 7970M |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $3599 | — |
| Avg Price (30d) | $50 | — |
| Codename | GK104 | Wimbledon |
| Release | July 23 2013 | April 24 2012 |
| Ranking | #540 | #531 |
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