GRID M60-8A vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

GRID M60-8A

2015Core: 557 MHzBoost: 1178 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

2012Core: 850 MHzBoost: 900 MHz

GRID M60-8A vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire 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.

GRID M60-8A vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

GRID M60-8A

2015

Why buy it

  • βœ…More future proof: Maxwell 2.0 (2014βˆ’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.
  • ❌
    733.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $2,500 MSRPvs$300 MSRP
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.2 vs 18.3 G3D/$ ($2,500 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

2012

Why buy it

  • βœ…Costs $2,200 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
  • βœ…Delivers 729.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 18.3 vs 2.2 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).

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?
GRID M60-8A is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.4% in PassMark G3D (5,523 vs 5,500), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GRID M60-8A 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 8970M Crossfire makes the most sense to buy today. It is $2,200 cheaper on MSRP at $300 vs $2,500, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 729.9% (18.3 vs 2.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GRID M60-8A has the stronger long-term case.

GRID M60-8A vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GRID M60-8A

The GRID M60-8A is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 30 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 557 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,523 points.

AMD

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

The Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 1 2012. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,500 points.

⚑

Graphics Performance

The GRID M60-8A scores 5,523 and the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire reaches 5,500 in the G3D Mark benchmark β€” just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID M60-8A is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire uses GCN, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (GRID M60-8A) vs 2,560 (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 900 MHz.

FeatureGRID M60-8ARadeon HD 8970M Crossfire
G3D Mark Score
5,523
5,500
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
GCN
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
2048
2560+25%
Boost Clock
1178 MHz+31%
900 MHz
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGRID M60-8ARadeon HD 8970M Crossfire
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
πŸ’Ύ

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GRID M60-8A and 256-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire.

FeatureGRID M60-8ARadeon HD 8970M Crossfire
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Bus Width
128-bit
256-bit x2+100%
πŸ”Œ

Power & Dimensions

The GRID M60-8A draws 225W versus the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire's 200W β€” a 11.8% difference. The Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID M60-8A) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureGRID M60-8ARadeon HD 8970M Crossfire
TDP
225W
200W-11%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
1mm
β€”
Slots
0
β€”
Perf/Watt
24.5
27.5+12%
πŸ’°

Value Analysis

At launch, the GRID M60-8A came in at $2500, while the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire launched at $300. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire was 88% cheaper ($2200 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.2 (GRID M60-8A) vs 18.3 (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire) β€” the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire offers 731.8% better value. The newer card here is GRID M60-8A (2015 vs 2012).

FeatureGRID M60-8ARadeon HD 8970M Crossfire
MSRP
$2500
$300-88%
Performance per Dollar
2.2
18.3+732%
Codename
GM204
Neptune CF
Release
August 30 2015
May 1 2012
Ranking
#505
#350

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.