GRID P40-12Q vs Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

GRID P40-12Q

2015Core: 557 MHzBoost: 1178 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

2011Core: 680 MHz
Similar parts
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GRID P40-12Q vs Radeon HD 6970M 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 P40-12Q vs Radeon HD 6970M 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 P40-12Q

2015

Why buy it

  • More future proof: Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) 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.
  • 3699.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $5,699 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.0 vs 37.6 G3D/$ ($5,699 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • 350% higher power demand at 225W vs 50W.

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

2011

Why buy it

  • Costs $5,549 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $5,699 MSRP).
  • Delivers 3765.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 37.6 vs 1.0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $5,699 MSRP).
  • Draws 50W instead of 225W, a 175W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2011 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?
Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.8% in PassMark G3D (5,637 vs 5,540), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GRID P40-12Q is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2011. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire makes the most sense to buy today. It is $5,549 cheaper on MSRP at $150 vs $5,699, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 3765.9% (37.6 vs 1.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GRID P40-12Q has the stronger long-term case.

GRID P40-12Q vs Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GRID P40-12Q

The GRID P40-12Q 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: 5,540 points.

AMD

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 6 2011. It features the Terascale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 680 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,637 points.

Graphics Performance

The GRID P40-12Q scores 5,540 and the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire reaches 5,637 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID P40-12Q is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire uses Terascale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GRID P40-12Q) vs 1,920 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire).

FeatureGRID P40-12QRadeon HD 6970M Crossfire
G3D Mark Score
5,540
5,637+2%
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
Terascale 2
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
2048+7%
1920

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGRID P40-12QRadeon HD 6970M 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
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GRID P40-12Q and 256-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire.

FeatureGRID P40-12QRadeon HD 6970M Crossfire
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Bus Width
128-bit
256-bit x2+100%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GRID P40-12Q draws 225W versus the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire's 50W — a 127.3% difference. The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID P40-12Q) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureGRID P40-12QRadeon HD 6970M Crossfire
TDP
225W
50W-78%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
1mm
Slots
0
Perf/Watt
24.6
112.7+358%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GRID P40-12Q came in at $5699, while the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire launched at $150. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire was 97.4% cheaper ($5549 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.0 (GRID P40-12Q) vs 37.6 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire) — the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire offers 3660% better value. The newer card here is GRID P40-12Q (2015 vs 2011).

FeatureGRID P40-12QRadeon HD 6970M Crossfire
MSRP
$5699
$150-97%
Performance per Dollar
1.0
37.6+3660%
Codename
GM204
Blackcomb XT
Release
August 30 2015
January 6 2011
Ranking
#433
#537

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