GRID V100-2Q vs Radeon HD 8970M

GRID V100-2Q

2015Core: 557 MHzBoost: 1178 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon HD 8970M

2013Core: 850 MHzBoost: 900 MHz

GRID V100-2Q vs Radeon HD 8970M 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 V100-2Q 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.

GRID V100-2Q

2015

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($10,000 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 125% higher power demand at 225W vs 100W.

Radeon HD 8970M

2013

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Draws 100W instead of 225W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 0.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $10,000 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 8970M is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.7% in PassMark G3D (3,876 vs 3,811), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GRID V100-2Q is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2015 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GRID V100-2Q makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. Radeon HD 8970M still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GRID V100-2Q vs Radeon HD 8970M Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GRID V100-2Q

The GRID V100-2Q 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: 3,811 points.

AMD

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.

Graphics Performance

The GRID V100-2Q scores 3,811 and the Radeon HD 8970M reaches 3,876 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID V100-2Q is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon HD 8970M uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (GRID V100-2Q) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 8970M). Raw compute: 4.825 TFLOPS (GRID V100-2Q) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8970M). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 900 MHz.

FeatureGRID V100-2QRadeon HD 8970M
G3D Mark Score
3,811
3,876+2%
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
GCN 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
2048+60%
1280
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.825 TFLOPS+109%
2.304 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1178 MHz+31%
900 MHz
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
128+60%
80
L1 Cache
768 KB+140%
320 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGRID V100-2QRadeon HD 8970M
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)

The GRID V100-2Q has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8970M carries 4 GB. Radeon HD 8970M gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GRID V100-2Q and System on the Radeon HD 8970M. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GRID V100-2Q) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 8970M) — the GRID V100-2Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGRID V100-2QRadeon HD 8970M
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Bus Width
64-bit
System
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GRID V100-2Q draws 225W versus the Radeon HD 8970M's 100W — a 76.9% difference. The Radeon HD 8970M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID V100-2Q) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8970M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureGRID V100-2QRadeon HD 8970M
TDP
225W
100W-56%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Perf/Watt
16.9
38.8+130%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GRID V100-2Q (2015 vs 2013).

FeatureGRID V100-2QRadeon HD 8970M
MSRP
$10000
Codename
GM204
Neptune
Release
August 30 2015
May 14 2013
Ranking
#433
#507

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