Maxwell GPU Surface Book
Radeon HD8970M
Maxwell GPU Surface Book vs Radeon HD8970M 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.
Maxwell GPU Surface Book vs Radeon HD8970M 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Maxwell GPU Surface Book vs Radeon HD8970M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict
See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.
Maxwell GPU Surface Book
2015Why buy it
- ✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 22.1 vs 0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
- ✅Draws 30W instead of 100W, a 70W reduction.
- ✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
Trade-offs
- ❌2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
Radeon HD8970M
2013Why buy it
- ✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.
Trade-offs
- ❌2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 22.1 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
- ❌233.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 30W.
Quick Answers
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Maxwell GPU Surface Book vs Radeon HD8970M Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
Maxwell GPU Surface Book
The Maxwell GPU Surface Book is manufactured by an unknown manufacturer. It was released in October 1 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 954 MHz to 993 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,311 points.
Radeon HD8970M
The Radeon HD8970M 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: 3,369 points.
Graphics Performance
The Maxwell GPU Surface Book scores 3,311 and the Radeon HD8970M reaches 3,369 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD8970M uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD8970M). Boost clocks: 993 MHz vs 900 MHz.
| Feature | Maxwell GPU Surface Book | Radeon HD8970M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 3,311 | 3,369+2% |
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 384 | 1280+233% |
| Boost Clock | 993 MHz+10% | 900 MHz |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Maxwell GPU Surface Book | Radeon HD8970M |
|---|---|---|
| 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 2 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Maxwell GPU Surface Book and System on the Radeon HD8970M.
| Feature | Maxwell GPU Surface Book | Radeon HD8970M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | Shared |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | System |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | System |
Power & Dimensions
The Maxwell GPU Surface Book draws 30W versus the Radeon HD8970M's 100W — a 107.7% difference. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Maxwell GPU Surface Book) vs 350W (Radeon HD8970M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.
| Feature | Maxwell GPU Surface Book | Radeon HD8970M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 30W-70% | 100W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 0mm | — |
| Height | 0mm | — |
| Slots | 0 | — |
| Temp (Load) | 85 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 110.4+228% | 33.7 |
Value Analysis
The newer card here is Maxwell GPU Surface Book (2015 vs 2013).
| Feature | Maxwell GPU Surface Book | Radeon HD8970M |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $150 | — |
| Codename | Surface Book | Neptune |
| Release | October 1 2015 | May 14 2013 |
| Ranking | #779 | #507 |
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