Radeon 680M vs Radeon HD 8970M

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.

Radeon 680M vs Radeon HD 8970M 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.

Radeon 680M 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.

Radeon 680M

2023

Why buy it

✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 6nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 50W instead of 100W, a 50W reduction.
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8970M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Radeon HD 8970M

2013

Why buy it

✅0.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

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.
❌100% higher power demand at 100W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 8970M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 0.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1% in PassMark G3D (3,876 vs 3,836), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon 680M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 6nm process instead of 28nm, 12 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2013. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 8970M makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8970M is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon 680M has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon 680M vs Radeon HD 8970M Technical Specifications

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

Radeon 680M

The Radeon 680M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 3 2023. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2000 MHz to 2200 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 12 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,836 points.

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.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon 680M scores 3,836 and the Radeon HD 8970M reaches 3,876 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon 680M is built on RDNA 2.0 while the Radeon HD 8970M uses GCN 1.0, both on 6 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 768 (Radeon 680M) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 8970M). Raw compute: 3.379 TFLOPS (Radeon 680M) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8970M). Boost clocks: 2200 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	Radeon 680M	Radeon HD 8970M
G3D Mark Score	3,836	3,876+1%
Architecture	RDNA 2.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	6 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	768	1280+67%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.379 TFLOPS+47%	2.304 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	2200 MHz+144%	900 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	48	80+67%
L1 Cache	256 KB	320 KB+25%
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling + RSR	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon 680M	Radeon HD 8970M
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon 680M 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 System on the Radeon 680M and System on the Radeon HD 8970M. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Radeon 680M) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 8970M) — the Radeon 680M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon 680M	Radeon HD 8970M
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	Shared	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	System	System
Bus Width	System	System
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon 680M draws 50W versus the Radeon HD 8970M's 100W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon 680M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon 680M) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8970M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.