Radeon 760M vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

AMD

Radeon 760M

2024Core: 800 MHzBoost: 2599 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

2012Core: 850 MHzBoost: 900 MHz
Similar parts
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Radeon 760M 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.

Radeon 760M vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire 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 760M 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.

Radeon 760M

2024

Why buy it

  • Better long-term bet: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 4nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 15W instead of 200W, a 185W reduction.
  • More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 18.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $300 MSRP).

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

2012

Why buy it

  • 22.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 18.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs Unknown 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.
  • 1233.3% higher power demand at 200W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 22.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.9% in PassMark G3D (5,500 vs 5,449), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon 760M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 4nm process instead of 28nm, 8 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2012. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire 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 Crossfire is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon 760M has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon 760M vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon 760M

The Radeon 760M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 31 2024. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 800 MHz to 2599 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 8 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,449 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 Radeon 760M scores 5,449 and the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire reaches 5,500 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon 760M is built on RDNA 3.0 while the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire uses GCN, both on 4 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 512 (Radeon 760M) vs 2,560 (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire). Boost clocks: 2599 MHz vs 900 MHz.

FeatureRadeon 760MRadeon HD 8970M Crossfire
G3D Mark Score
5,449
5,500
Architecture
RDNA 3.0
GCN
Process Node
4 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
512
2560+400%
Boost Clock
2599 MHz+189%
900 MHz
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling + RSR
FSR upscaling

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon 760MRadeon HD 8970M Crossfire
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
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is System on the Radeon 760M and 256-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire.

FeatureRadeon 760MRadeon HD 8970M Crossfire
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
4 GB
Memory Type
Shared
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
System
153.6 GB/s x2
Bus Width
System
256-bit x2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon 760M draws 15W versus the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire's 200W — a 172.1% difference. The Radeon 760M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon 760M) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire). Power connectors: None vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureRadeon 760MRadeon HD 8970M Crossfire
TDP
15W-93%
200W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
None
1x 6-pin
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
363.3+1221%
27.5
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon 760M (2024 vs 2012).

FeatureRadeon 760MRadeon HD 8970M Crossfire
MSRP
$300
Codename
Phoenix
Neptune CF
Release
January 31 2024
May 1 2012
Ranking
#421
#350

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