Radeon HD 5970 vs Radeon Pro
Radeon HD 5970
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Radeon Pro
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The Radeon Pro is significantly newer (2020 vs 2009). The Radeon Pro likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 5970 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon Pro is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 5970.
| Insight | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-3%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+3%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015)) | GCN 5.1 (2018−2022) (7nm) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+0%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | Standard Size (305mm) | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon Pro offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $99 versus $100 for the Radeon HD 5970, it costs 1% less. While it maintains basic entry-level capabilities, this results in a 4% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+4%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($100) | ✅More affordable ($99) |
Performance Check
Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.
Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 5970 and Radeon Pro
Radeon HD 5970
The Radeon HD 5970 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 18 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 1600 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 294W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,297 points. Launch price was $699.
Radeon Pro
The Radeon Pro is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 13 2020. It features the GCN 5.1 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1400 MHz to 1700 MHz. It has 3840 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,366 points. Launch price was $1,899.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 5970 scores 2,297 and the Radeon Pro reaches 2,366 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 5970 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon Pro uses GCN 5.1, both on 40 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 1,600 (Radeon HD 5970) vs 3,840 (Radeon Pro). Raw compute: 2.32 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 5970) vs 13.06 TFLOPS (Radeon Pro).
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon Pro |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 2,297 | 2,366+3% |
| Architecture | TeraScale 2 | GCN 5.1 |
| Process Node | 40 nm | 7 nm |
| Shading Units | 1600 ×2 | 3840+140% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 2.32 TFLOPS ×2 | 13.06 TFLOPS+463% |
| ROPs | 32 ×2 | 64+100% |
| TMUs | 80 ×2 | 240+200% |
| L1 Cache | 320 KB | 960 KB+200% |
| L2 Cache | 0.5 MB | 4 MB+700% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
Both cards feature 2 GB of GDDR5. Bus width: 128-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 5970) vs 4 MB (Radeon Pro) — the Radeon Pro has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon Pro |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Bus Width | 128-bit+100% | 64-bit |
| L2 Cache | 0.5 MB | 4 MB+700% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 11.2 (Radeon HD 5970) vs 12_0 (Radeon Pro). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon Pro |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 11.2 | 12_0+7% |
| Max Displays | 3 | 4+33% |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: None (Radeon HD 5970) vs Unified Video Decoder (Radeon Pro). Decoder: UVD 2.2 vs Unified Video Decoder.
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | None | Unified Video Decoder |
| Decoder | UVD 2.2 | Unified Video Decoder |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 | — |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 5970 draws 294W versus the Radeon Pro's 250W — a 16.2% difference. The Radeon Pro is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (Radeon HD 5970) vs 350W (Radeon Pro). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 305mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots.
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon Pro |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 294W | 250W-15% |
| Recommended PSU | 650W | 350W-46% |
| Power Connector | 6-pin + 8-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 305mm | 241mm |
| Height | 111mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | 1-50% |
| Temp (Load) | 90 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 7.8 | 9.5+22% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 5970 launched at $699 MSRP and currently averages $100, while the Radeon Pro launched at $0 and now averages $99. The Radeon Pro costs 1% less ($1 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 23.0 (Radeon HD 5970) vs 23.9 (Radeon Pro) — the Radeon Pro offers 3.9% better value. The Radeon Pro is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2009).
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon Pro |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $699 | $0-100% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $100 | $99-1% |
| Performance per Dollar | 23.0 | 23.9+4% |
| Codename | Hemlock | Vega 20 |
| Release | November 18 2009 | May 13 2020 |
| Ranking | #651 | #194 |
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