Radeon HD 5970 vs Radeon R9 M470
Radeon HD 5970
Popular choices:
Radeon R9 M470
Popular choices:
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 Radeon R9 M470
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The Radeon R9 M470 is significantly newer (2016 vs 2009). The Radeon R9 M470 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 R9 M470 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.5% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (4 GB vs 2 GB). 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 R9 M470 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.5%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+1.5%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2016 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | Standard Size (305mm) | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon R9 M470 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon R9 M470 holds the technical lead. Priced at $80 (vs $100), it costs 20% less, resulting in a 26.9% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon R9 M470 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+26.9%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($100) | ✅More affordable ($80) |
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 R9 M470
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 R9 M470
The Radeon R9 M470 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 15 2016. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 900 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,331 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 5970 scores 2,297 and the Radeon R9 M470 reaches 2,331 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 5970 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon R9 M470 uses GCN 2.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,600 (Radeon HD 5970) vs 768 (Radeon R9 M470). Raw compute: 2.32 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 5970) vs 1.536 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M470).
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon R9 M470 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 2,297 | 2,331+1% |
| Architecture | TeraScale 2 | GCN 2.0 |
| Process Node | 40 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 1600 ×2+108% | 768 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 2.32 TFLOPS ×2+51% | 1.536 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 32 ×2+100% | 16 |
| TMUs | 80 ×2+67% | 48 |
| L1 Cache | 320 KB+67% | 192 KB |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB+100% | 256 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon R9 M470 |
|---|---|---|
| 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)
The Radeon HD 5970 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M470 has 4 GB. The Radeon R9 M470 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon HD 5970) vs 256 KB (Radeon R9 M470) — the Radeon HD 5970 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon R9 M470 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 4 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB+100% | 256 KB |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 5970 draws 294W versus the Radeon R9 M470's 75W — a 118.7% difference. The Radeon R9 M470 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (Radeon HD 5970) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M470). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs Mobile.
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon R9 M470 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 294W | 75W-74% |
| Recommended PSU | 650W | 350W-46% |
| Power Connector | 6-pin + 8-pin | Mobile |
| Length | 305mm | — |
| Height | 111mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | — |
| Temp (Load) | 90 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 7.8 | 31.1+299% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 5970 launched at $699 MSRP and currently averages $100, while the Radeon R9 M470 launched at $350 and now averages $80. The Radeon R9 M470 costs 20% less ($20 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 23.0 (Radeon HD 5970) vs 29.1 (Radeon R9 M470) — the Radeon R9 M470 offers 26.5% better value. The Radeon R9 M470 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2009).
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon R9 M470 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $699 | $350-50% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $100 | $80-20% |
| Performance per Dollar | 23.0 | 29.1+27% |
| Codename | Hemlock | Emerald |
| Release | November 18 2009 | May 15 2016 |
| Ranking | #651 | #649 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar GPU comparisons based on Radeon HD 5970 and Radeon R9 M470
