Radeon HD 5970 vs Radeon RX Vega 5
Radeon HD 5970
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Radeon RX Vega 5
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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 RX Vega 5 is significantly newer (2020 vs 2009). The Radeon RX Vega 5 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 RX Vega 5 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.6% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 5970 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon RX Vega 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.6%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+2.6%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015)) | Vega (2017−2020) (7nm) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+100+%) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | Standard Size (305mm) | — |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon RX Vega 5 remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.
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 RX Vega 5
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 RX Vega 5
The Radeon RX Vega 5 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2020. It features the Vega architecture. The boost clock speed is 1400 MHz. It has 320 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,356 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 5970 scores 2,297 and the Radeon RX Vega 5 reaches 2,356 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 5970 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon RX Vega 5 uses Vega, both on 40 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 1,600 (Radeon HD 5970) vs 320 (Radeon RX Vega 5).
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon RX Vega 5 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 2,297 | 2,356+3% |
| Architecture | TeraScale 2 | Vega |
| Process Node | 40 nm | 7 nm |
| Shading Units | 1600 ×2+400% | 320 |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon RX Vega 5 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 RX Vega 5 has 0 MB. The Radeon HD 5970 offers 100+% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs System.
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon RX Vega 5 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | Shared System RAM |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | Shared |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | System |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | System |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 11.2 (Radeon HD 5970) vs 12 (FL 12_1) (Radeon RX Vega 5). OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 3.
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon RX Vega 5 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 11.2 | 12 (FL 12_1)+7% |
| OpenGL | 4.4 | 4.6+5% |
| Max Displays | 3 | 3 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: None (Radeon HD 5970) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX Vega 5). Decoder: UVD 2.2 vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 5970) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (Radeon RX Vega 5).
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon RX Vega 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | None | VCN 2.0 |
| Decoder | UVD 2.2 | VCN 2.0 |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 | H.264,H.265/HEVC |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 5970 draws 294W versus the Radeon RX Vega 5's 15W — a 180.6% difference. The Radeon RX Vega 5 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (Radeon HD 5970) vs 1W (Radeon RX Vega 5). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs Integrated.
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon RX Vega 5 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 294W | 15W-95% |
| Recommended PSU | 650W | 1W-100% |
| Power Connector | 6-pin + 8-pin | Integrated |
| Length | 305mm | — |
| Height | 111mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 90 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 7.8 | 157.1+1914% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 5970 launched at $699 MSRP and currently averages $100, while the Radeon RX Vega 5 launched at $0 and now averages $0. The Radeon RX Vega 5 costs 100+% less ($100 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 23.0 (Radeon HD 5970) vs Infinity (Radeon RX Vega 5) — the Radeon RX Vega 5 offers Infinity% better value. The Radeon RX Vega 5 is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2009).
| Feature | Radeon HD 5970 | Radeon RX Vega 5 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $699 | $0-100% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $100 | $0-100% |
| Performance per Dollar | 23.0 | Infinity |
| Codename | Hemlock | Vega |
| Release | November 18 2009 | January 7 2020 |
| Ranking | #651 | #716 |
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