Radeon HD 5970 vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U

AMD

Radeon HD 5970

2009Core: 725 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U

2017Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1200 MHz
Similar parts
·······

Radeon HD 5970 vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U 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 HD 5970 vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U 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 HD 5970 vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U: 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 HD 5970

2009

Why buy it

  • 64.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs Unknown).
  • Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon HD 5970 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • 2009 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 1860% higher power demand at 294W vs 15W.

Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U

2017

Why buy it

  • Draws 15W instead of 294W, a 279W reduction.
  • More future proof: Vega (2017−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 5970 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2017 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 3.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $699 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 5970 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 64.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U instead at 2,330 vs 2,297, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon HD 5970 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 5970 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

Radeon HD 5970 vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U Technical Specifications

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

AMD

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.

AMD

Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U

The Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 26 2017. It features the Vega architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1200 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,330 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 5970 scores 2,297 and the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U reaches 2,330 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 5970 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U uses Vega, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,600 (Radeon HD 5970) vs 512 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U). Raw compute: 2.32 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 5970) vs 1.843 TFLOPS (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U).

FeatureRadeon HD 5970Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U
G3D Mark Score
2,297
2,330+1%
Architecture
TeraScale 2
Vega
Process Node
40 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
1600 ×2+213%
512
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.32 TFLOPS ×2+26%
1.843 TFLOPS
ROPs
32 ×2+300%
8
TMUs
80 ×2+150%
32
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 5970Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U
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)

The Radeon HD 5970 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U carries 0 MB. Radeon HD 5970 gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon HD 5970 and System on the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U.

FeatureRadeon HD 5970Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U
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 (12_1) (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 3.

FeatureRadeon HD 5970Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U
DirectX
11.2
12 (12_1)+7%
Vulkan
N/A
1.3
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 Ryzen 3 5300U). Decoder: UVD 2.2 vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 5970) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U).

FeatureRadeon HD 5970Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U
Encoder
None
VCN 2.0
Decoder
UVD 2.2
VCN 2.0
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,H.265,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 5970 draws 294W versus the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U's 15W — a 180.6% difference. The Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (Radeon HD 5970) vs 1W (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs Integrated. Typical load temperature: 90 vs 85°C.

FeatureRadeon HD 5970Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U
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
85°C-6%
Perf/Watt
7.8
155.3+1891%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 5970 came in at $699, while the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U was 100+% cheaper ($699 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 3.3 (Radeon HD 5970) vs Infinity (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U) — the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U (2017 vs 2009).

FeatureRadeon HD 5970Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U
MSRP
$699
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
3.3
Infinity
Codename
Hemlock
Vega Raven Ridge
Release
November 18 2009
October 26 2017
Ranking
#651
#721

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.