Radeon HD 6970M vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U

AMD

Radeon HD 6970M

2011Core: 680 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U

2017Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1200 MHz
Similar parts
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Radeon HD 6970M 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 6970M 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 6970M 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 6970M

2011

Why buy it

  • 21.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 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 6970M is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • 2011 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 400% higher power demand at 75W vs 15W.

Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U

2017

Why buy it

  • Draws 15W instead of 75W, a 60W reduction.
  • More future proof: Vega (2017−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 6970M 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.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 6970M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 21.4% 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 2,270, 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 6970M 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 RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p, Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 6970M has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 6970M vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon HD 6970M

The Radeon HD 6970M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 680 MHz. It has 960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,270 points.

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 6970M scores 2,270 and the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U reaches 2,330 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 6970M is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U uses Vega, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 960 (Radeon HD 6970M) vs 512 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U). Raw compute: 1.306 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6970M) vs 1.843 TFLOPS (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U).

FeatureRadeon HD 6970MRadeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U
G3D Mark Score
2,270
2,330+3%
Architecture
TeraScale 2
Vega
Process Node
40 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
960+88%
512
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.306 TFLOPS
1.843 TFLOPS+41%
ROPs
32+300%
8
TMUs
48+50%
32
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 6970MRadeon 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
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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 6970M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U carries 0 MB. Radeon HD 6970M gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is System on the Radeon HD 6970M and System on the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U.

FeatureRadeon HD 6970MRadeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
Shared
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
System
System
Bus Width
System
System
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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 6970M draws 75W versus the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U's 15W — a 133.3% difference. The Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 6970M) vs 1W (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Integrated.

FeatureRadeon HD 6970MRadeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U
TDP
75W
15W-80%
Recommended PSU
350W
1W-100%
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
Integrated
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
85°C
Perf/Watt
30.3
155.3+413%
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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U (2017 vs 2011).

FeatureRadeon HD 6970MRadeon RX Vega Ryzen 3 5300U
MSRP
$0
Codename
Blackcomb
Vega Raven Ridge
Release
January 4 2011
October 26 2017
Ranking
#654
#721

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