Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire vs Radeon R9 270X

AMD

Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire

2012Core: 850 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 270X

2013Boost: 1050 MHz
Similar parts
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Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire vs Radeon R9 270X 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 7970M Crossfire vs Radeon R9 270X 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 7970M Crossfire vs Radeon R9 270X: 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 7970M Crossfire

2012

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 270X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2012 hardware with 2 GB 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 24.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Radeon R9 270X

2013

Why buy it

  • 12.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 24.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 4 GB 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 R9 270X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 12.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire instead at 5,000 vs 4,874, 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 7970M Crossfire is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 270X makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 270X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire vs Radeon R9 270X Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire

The Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 1 2012. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,000 points.

AMD

Radeon R9 270X

The Radeon R9 270X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1050 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,874 points. Launch price was $199.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire scores 5,000 and the Radeon R9 270X reaches 4,874 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire is built on GCN while the Radeon R9 270X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,560 (Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 270X).

FeatureRadeon HD 7970M CrossfireRadeon R9 270X
G3D Mark Score
5,000+3%
4,874
Architecture
GCN
GCN 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
2560+100%
1280
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 7970M CrossfireRadeon R9 270X
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 7970M Crossfire has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 270X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 270X gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 153.6 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire) vs 179.2 GB/s (Radeon R9 270X) — a 16.7% advantage for the Radeon R9 270X. Memory bus width is 256-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 270X.

FeatureRadeon HD 7970M CrossfireRadeon R9 270X
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
153.6 GB/s x2
179.2 GB/s+17%
Bus Width
256-bit x2
256-bit
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire draws 200W versus the Radeon R9 270X's 180W — a 10.5% difference. The Radeon R9 270X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire) vs 500W (Radeon R9 270X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 2x 6-pin.

FeatureRadeon HD 7970M CrossfireRadeon R9 270X
TDP
200W
180W-10%
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
2x 6-pin
Length
241mm
Height
109mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
80 C
Perf/Watt
25.0
27.1+8%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon R9 270X (2013 vs 2012).

FeatureRadeon HD 7970M CrossfireRadeon R9 270X
MSRP
$199
Codename
Wimbledon XT
Curacao
Release
May 1 2012
October 8 2013
Ranking
#395
#448

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