CPU
GPU
Radeon HD 7970M
Popular choices:
GeForce GTX 870M
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. The Radeon HD 7970M is positioned at rank 133 and the GeForce GTX 870M is on rank 143, so the Radeon HD 7970M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 7970M
Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 870M
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 7970M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3.6% higher G3D Mark score. However, the GeForce GTX 870M offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Radeon HD 7970M | GeForce GTX 870M |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+3.6%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-3.6%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Kepler (2012−2018)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+50%) |
| Efficiency | Normal Efficiency | Normal Efficiency |
| Case Fit | — | — |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon HD 7970M 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 7970M and GeForce GTX 870M
Radeon HD 7970M
The Radeon HD 7970M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,663 points.
GeForce GTX 870M
The GeForce GTX 870M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 12 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 941 MHz to 967 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,536 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 7970M scores 3,663 and the GeForce GTX 870M reaches 3,536 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7970M is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GTX 870M uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD 7970M) vs 1,344 (GeForce GTX 870M). Raw compute: 2.176 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970M) vs 2.599 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 870M).
| Feature | Radeon HD 7970M | GeForce GTX 870M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 3,663+4% | 3,536 |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Kepler |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 1280 | 1344+5% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 2.176 TFLOPS | 2.599 TFLOPS+19% |
| ROPs | 32+33% | 24 |
| TMUs | 80 | 112+40% |
| L1 Cache | 320 KB+186% | 112 KB |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB+33% | 384 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 7970M | GeForce GTX 870M |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 2.1 (Compatible) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | FSR 3 (Compatible) |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | Standard |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Radeon HD 7970M comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 870M has 6 GB. The GeForce GTX 870M offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: System vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon HD 7970M) vs 384 KB (GeForce GTX 870M) — the Radeon HD 7970M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD 7970M | GeForce GTX 870M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | 6 GB+50% |
| Memory Type | Shared | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | System | Unknown |
| Bus Width | System | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB+33% | 384 KB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7970M) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 870M). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.
| Feature | Radeon HD 7970M | GeForce GTX 870M |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (11_1) | 12 (11_0) |
| Vulkan | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 6+50% | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7970M) vs 1st Gen NVENC (Kepler) (GeForce GTX 870M). Decoder: UVD 3 vs PureVideo HD VP5. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 7970M) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 870M).
| Feature | Radeon HD 7970M | GeForce GTX 870M |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | VCE 1.0 | 1st Gen NVENC (Kepler) |
| Decoder | UVD 3 | PureVideo HD VP5 |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 7970M draws 100W versus the GeForce GTX 870M's 100W — a 0% difference. The GeForce GTX 870M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 7970M) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 870M). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 85°C.
| Feature | Radeon HD 7970M | GeForce GTX 870M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 100W | 100W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Slots | 0 | 0 |
| Temp (Load) | 85°C | 85°C |
| Perf/Watt | 36.6+3% | 35.4 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar GPU comparisons based on Radeon HD 7970M and GeForce GTX 870M
