Radeon HD 7970M vs Radeon Pro 560X

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 vs Radeon Pro 560X 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 vs Radeon Pro 560X: 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

2012

Why buy it

✅13.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌33.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 75W.

Radeon Pro 560X

2018

Why buy it

✅Radeon HD 7970M is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon Pro 560X is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 75W instead of 100W, a 25W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 4.0 (2016−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7970M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2018 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 7970M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 13.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon Pro 560X instead at 3,678 vs 3,663, 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 Pro 560X is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 14nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2012. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon Pro 560X makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. Radeon HD 7970M still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon HD 7970M vs Radeon Pro 560X Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon Pro 560X

The Radeon Pro 560X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 16 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 1004 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,678 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7970M scores 3,663 and the Radeon Pro 560X reaches 3,678 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7970M is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon Pro 560X uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD 7970M) vs 1,024 (Radeon Pro 560X). Raw compute: 2.176 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970M) vs 2.056 TFLOPS (Radeon Pro 560X).

Feature	Radeon HD 7970M	Radeon Pro 560X
G3D Mark Score	3,663	3,678
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	1280+25%	1024
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.176 TFLOPS+6%	2.056 TFLOPS
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	80+25%	64
L1 Cache	320 KB+25%	256 KB
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7970M	Radeon Pro 560X
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 7970M has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Pro 560X carries 2 GB. Radeon HD 7970M 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 7970M and 64-bit on the Radeon Pro 560X. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7970M) vs 1 MB (Radeon Pro 560X) — the Radeon Pro 560X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 7970M	Radeon Pro 560X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+100%	2 GB
Memory Type	Shared	GDDR5
Bus Width	System	64-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7970M) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon Pro 560X). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon HD 7970M	Radeon Pro 560X
DirectX	12 (11_1)	12 (12_0)
Vulkan	1.2	1.3+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	6+50%	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7970M) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon Pro 560X). Decoder: UVD 3 vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 7970M) vs H.264,HEVC (Radeon Pro 560X).

Feature	Radeon HD 7970M	Radeon Pro 560X
Encoder	VCE 1.0	VCE 3.0
Decoder	UVD 3	UVD 6.3
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4	H.264,HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7970M draws 100W versus the Radeon Pro 560X's 75W — a 28.6% difference. The Radeon Pro 560X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 7970M) vs 350W (Radeon Pro 560X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75.

Feature	Radeon HD 7970M	Radeon Pro 560X
TDP	100W	75W-25%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	—	0mm
Height	—	0mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	85°C	75-12%
Perf/Watt	36.6	49.0+34%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon Pro 560X (2018 vs 2012).

Feature	Radeon HD 7970M	Radeon Pro 560X
MSRP	—	$0
Codename	Wimbledon	Polaris 21
Release	April 24 2012	July 16 2018
Ranking	#531	#528

Search Radeon HD 7970M on Amazon

Search Radeon Pro 560X on Amazon

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.