Radeon HD 7990 vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

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 7990 vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire 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 7990 vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire: 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 7990

2013

Why buy it

✅35.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
233% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$300 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.6 vs 18.3 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
❌87.5% higher power demand at 375W vs 200W.

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $699 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 229.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 18.3 vs 5.6 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Draws 200W instead of 375W, a 175W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7990 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2012 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 HD 7990 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 35.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.2% in PassMark G3D (5,566 vs 5,500), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon HD 7990 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2013 generation instead of 2012. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire makes the most sense to buy today. It is $699 cheaper on MSRP at $300 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 229.1% (18.3 vs 5.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 7990 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 7990 vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 7990

The Radeon HD 7990 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 950 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 2048 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,566 points. Launch price was $999.

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

The Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 1 2012. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,500 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7990 scores 5,566 and the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire reaches 5,500 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7990 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire uses GCN, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon HD 7990) vs 2,560 (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 7990	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
G3D Mark Score	5,566+1%	5,500
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048 ×2	2560+25%
Boost Clock	1000 MHz+11%	900 MHz
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7990	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
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 7990 has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire carries 4 GB. Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 7990) vs 153.6 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire) — a 1776.1% advantage for the Radeon HD 7990. Memory bus width is 384-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 7990 and 256-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire.

Feature	Radeon HD 7990	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s x2+88%	153.6 GB/s x2
Bus Width	384-bit x2+50%	256-bit x2

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7990 draws 375W versus the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire's 200W — a 60.9% difference. The Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon HD 7990) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	Radeon HD 7990	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
TDP	375W	200W-47%
Recommended PSU	750W	350W-53%
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	305mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	85	—
Perf/Watt	14.8	27.5+86%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 7990 came in at $999, while the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire launched at $300. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire was 70% cheaper ($699 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.6 (Radeon HD 7990) vs 18.3 (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire) — the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire offers 226.8% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 7990 (2013 vs 2012).

Feature	Radeon HD 7990	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
MSRP	$999	$300-70%
Performance per Dollar	5.6	18.3+227%
Codename	Malta	Neptune CF
Release	April 24 2013	May 1 2012
Ranking	#412	#350

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