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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

Radeon HD 7990

2013

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
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

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Radeon HD 7990

2013

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

2012

Why buy it

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

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

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
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.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon HD 7990 better than Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 5,566 vs 5,500 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon HD 7990 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, FSR upscaling.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon HD 7990 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2013 generation instead of 2012. That makes it the safer long-run choice for modern games.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

Radeon HD 7990 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon HD 7990 is about 233.0% more expensive on MSRP at $999 MSRP versus $300 MSRP, and you are getting 1.2% higher G3D Mark. Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire is 2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 5,500 in G3D Mark, and FSR upscaling. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

Games Benchmarks

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 9800X3D 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.

Radeon HD 7990 Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon HD 7990	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
1080p
low	77 FPS	96 FPS
medium	63 FPS	84 FPS
high	50 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	33 FPS	39 FPS
1440p
low	65 FPS	87 FPS
medium	54 FPS	75 FPS
high	38 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	30 FPS
4K
low	24 FPS	27 FPS
medium	23 FPS	26 FPS
high	14 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	12 FPS	14 FPS

Open Radeon HD 7990 Open Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon HD 7990	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
1080p
low	143 FPS	94 FPS
medium	118 FPS	65 FPS
high	97 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	31 FPS
1440p
low	88 FPS	53 FPS
medium	66 FPS	31 FPS
high	49 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	16 FPS
4K
low	37 FPS	18 FPS
medium	28 FPS	11 FPS
high	21 FPS	9 FPS
ultra	16 FPS	7 FPS

Open Radeon HD 7990 Open Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon HD 7990	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
1080p
low	250 FPS	248 FPS
medium	200 FPS	198 FPS
high	167 FPS	165 FPS
ultra	125 FPS	124 FPS
1440p
low	188 FPS	186 FPS
medium	150 FPS	148 FPS
high	125 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	93 FPS
4K
low	125 FPS	124 FPS
medium	100 FPS	99 FPS
high	83 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	63 FPS	62 FPS

Open Radeon HD 7990 Open Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon HD 7990	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
1080p
low	145 FPS	156 FPS
medium	116 FPS	128 FPS
high	100 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	107 FPS	114 FPS
medium	87 FPS	95 FPS
high	75 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	66 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	66 FPS
medium	48 FPS	52 FPS
high	38 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	31 FPS

Open Radeon HD 7990 Open Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 7990 and Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

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.

⚡

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

✨

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 comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire has 4 GB. The Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. 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. Bus width: 384-bit x2 vs 256-bit x2.

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

🔌

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%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 7990 launched at $999 MSRP, while the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire launched at $300. The Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire costs 70% less ($699 savings) on MSRP. 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 Radeon HD 7990 is the newer GPU (2013 vs 2012).