Radeon HD 8970M vs Radeon 680M

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 8970M is positioned at rank 78 and the Radeon 680M is on rank 331, so the Radeon HD 8970M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 8970M

#25

Radeon RX 7600M XT

MSRP: $329|Avg: $300

92%

#68

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

224%

#70

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

203%

#71

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

203%

#75

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

184%

#76

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

183%

#78

Radeon HD 8970M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $170

100%

#82

Arc 7-Core iGPU

MSRP: $199|Avg: N/A

97%

#87

Radeon RX 560 (móvel)

MSRP: $99|Avg: $50

94%

#92

Radeon RX 550 (móvel)

MSRP: $79|Avg: $40

91%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar Radeon 680M

#321

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

849%

#323

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

770%

#324

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

767%

#328

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

698%

#329

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

693%

#331

Radeon 680M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $80

100%

#333

GeForce 730A

MSRP: $60|Avg: $20

100%

#334

GeForce GT 745A

MSRP: $99|Avg: $20

97%

#335

GeForce 710A

MSRP: $35|Avg: $62

97%

#336

Radeon HD 8670D + HD 6670 Dual

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

96%

#338

GeForce MX230

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

95%

#340

RADEON HD6410D

MSRP: $35|Avg: $5

95%

#341

GeForce 820M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $30

94%

#342

Radeon R7 M465X

MSRP: $150|Avg: $45

93%

#344

GeForce 830A

MSRP: $100|Avg: $30

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon 680M is significantly newer (2023 vs 2013). The Radeon 680M likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 8970M lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon HD 8970M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (4 GB vs 2 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon 680M.

Insight	Radeon HD 8970M	Radeon 680M
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+1%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-1%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))	RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) (6nm)
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	✅ More VRAM (+100%)	❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	—	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon 680M offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $80 versus $170 for the Radeon HD 8970M, it costs 53% less. While it maintains basic entry-level capabilities, this results in a 110.3% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon HD 8970M	Radeon 680M
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+110.3%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($170)	✅More affordable ($80)

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.

Radeon HD 8970M Benchmark Check

Radeon 680M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 8970M and Radeon 680M

Radeon HD 8970M

The Radeon HD 8970M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 14 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,876 points.

Radeon 680M

The Radeon 680M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 3 2023. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2000 MHz to 2200 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 12 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,836 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8970M scores 3,876 and the Radeon 680M reaches 3,836 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8970M is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon 680M uses RDNA 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD 8970M) vs 768 (Radeon 680M). Raw compute: 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8970M) vs 3.379 TFLOPS (Radeon 680M). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 2200 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 8970M	Radeon 680M
G3D Mark Score	3,876+1%	3,836
Architecture	GCN 1.0	RDNA 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	6 nm
Shading Units	1280+67%	768
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.304 TFLOPS	3.379 TFLOPS+47%
Boost Clock	900 MHz	2200 MHz+144%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	80+67%	48
L1 Cache	320 KB+25%	256 KB
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8970M	Radeon 680M
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 8970M comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon 680M has 2 GB. The Radeon HD 8970M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: System vs System. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 8970M) vs 2 MB (Radeon 680M) — the Radeon 680M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 8970M	Radeon 680M
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+100%	2 GB
Memory Type	Shared	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	System	System
Bus Width	System	System
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8970M draws 100W versus the Radeon 680M's 50W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon 680M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 8970M) vs 350W (Radeon 680M). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 8970M	Radeon 680M
TDP	100W	50W-50%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	—	1mm
Slots	—	0
Perf/Watt	38.8	76.7+98%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon 680M costs 52.9% less ($90 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 22.8 (Radeon HD 8970M) vs 48.0 (Radeon 680M) — the Radeon 680M offers 110.5% better value. The Radeon 680M is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2013).