Radeon HD8970M vs GeForce GTX 960M
Radeon HD8970M
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GeForce GTX 960M
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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 HD8970M is positioned at rank 154 and the GeForce GTX 960M is on rank 35, so the GeForce GTX 960M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD8970M
Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 960M
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce GTX 960M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.2% 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 HD8970M.
| Insight | Radeon HD8970M | GeForce GTX 960M |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.2%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.2%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / Maxwell (2014−2017)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | — | — |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce GTX 960M 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 HD8970M and GeForce GTX 960M
Radeon HD8970M
The Radeon HD8970M 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: 3,369 points.
GeForce GTX 960M
The GeForce GTX 960M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1096 MHz to 1176 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,375 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD8970M scores 3,369 and the GeForce GTX 960M reaches 3,375 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD8970M is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GTX 960M uses Maxwell, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD8970M) vs 640 (GeForce GTX 960M). Raw compute: 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon HD8970M) vs 1.505 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 960M). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1176 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon HD8970M | GeForce GTX 960M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 3,369 | 3,375 |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Maxwell |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 1280+100% | 640 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 2.304 TFLOPS+53% | 1.505 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 900 MHz | 1176 MHz+31% |
| ROPs | 32+100% | 16 |
| TMUs | 80+100% | 40 |
| L1 Cache | 320 KB | 320 KB |
| L2 Cache | 0.5 MB | 2 MB+300% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD8970M | GeForce GTX 960M |
|---|---|---|
| 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 HD8970M comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 960M has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 960M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: System vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD8970M) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 960M) — the GeForce GTX 960M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD8970M | GeForce GTX 960M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 4 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | Shared | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | System | Unknown |
| Bus Width | System | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 0.5 MB | 2 MB+300% |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD8970M draws 100W versus the GeForce GTX 960M's 75W — a 28.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 960M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD8970M) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 960M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.
| Feature | Radeon HD8970M | GeForce GTX 960M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 100W | 75W-25% |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | — | 0mm |
| Height | — | 0mm |
| Slots | — | 0 |
| Temp (Load) | — | 82 |
| Perf/Watt | 33.7 | 45.0+34% |
Value Analysis
The GeForce GTX 960M is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2013).
| Feature | Radeon HD8970M | GeForce GTX 960M |
|---|---|---|
| Avg Price (30d) | — | $50 |
| Codename | Neptune | GM107 |
| Release | May 14 2013 | March 13 2015 |
| Ranking | #507 | #552 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
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