Radeon HD8970M vs Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7

AMD

Radeon HD8970M

2013Core: 850 MHzBoost: 900 MHz
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VS

Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7

2020
Similar parts
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Radeon HD8970M vs Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7 Performance Spectrum

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.

Radeon HD8970M vs Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7: 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 HD8970M

2013

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 33.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
  • 233.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 30W.

Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7

2020

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 33.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Radeon HD8970M is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 30W instead of 100W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Older hardware, 2 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.6% in PassMark G3D (3,390 vs 3,369), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 10nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

Radeon HD8970M vs Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

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.

Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7

The Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7 is manufactured by an unknown manufacturer. It was released in August 15 2020. It features the Gen. 11 Ice Lake architecture. It has 96 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 10 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,390 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD8970M scores 3,369 and the Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7 reaches 3,390 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD8970M is built on GCN 1.0 while the Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7 uses Gen. 11 Ice Lake, both on 28 nm vs 10 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD8970M) vs 96 (Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7).

FeatureRadeon HD8970MTiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7
G3D Mark Score
3,369
3,390
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Gen. 11 Ice Lake
Process Node
28 nm
10 nm
Shading Units
1280+1233%
96

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD8970MTiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7
Upscaling Tech
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is System on the Radeon HD8970M and 64-bit on the Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7.

FeatureRadeon HD8970MTiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
2 GB
Memory Type
Shared
GDDR5
Bus Width
System
64-bit
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD8970M draws 100W versus the Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7's 30W — a 107.7% difference. The Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD8970M) vs 350W (Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureRadeon HD8970MTiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7
TDP
100W
30W-70%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
85
Perf/Watt
33.7
113.0+235%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7 (2020 vs 2013).

FeatureRadeon HD8970MTiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7
MSRP
$100
Codename
Neptune
Tiger Lake Xe
Release
May 14 2013
August 15 2020
Ranking
#507
#508

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