Radeon R9 M470 vs Radeon HD 5970

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. The Radeon R9 M470 is positioned at rank #428 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

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 R9 M470

#418

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

1630%

#420

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

1478%

#421

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

1474%

#425

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

1340%

#426

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

1331%

#428

Radeon R9 M470

MSRP: $350|Avg: $80

100%

#429

Radeon R9 M385X

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

100%

#431

Radeon R5 M430

MSRP: $99|Avg: $20

98%

#432

Mobility Radeon HD 5570

MSRP: $80|Avg: $20

98%

#433

GeForce 810A

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

98%

#434

GeForce GT 520MX

MSRP: $45|Avg: $10

97%

#435

Radeon R5 330

MSRP: $81|Avg: $45

97%

#437

Radeon HD 8450G + 8750M Dual

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

96%

#438

Radeon R3

MSRP: $50|Avg: $50

94%

#439

Radeon HD 7520G + HD 8600/8700M Dual

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

94%

#441

Radeon HD 8550G + 8600M Dual

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

93%

#443

Radeon R9 M360

MSRP: $300|Avg: $81

91%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon R9 M470 is significantly newer (2016 vs 2009). The Radeon R9 M470 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 5970 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon R9 M470 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.5% 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 HD 5970.

Insight	Radeon R9 M470	Radeon HD 5970
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+1.5%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.5%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2016 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	✅ More VRAM (+100%)	❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	—	Standard Size (305mm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon R9 M470 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon R9 M470 holds the technical lead. Priced at $80 (vs $100), it costs 20% less, resulting in a 26.9% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon R9 M470	Radeon HD 5970
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+26.9%)	❌Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($80)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($100)

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 R9 M470 Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 5970 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 M470 and Radeon HD 5970

Radeon R9 M470

The Radeon R9 M470 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 15 2016. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 900 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,331 points.

Radeon HD 5970

The Radeon HD 5970 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 18 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 1600 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 294W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,297 points. Launch price was $699.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 M470 scores 2,331 and the Radeon HD 5970 reaches 2,297 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 M470 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon HD 5970 uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 768 (Radeon R9 M470) vs 1,600 (Radeon HD 5970). Raw compute: 1.536 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M470) vs 2.32 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 5970).

Feature	Radeon R9 M470	Radeon HD 5970
G3D Mark Score	2,331+1%	2,297
Architecture	GCN 2.0	TeraScale 2
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	768	1600 ×2+108%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.536 TFLOPS	2.32 TFLOPS ×2+51%
ROPs	16	32 ×2+100%
TMUs	48	80 ×2+67%
L1 Cache	192 KB	320 KB+67%
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 M470	Radeon HD 5970
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 R9 M470 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 5970 has 2 GB. The Radeon R9 M470 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 256 KB (Radeon R9 M470) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 5970) — the Radeon HD 5970 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 M470	Radeon HD 5970
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+100%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 M470 draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 5970's 294W — a 118.7% difference. The Radeon R9 M470 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R9 M470) vs 650W (Radeon HD 5970). Power connectors: Mobile vs 6-pin + 8-pin.

Feature	Radeon R9 M470	Radeon HD 5970
TDP	75W-74%	294W
Recommended PSU	350W-46%	650W
Power Connector	Mobile	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	—	305mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	—	2
Temp (Load)	—	90
Perf/Watt	31.1+299%	7.8

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 M470 launched at $350 MSRP and currently averages $80, while the Radeon HD 5970 launched at $699 and now averages $100. The Radeon R9 M470 costs 20% less ($20 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 29.1 (Radeon R9 M470) vs 23.0 (Radeon HD 5970) — the Radeon R9 M470 offers 26.5% better value. The Radeon R9 M470 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2009).