Radeon RX Vega 5 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. 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

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 RX Vega 5 is significantly newer (2020 vs 2009). The Radeon RX Vega 5 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 RX Vega 5 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.6% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 5970 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon RX Vega 5	Radeon HD 5970
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+2.6%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.6%)
Longevity	Vega (2017−2020) (7nm)	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+100+%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	—	Standard Size (305mm)

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon RX Vega 5 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.

Radeon RX Vega 5 Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 5970 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon RX Vega 5 and Radeon HD 5970

Radeon RX Vega 5

The Radeon RX Vega 5 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2020. It features the Vega architecture. The boost clock speed is 1400 MHz. It has 320 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,356 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.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon RX Vega 5 scores 2,356 and the Radeon HD 5970 reaches 2,297 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon RX Vega 5 is built on Vega while the Radeon HD 5970 uses TeraScale 2, both on 7 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 320 (Radeon RX Vega 5) vs 1,600 (Radeon HD 5970).

Feature	Radeon RX Vega 5	Radeon HD 5970
G3D Mark Score	2,356+3%	2,297
Architecture	Vega	TeraScale 2
Process Node	7 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	320	1600 ×2+400%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon RX Vega 5	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 RX Vega 5 comes with 0 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 5970 has 2 GB. The Radeon HD 5970 offers 100+% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: System vs 128-bit.

Feature	Radeon RX Vega 5	Radeon HD 5970
VRAM Capacity	Shared System RAM	2 GB
Memory Type	Shared	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	System	Unknown
Bus Width	System	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (Radeon RX Vega 5) vs 11.2 (Radeon HD 5970). OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 3.

Feature	Radeon RX Vega 5	Radeon HD 5970
DirectX	12 (FL 12_1)+7%	11.2
OpenGL	4.6+5%	4.4
Max Displays	3	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX Vega 5) vs None (Radeon HD 5970). Decoder: VCN 2.0 vs UVD 2.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (Radeon RX Vega 5) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 5970).

Feature	Radeon RX Vega 5	Radeon HD 5970
Encoder	VCN 2.0	None
Decoder	VCN 2.0	UVD 2.2
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX Vega 5 draws 15W versus the Radeon HD 5970's 294W — a 180.6% difference. The Radeon RX Vega 5 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1W (Radeon RX Vega 5) vs 650W (Radeon HD 5970). Power connectors: Integrated vs 6-pin + 8-pin.

Feature	Radeon RX Vega 5	Radeon HD 5970
TDP	15W-95%	294W
Recommended PSU	1W-100%	650W
Power Connector	Integrated	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	—	305mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	—	90
Perf/Watt	157.1+1914%	7.8

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon RX Vega 5 launched at $0 MSRP and currently averages $0, while the Radeon HD 5970 launched at $699 and now averages $100. The Radeon RX Vega 5 costs 100+% less ($100 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): Infinity (Radeon RX Vega 5) vs 23.0 (Radeon HD 5970) — the Radeon RX Vega 5 offers Infinity% better value. The Radeon RX Vega 5 is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2009).