Radeon RX Vega M GL vs Radeon HD 8970M

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 RX Vega M GL is positioned at rank 208 and the Radeon HD 8970M is on rank 78, 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 RX Vega M GL

#198

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

417%

#200

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

378%

#201

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

377%

#205

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

343%

#206

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

340%

#208

Radeon RX Vega M GL

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

100%

#212

GeForce GTX 780M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $60

98%

#216

Radeon 8040S

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

94%

#217

Radeon R7 +8G

MSRP: $49|Avg: $20

93%

#221

Radeon HD 6550A

MSRP: $30|Avg: $30

91%

#222

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

MSRP: $150|Avg: $75

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

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 Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon RX Vega M GL uses modern memory architecture. The Radeon RX Vega M GL 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 RX Vega M GL is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.8% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 8970M offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon RX Vega M GL	Radeon HD 8970M
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+0.8%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.8%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2018 / GCN 4.0 (2016−2020))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+100+%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	—	—

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon RX Vega M GL offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $150 versus $170 for the Radeon HD 8970M, it costs 12% less. While it maintains basic entry-level capabilities, this results in a 14.2% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon RX Vega M GL	Radeon HD 8970M
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+14.2%)	❌Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($150)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($170)

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 M GL Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 8970M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon RX Vega M GL and Radeon HD 8970M

Radeon RX Vega M GL

The Radeon RX Vega M GL is manufactured by AMD. It was released in February 1 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 931 MHz to 1011 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,906 points.

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.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon RX Vega M GL scores 3,906 and the Radeon HD 8970M reaches 3,876 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon RX Vega M GL is built on GCN 4.0 while the Radeon HD 8970M uses GCN 1.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon RX Vega M GL) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 8970M). Raw compute: 2.588 TFLOPS (Radeon RX Vega M GL) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8970M). Boost clocks: 1011 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	Radeon RX Vega M GL	Radeon HD 8970M
G3D Mark Score	3,906	3,876
Architecture	GCN 4.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	14 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1280	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.588 TFLOPS+12%	2.304 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1011 MHz+12%	900 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	80	80
L1 Cache	320 KB	320 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon RX Vega M GL	Radeon HD 8970M
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 M GL comes with 0 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8970M has 4 GB. The Radeon HD 8970M offers 100+% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 1024-bit vs System. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon RX Vega M GL) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 8970M) — the Radeon RX Vega M GL has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon RX Vega M GL	Radeon HD 8970M
VRAM Capacity	Shared System RAM	4 GB
Memory Type	HBM2	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	179.2 GB/s	System
Bus Width	1024-bit	System
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX Vega M GL draws 65W versus the Radeon HD 8970M's 100W — a 42.4% difference. The Radeon RX Vega M GL is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1W (Radeon RX Vega M GL) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8970M). Power connectors: Integrated vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	Radeon RX Vega M GL	Radeon HD 8970M
TDP	65W-35%	100W
Recommended PSU	1W-100%	350W
Power Connector	Integrated	1x 6-pin
Length	0mm	—
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	60.1+55%	38.8

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon RX Vega M GL costs 11.8% less ($20 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 26.0 (Radeon RX Vega M GL) vs 22.8 (Radeon HD 8970M) — the Radeon RX Vega M GL offers 14% better value. The Radeon RX Vega M GL is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2013).