Radeon HD8970M
GPU·Budget

Radeon HD8970M

AMD

G3D Mark

3,369

May 14 2013
100 Watt
GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)

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.

Overview

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.

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.

FPS Benchmarks

Predicted performance for Radeon HD8970M across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 7800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Civilization VI

Civilization VI

1080p
low134 FPS
medium98 FPS
high78 FPS
ultra62 FPS
1440p
low93 FPS
medium72 FPS
high63 FPS
ultra49 FPS
4k
low55 FPS
medium41 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra25 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

1080p
low140 FPS
medium105 FPS
high76 FPS
ultra49 FPS
1440p
low96 FPS
medium67 FPS
high51 FPS
ultra36 FPS
4k
low47 FPS
medium35 FPS
high27 FPS
ultra18 FPS
Dead by Daylight

Dead by Daylight

1080p
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra60 FPS
1440p
low58 FPS
medium53 FPS
high50 FPS
ultra39 FPS
4k
low49 FPS
medium45 FPS
high38 FPS
ultra30 FPS
Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact

1080p
low60 FPS
medium59 FPS
high46 FPS
ultra37 FPS
1440p
low60 FPS
medium56 FPS
high44 FPS
ultra35 FPS
4k
low48 FPS
medium39 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra28 FPS
Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V

1080p
low118 FPS
medium106 FPS
high83 FPS
ultra53 FPS
1440p
low100 FPS
medium88 FPS
high65 FPS
ultra41 FPS
4k
low59 FPS
medium47 FPS
high38 FPS
ultra25 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

1080p
low152 FPS
medium121 FPS
high101 FPS
ultra76 FPS
1440p
low114 FPS
medium91 FPS
high76 FPS
ultra57 FPS
4k
low76 FPS
medium61 FPS
high51 FPS
ultra38 FPS
Marvel Rivals

Marvel Rivals

1080p
low36 FPS
medium27 FPS
high22 FPS
ultra12 FPS
1440p
low25 FPS
medium16 FPS
high12 FPS
ultra8 FPS
4k
low13 FPS
medium8 FPS
high6 FPS
ultra4 FPS
Monster Hunter Wilds

Monster Hunter Wilds

1080p
low58 FPS
medium50 FPS
high37 FPS
ultra26 FPS
1440p
low47 FPS
medium41 FPS
high32 FPS
ultra22 FPS
4k
low26 FPS
medium22 FPS
high19 FPS
ultra14 FPS
Once Human

Once Human

1080p
low84 FPS
medium67 FPS
high62 FPS
ultra47 FPS
1440p
low58 FPS
medium50 FPS
high47 FPS
ultra37 FPS
4k
low30 FPS
medium24 FPS
high22 FPS
ultra18 FPS
Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

1080p
low77 FPS
medium63 FPS
high49 FPS
ultra32 FPS
1440p
low65 FPS
medium53 FPS
high37 FPS
ultra23 FPS
4k
low23 FPS
medium22 FPS
high14 FPS
ultra12 FPS

Technical Analysis

Detailed breakdown of Radeon HD8970M specifications and capabilities.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD8970M scores 3,369 in the G3D Mark benchmark (the standard measure of rasterization GPU performance), placing it in the Entry Level tier as a Legacy generation graphics card. It is built on the GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) architecture (codename: Neptune), manufactured on a 28 nm process— smaller process nodes improve power efficiency and transistor density. It packs 1280 shader units (the primary compute units for rendering pixels), 80 TMUs (texture mapping units), and 32 ROPs (render output units that handle final pixel output). Raw FP32 compute power: 2.304 TFLOPS — this measures the theoretical peak floating-point performance. Boost clock reaches 900 MHz from a base of 850 MHz.

SpecificationRadeon HD8970M
G3D MarkPassMark 3D graphics benchmark score3,369
ArchitectureGPU microarchitecture generationGCN 1.0 (2012−2020)
CodenameInternal GPU die codenameNeptune
Manufacturing ProcessFabrication node — smaller = more efficient28 nm
Shader UnitsCore compute units for rendering/compute1280
TMUsTexture Mapping Units — handle texture sampling80
ROPsRender Output Units — final pixel/color blending32
Boost ClockMaximum GPU frequency under load900 MHz
Base ClockGuaranteed minimum GPU frequency850 MHz
Compute (FP32)Peak single-precision floating-point performance2.304 TFLOPS
Texture Fill RateTextures processed per second72.00 GTexel/s
PCIe InterfaceCPU↔GPU data link generationIGP
Transistor Count2,800 million
Performance RankPosition in global GPU performance ranking#507
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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD8970M is equipped with 2 GB of Shared video memory connected via a System memory bus, delivering System of bandwidth.

SpecificationRadeon HD8970M
VRAM SizeVideo memory capacity — more = better for high-res textures2 GB
VRAM TypeMemory technology generationShared
Memory BusWidth of data path — wider = more bandwidthSystem
BandwidthMaximum data throughput between GPU and VRAMSystem
L1 Cache320 kB
L2 Cache512 kB

Advanced Features & APIs

The Radeon HD8970M supports modern upscaling and frame generation technologies: FidelityFX Super Resolution — these can dramatically boost effective FPS by generating intermediate frames or upscaling from lower internal resolution.

SpecificationRadeon HD8970M
FSR Frame Generation❌ Not Supported
AMD Fluid Motion Frames❌ Not Supported
FidelityFX Super Resolution✅ Supported
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Display & Media

Display outputs: .

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD8970M draws 100 Watt under load (TDP) — a 350W PSU minimum is recommended. Power connector: PCIe-powered.

SpecificationRadeon HD8970M
TDPPower consumption under load100 Watt
Recommended PSUMinimum power supply wattage350W
Power ConnectorRequired PCIe power cable typePCIe-powered

Specifications Reference

Raw spec sheet for quick lookup. The analysis cards above explain what these fields mean in practice.

2 categories

Technical Specifications

20 specs

ROPs32
TMUs80
Vram2 GB
DLSS/FSRFSR upscaling
L1 Cache320 kB
L2 Cache512 kB
Core Clock850 MHz
Boost Clock900 MHz
Memory TypeShared
Shading Units1280
Upscaling TechAMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR)
PCIe GenerationIGP
Memory BandwidthSystem
Memory Bus WidthSystem
Transistor Count2,800 million
Frame GenerationFSR Frame Generation: No | AMD Fluid Motion Frames: No | FidelityFX Super Resolution: Yes
Texture Fill Rate72.00
Manufacturing Process28 nm
Power Consumption (TDP)100 Watt
Floating Point Performance2.304 TFLOPS

General Information

4 specs

CodenameNeptune
ArchitectureGCN 1.0 (2012−2020)
Release DateMay 14 2013
Performance Ranking Position507

Our Recommendation for Radeon HD8970M

Suggested pairings based on performance balance

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