GeForce GTS 450 vs Radeon HD 8970M

When comparing GeForce GTS 450 and Radeon HD 8970M, we look primarily at benchmarks and game tests. But it is not only about the numbers. Often you can find third-party models with higher clock speeds, better cooling, or a customizable RGB lighting. Not all of them will have all the features you need. Another thing to consider is the port selection. Most graphics cards have at least one DisplayPort and HDMI interface, but some monitors require DVI. Before you buy, check the TDP of the graphics card - this characteristic will help you estimate the consumption of the graphics card. You may even have to upgrade your PSU to meet its requirements. An important factor when choosing between GeForce GTS 450 and Radeon HD 8970M is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Radeon HD 8970M is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Radeon HD 8970M is only used in laptop graphics. It has lower GPU clock speed compared to the desktop variant, which results in lower power consumption, but also 10-30% lower gaming performance. Check available laptop models with Radeon HD 8970M here:

Main Specs

  GeForce GTS 450 Radeon HD 8970M
Power consumption (TDP) 106 Watt 100 Watt
Interface PCIe 2.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 6-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 1 GB 4 GB
Display Connectors 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI No outputs
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  • GeForce GTS 450 has 6% more power consumption, than Radeon HD 8970M.
  • GeForce GTS 450 is connected by PCIe 2.0 x16, and Radeon HD 8970M uses PCIe 3.0 x16 interface.
  • Radeon HD 8970M has 3 GB more memory, than GeForce GTS 450.
  • GeForce GTS 450 is used in Desktops, and Radeon HD 8970M - in Laptops.
  • GeForce GTS 450 is build with Fermi architecture, and Radeon HD 8970M - with GCN.
  • Core clock speed of GeForce GTS 450 is 716 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 8970M.
  • GeForce GTS 450 is manufactured by 40 nm process technology, and Radeon HD 8970M - by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon HD 8970M is 2996 MHz higher, than GeForce GTS 450.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 3−4 20−22
ultra / 1080p 1−2 12−14
QHD / 1440p 0−1 6−7
4K / 2160p 5−6
low / 720p 14−16 35−40
medium / 1080p 5−6 24−27
The average gaming FPS of Radeon HD 8970M in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 300% more, than GeForce GTS 450.

Full Specs

  GeForce GTS 450 Radeon HD 8970M
Architecture Fermi GCN
Code name GF106 Neptune
Type Desktop Laptop
Release date 13 September 2010 15 May 2013
Pipelines 192 1280
Core clock speed 1566 MHz 850 MHz
Boost Clock 900 MHz
Transistor count 1,170 million 2,800 million
Manufacturing process technology 40 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 25.1 billion/sec 72.00
Floating-point performance 601.3 gflops 2,304 gflops
Length 8.25" (210 mm) (21 cm)
Memory bus width 128 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 1804 (3608 data rate) MHz 4800 MHz
Memory bandwidth 57.7 GB/s 153.6 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 12 (11_0) 12 (11_1)
Shader Model 5.1 5.1
OpenGL 4.2 4.6
OpenCL 1.1 1.2
Vulkan N/A 1.2.131
CUDA +
CUDA cores 192
Bus support PCI-E 2.0 x 16
Height 4.376" (111 mm) (11.1 cm)
SLI options +
HDMI +
Maximum VGA resolution 2048x1536
Audio input for HDMI Internal
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 40 Mh/s 273 Mh/s
Laptop size large
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