GeForce GTX 680M vs Radeon HD 7870

When choosing between GeForce GTX 680M and Radeon HD 7870, it is worth examining the specifications of the models in detail. Do they meet the recommended requirements of modern games and software? Storage capacity, form factor, TDP, available ports, warranty and manufacturer support are all important. For example, the size of a PC case can limit the maximum thickness and length of the card. Often, instead of the factory overclocked card and RGB backlight, it is better to choose a reference model with a more efficient GPU. And make sure that your current power supply unit has the correct connection pins (using adapters is not recommended). This GPUs compare tool is meant to help you to choose the best graphics card for your build. Let's find out the difference between GeForce GTX 680M and Radeon HD 7870.

GeForce GTX 680M is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: GeForce GTX 680M 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 GeForce GTX 680M here:

Main Specs

  GeForce GTX 680M Radeon HD 7870
Power consumption (TDP) 100 Watt 175 Watt
Interface MXM-B (3.0)
Supplementary power connectors None
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 4 GB 2 GB
Display Connectors No outputs
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  • Radeon HD 7870 has 75% more power consumption, than GeForce GTX 680M.
  • GeForce GTX 680M has 2 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 7870.
  • GeForce GTX 680M is used in Laptops, and Radeon HD 7870 - in Desktops.
  • GeForce GTX 680M is build with Kepler architecture, and Radeon HD 7870 - with GCN.
  • Core clock speed of Radeon HD 7870 is 280 MHz higher, than GeForce GTX 680M.
  • GeForce GTX 680M and Radeon HD 7870 are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon HD 7870 is 3000 MHz higher, than GeForce GTX 680M.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 16−18 24−27
ultra / 1080p 9−10 14−16
QHD / 1440p 4−5 9−10
4K / 2160p 4−5 6−7
low / 720p 30−35 45−50
medium / 1080p 20−22 30−33
The average gaming FPS of Radeon HD 7870 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 57% more, than GeForce GTX 680M.

Full Specs

  GeForce GTX 680M Radeon HD 7870
Architecture Kepler GCN
Code name N13E-GTX Pitcairn XT
Type Laptop Desktop
Release date 4 June 2012 5 March 2012
Pipelines 1344 1280
Core clock speed 720 MHz 1000 MHz
Boost Clock 758 MHz
Transistor count 3,540 million 2800 Million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 80.6 billion/sec
Floating-point performance 2,038 gflops
Memory bus width 256 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 1800 MHz 4800 MHz
Memory bandwidth 115.2 GB/s
Shared memory - -
DirectX 12 API DirectX 11.1, Shader 5.1
Shader Model 5.1
OpenGL 4.5
OpenCL 1.1
Vulkan 1.1.126
CUDA +
Monero / XMR (CryptoNight) 0.39 kh/s
CUDA cores 1344
Bus support PCI Express 3.0
SLI options +
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 100 Mh/s
Laptop size large
Optimus +
Eyefinity +
Decred / DCR (Decred) 0.63 Gh/s
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 16.6 Mh/s
Zcash / ZEC (Equihash) 145 Sol/s
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