GeForce GTX 960M vs Radeon HD 7870

When comparing GeForce GTX 960M and Radeon HD 7870, 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 GTX 960M and Radeon HD 7870 is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

GeForce GTX 960M is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: GeForce GTX 960M 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 960M here:

Main Specs

  GeForce GTX 960M Radeon HD 7870
Power consumption (TDP) 75 Watt 175 Watt
Interface MXM-B (3.0)
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 4 GB 2 GB
Display Connectors No outputs
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  • Radeon HD 7870 has 133% more power consumption, than GeForce GTX 960M.
  • GeForce GTX 960M has 2 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 7870.
  • GeForce GTX 960M is used in Laptops, and Radeon HD 7870 - in Desktops.
  • GeForce GTX 960M is build with Maxwell architecture, and Radeon HD 7870 - with GCN.
  • Core clock speed of GeForce GTX 960M is 96 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 7870.
  • GeForce GTX 960M and Radeon HD 7870 are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon HD 7870 is 2300 MHz higher, than GeForce GTX 960M.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 18−20 24−27
ultra / 1080p 10−11 14−16
QHD / 1440p 4−5 9−10
4K / 2160p 4−5 6−7
low / 720p 35−40 45−50
medium / 1080p 21−24 30−33
The average gaming FPS of Radeon HD 7870 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 37% more, than GeForce GTX 960M.

Full Specs

  GeForce GTX 960M Radeon HD 7870
Architecture Maxwell GCN
Code name N16P-GX Pitcairn XT
Type Laptop Desktop
Release date 12 March 2015 5 March 2012
Pipelines 640 1280
Core clock speed 1096 MHz 1000 MHz
Boost Clock 1202 MHz
Transistor count 1,870 million 2800 Million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 47.04
Floating-point performance 1,505 gflops
Memory bus width 128 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 2500 MHz 4800 MHz
Memory bandwidth 80 GB/s
Shared memory - -
DirectX 12 (11_0) DirectX 11.1, Shader 5.1
Shader Model 5.1
OpenGL 4.5
OpenCL 1.2
Vulkan 1.1.126
CUDA +
Monero / XMR (CryptoNight) 0.39 kh/s
CUDA cores 640
Bus support PCI Express 3.0
SLI options +
HDMI +
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 175 Mh/s
Laptop size medium sized
DisplayPort Multimode (DP++) support +
H.264, VC1, MPEG2 1080p video decoder +
Optimus +
Eyefinity +
Decred / DCR (Decred) 0.63 Gh/s
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 16.6 Mh/s
Zcash / ZEC (Equihash) 145 Sol/s
GameStream +
GeForce ShadowPlay +
GPU Boost 2.0
GameWorks +
BatteryBoost +
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