Iris Graphics 540 vs Radeon HD 5970

When comparing Iris Graphics 540 and Radeon HD 5970, 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 Iris Graphics 540 and Radeon HD 5970 is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Iris Graphics 540 is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Iris Graphics 540 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 Iris Graphics 540 here:

Main Specs

  Iris Graphics 540 Radeon HD 5970
Power consumption (TDP) 15 Watt 294 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x1 PCIe 2.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin
Memory type eDRAM GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 64 MB 1 GB
Display Connectors No outputs 2x DVI, 1x mini-DisplayPort
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  • Radeon HD 5970 has 1860% more power consumption, than Iris Graphics 540.
  • Iris Graphics 540 is connected by PCIe 3.0 x1, and Radeon HD 5970 uses PCIe 2.0 x16 interface.
  • Iris Graphics 540 has 63 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 5970.
  • Iris Graphics 540 is used in Laptops, and Radeon HD 5970 - in Desktops.
  • Iris Graphics 540 is build with Gen. 9 Skylake architecture, and Radeon HD 5970 - with TeraScale 2.
  • Core clock speed of Radeon HD 5970 is 425 MHz higher, than Iris Graphics 540.
  • Iris Graphics 540 is manufactured by 14 nm process technology, and Radeon HD 5970 - by 40 nm process technology.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 8−9 10−12
ultra / 1080p 5−6 6−7
QHD / 1440p 0−1 1−2
low / 720p 20−22 24−27
medium / 1080p 10−12 14−16
The average gaming FPS of Radeon HD 5970 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 27% more, than Iris Graphics 540.

Full Specs

  Iris Graphics 540 Radeon HD 5970
Architecture Gen. 9 Skylake TeraScale 2
Code name Skylake GT3e Hemlock
Type Laptop Desktop
Release date 1 September 2015 18 November 2009
Pipelines 48 1600
Core clock speed 300 MHz 725 MHz
Boost Clock 1050 MHz
Transistor count 189 million 2,154 million
Manufacturing process technology 14 nm 40 nm
Texture fill rate 50.40 58.00
Floating-point performance 2x 2,320.0 gflops
Length 305 mm
Memory bus width 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 4000 MHz
Memory bandwidth 128.0 GB/s
Shared memory +
DirectX 12 (12_1) 11.2 (11_0)
Shader Model 6.4 5.0
OpenGL 4.6 4.4
OpenCL 2.1 1.2
Vulkan 1.1.97 N/A
Quick Sync +
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