Radeon 540X vs Radeon HD 5970

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

Radeon 540X is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Radeon 540X 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 540X here:

Main Specs

  Radeon 540X Radeon HD 5970
Power consumption (TDP) 50 Watt 294 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x8 PCIe 2.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors None 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 2 GB 1 GB
Display Connectors 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort 2x DVI, 1x mini-DisplayPort
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  • Radeon HD 5970 has 488% more power consumption, than Radeon 540X.
  • Radeon 540X is connected by PCIe 3.0 x8, and Radeon HD 5970 uses PCIe 2.0 x16 interface.
  • Radeon 540X has 1 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 5970.
  • Radeon 540X is used in Laptops, and Radeon HD 5970 - in Desktops.
  • Radeon 540X is build with GCN 4.0 architecture, and Radeon HD 5970 - with TeraScale 2.
  • Radeon 540X is manufactured by 14 nm process technology, and Radeon HD 5970 - by 40 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon 540X is 2000 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 5970.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 6−7 10−12
ultra / 1080p 3−4 6−7
QHD / 1440p 0−1 1−2
low / 720p 14−16 24−27
medium / 1080p 7−8 14−16
The average gaming FPS of Radeon HD 5970 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 75% more, than Radeon 540X.

Full Specs

  Radeon 540X Radeon HD 5970
Architecture GCN 4.0 TeraScale 2
Code name Lexa Hemlock
Type Laptop Desktop
Release date 12 August 2019 18 November 2009
Pipelines 512 1600
Core clock speed 725 MHz
Boost Clock 1219 MHz
Transistor count 2,200 million 2,154 million
Manufacturing process technology 14 nm 40 nm
Texture fill rate 33.47 58.00
Floating-point performance 2x 2,320.0 gflops
Length 305 mm
Memory bus width 64 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 6000 MHz 4000 MHz
Memory bandwidth 112.0 GB/s 128.0 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 12 (12_0) 11.2 (11_0)
Shader Model 6.4 5.0
OpenGL 4.6 4.4
OpenCL 2.0 1.2
Vulkan 1.2.131 N/A
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