Radeon HD 5970 vs Radeon RX 540

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

Radeon HD 5970

Radeon RX 540 Check Price

Radeon RX 540 is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Radeon RX 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 Radeon RX 540 here:

Radeon RX 540 Laptops

Main Specs

	Radeon HD 5970	Radeon RX 540
Power consumption (TDP)	294 Watt	65 Watt
Interface	PCIe 2.0 x16	PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors	1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin	1x 6-pin
Memory type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount	1 GB	4 GB
Display Connectors	2x DVI, 1x mini-DisplayPort
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Radeon HD 5970 has 352% more power consumption, than Radeon RX 540.
Radeon HD 5970 is connected by PCIe 2.0 x16, and Radeon RX 540 uses PCIe 3.0 x16 interface.
Radeon RX 540 has 3 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 5970.
Radeon HD 5970 is used in Desktops, and Radeon RX 540 - in Laptops.
Radeon HD 5970 is build with TeraScale 2 architecture, and Radeon RX 540 - with Polaris.
Radeon HD 5970 is manufactured by 40 nm process technology, and Radeon RX 540 - by 14 nm process technology.
Memory clock speed of Radeon RX 540 is 2000 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 5970.

Game benchmarks


high / 1080p	10−12	14−16
ultra / 1080p	6−7	8−9
QHD / 1440p	1−2	3−4
low / 720p	24−27	30−33
medium / 1080p	14−16	18−20
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 540 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 36% more, than Radeon HD 5970.
high / 1080p	18−20	21−24
ultra / 1080p	16−18	20−22
QHD / 1440p	1−2	6−7
4K / 2160p	−	5−6
low / 720p	35−40	45−50
medium / 1080p	20−22	24−27
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 540 in Battlefield 5 is 26% more, than Radeon HD 5970.
low / 768p	45−50	45−50
QHD / 1440p	0−1	0−1
Radeon HD 5970 and Radeon RX 540 have the same average FPS in Call of Duty: Warzone.
low / 768p	180−190	200−210
medium / 768p	150−160	170−180
ultra / 1080p	75−80	90−95
QHD / 1440p	45−50	50−55
4K / 2160p	30−33	30−33
high / 768p	110−120	130−140
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 540 in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is 13% more, than Radeon HD 5970.
low / 768p	55−60	55−60
ultra / 1080p	30−33	35−40
medium / 1080p	45−50	45−50
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 540 in Cyberpunk 2077 is 4% more, than Radeon HD 5970.
low / 768p	95−100	100−110
medium / 768p	80−85	90−95
ultra / 1080p	50−55	60−65
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 540 in Dota 2 is 11% more, than Radeon HD 5970.
high / 1080p	12−14	16−18
ultra / 1080p	12−14	14−16
4K / 2160p	5−6	6−7
low / 720p	30−33	35−40
medium / 1080p	14−16	18−20
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 540 in Far Cry 5 is 26% more, than Radeon HD 5970.
high / 1080p	20−22	24−27
ultra / 1080p	14−16	18−20
QHD / 1440p	−	16−18
low / 720p	80−85	95−100
medium / 1080p	35−40	50−55
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 540 in Fortnite is 23% more, than Radeon HD 5970.
high / 1080p	18−20	24−27
ultra / 1080p	16−18	18−20
QHD / 1440p	5−6	8−9
low / 720p	40−45	50−55
medium / 1080p	21−24	27−30
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 540 in Forza Horizon 4 is 23% more, than Radeon HD 5970.
low / 768p	70−75	80−85
medium / 768p	60−65	70−75
high / 1080p	21−24	27−30
ultra / 1080p	9−10	12−14
QHD / 1440p	0−1	2−3
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 540 in Grand Theft Auto V is 19% more, than Radeon HD 5970.
high / 1080p	7−8	9−10
ultra / 1080p	5−6	7−8
4K / 2160p	1−2	2−3
low / 720p	21−24	27−30
medium / 1080p	10−11	12−14
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 540 in Metro Exodus is 33% more, than Radeon HD 5970.
low / 768p	100−110	110−120
ultra / 1080p	95−100	100−110
medium / 1080p	100−105	100−110
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 540 in Minecraft is 6% more, than Radeon HD 5970.
high / 1080p	20−22	21−24
ultra / 1080p	16−18	16−18
low / 720p	45−50	55−60
medium / 1080p	21−24	24−27
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 540 in PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS is 11% more, than Radeon HD 5970.
high / 1080p	12−14	14−16
ultra / 1080p	8−9	9−10
QHD / 1440p	0−1	0−1
low / 720p	21−24	27−30
medium / 1080p	12−14	16−18
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 540 in Red Dead Redemption 2 is 21% more, than Radeon HD 5970.
low / 768p	40−45	50−55
medium / 768p	24−27	30−35
high / 1080p	14−16	18−20
ultra / 1080p	8−9	10−11
4K / 2160p	7−8	8−9
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 540 in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is 26% more, than Radeon HD 5970.
low / 768p	95−100	100−105
medium / 768p	55−60	60−65
ultra / 1080p	27−30	30−35
high / 768p	45−50	50−55
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 540 in World of Tanks is 8% more, than Radeon HD 5970.

Full Specs

	Radeon HD 5970	Radeon RX 540
Architecture	TeraScale 2	Polaris
Code name	Hemlock	Polaris 12
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Release date	18 November 2009	21 March 2017
Pipelines	1600	512
Core clock speed	725 MHz
Boost Clock		1219 MHz
Transistor count	2,154 million	1,500 million
Manufacturing process technology	40 nm	14 nm
Texture fill rate	58.00	39.01
Floating-point performance	2x 2,320.0 gflops	1,248 gflops
Length	305 mm
Memory bus width	256 Bit	128 Bit
Memory clock speed	4000 MHz	6000 MHz
Memory bandwidth	128.0 GB/s	96 GB/s
Shared memory		-
DirectX	11.2 (11_0)	12.0
Shader Model	5.0	5.0
OpenGL	4.4	4.6
OpenCL	1.2	1.2
Vulkan	N/A
FreeSync		+
Laptop size		large
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Radeon HD 5970 vs Radeon RX 540

Radeon RX 540 is a Laptop Graphics Card

Main Specs

Game benchmarks

Full Specs

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