FirePro W8000 vs Radeon HD 7970M

When comparing FirePro W8000 and Radeon HD 7970M, 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 FirePro W8000 and Radeon HD 7970M is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Radeon HD 7970M is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Radeon HD 7970M 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 HD 7970M here:

Main Specs

  FirePro W8000 Radeon HD 7970M
Power consumption (TDP) 225 Watt 100 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x16 MXM-B (3.0)
Supplementary power connectors 2x 6-pin None
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 4 GB 2 GB
Display Connectors 4x DisplayPort, 1x SDI No outputs
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  • FirePro W8000 has 125% more power consumption, than Radeon HD 7970M.
  • FirePro W8000 is connected by PCIe 3.0 x16, and Radeon HD 7970M uses MXM-B (3.0) interface.
  • FirePro W8000 has 2 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 7970M.
  • FirePro W8000 is used in Desktops, and Radeon HD 7970M - in Laptops.
  • FirePro W8000 is build with GCN 1.0 architecture, and Radeon HD 7970M - with GCN.
  • Core clock speed of FirePro W8000 is 50 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 7970M.
  • FirePro W8000 and Radeon HD 7970M are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of FirePro W8000 is 700 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 7970M.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 16−18 18−20
ultra / 1080p 10−11 10−12
QHD / 1440p 4−5 5−6
4K / 2160p 4−5
low / 720p 35−40 35−40
medium / 1080p 21−24 21−24
The average gaming FPS of Radeon HD 7970M in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 5% more, than FirePro W8000.

Full Specs

  FirePro W8000 Radeon HD 7970M
Architecture GCN 1.0 GCN
Code name Tahiti Wimbledon XT
Type Desktop Laptop
Release date 14 June 2012 1 May 2012
Pipelines 1792 1280
Core clock speed 900 MHz 850 MHz
Transistor count 4,313 million 2,800 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 100.8 68.00
Floating-point performance 3,226 gflops 2,176 gflops
Length 279 mm
Memory bus width 256 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 5500 MHz 4800 MHz
Memory bandwidth 176 GB/s 153.6 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 12 (11_1) 12 (11_1)
Shader Model 5.1 5.1
OpenGL 4.6 4.6
OpenCL 1.2 1.2
Vulkan 1.2.131 1.2.131
Bus support PCIe 3.0
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 391 Mh/s 254 Mh/s
Laptop size large
Form factor full height / full length
StereoOutput3D +
DisplayPort count 4
Dual-link DVI support +
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