Radeon HD 7970M vs Radeon HD 8790M

When comparing Radeon HD 7970M and Radeon HD 8790M, 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 7970M and Radeon HD 8790M is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Radeon HD 7970M and Radeon HD 8790M are Laptop Graphics Cards

Note: Radeon HD 7970M and Radeon HD 8790M are only used in laptop graphics. They have 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 or Radeon HD 8790M here:

Main Specs

  Radeon HD 7970M Radeon HD 8790M
Power consumption (TDP) 100 Watt
Interface MXM-B (3.0) MXM-A (3.0)
Supplementary power connectors None None
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 2 GB 2 GB
Display Connectors No outputs No outputs
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  • Radeon HD 7970M is connected by MXM-B (3.0), and Radeon HD 8790M uses MXM-A (3.0) interface.
  • Radeon HD 7970M and Radeon HD 8790M have maximum RAM of 2 GB.
  • Both cards are used in Laptops.
  • Radeon HD 7970M and Radeon HD 8790M are build with GCN architecture.
  • Both graphics cards have the same core clock speed.
  • Radeon HD 7970M and Radeon HD 8790M are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon HD 7970M is 300 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 8790M.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 18−20 3−4
ultra / 1080p 10−12 1−2
QHD / 1440p 5−6 0−1
4K / 2160p 4−5
low / 720p 35−40 14−16
medium / 1080p 21−24 6−7
The average gaming FPS of Radeon HD 7970M in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 266% more, than Radeon HD 8790M.

Full Specs

  Radeon HD 7970M Radeon HD 8790M
Architecture GCN GCN
Code name Wimbledon XT Mars XTX
Type Laptop Laptop
Release date 1 May 2012 16 November 2012
Pipelines 1280 384
Core clock speed 850 MHz 850 MHz
Boost Clock 900 MHz
Transistor count 2,800 million 950 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 68.00 21.60
Floating-point performance 2,176 gflops 691.2 gflops
Memory bus width 256 Bit 128 Bit
Memory clock speed 4800 MHz 4500 MHz
Memory bandwidth 153.6 GB/s 64 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
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 254 Mh/s 80 Mh/s
Laptop size large medium sized
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