Radeon HD 4850 X2 vs Radeon HD 8970M

When comparing Radeon HD 4850 X2 and Radeon HD 8970M, 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 4850 X2 and Radeon HD 8970M is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Radeon HD 8970M is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Radeon HD 8970M 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 8970M here:

Main Specs

  Radeon HD 4850 X2 Radeon HD 8970M
Power consumption (TDP) 250 Watt 100 Watt
Interface PCIe 2.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin
Memory type GDDR3 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 512 MB 4 GB
Display Connectors 4x DVI, 1x S-Video No outputs
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  • Radeon HD 4850 X2 has 150% more power consumption, than Radeon HD 8970M.
  • Radeon HD 4850 X2 is connected by PCIe 2.0 x16, and Radeon HD 8970M uses PCIe 3.0 x16 interface.
  • Radeon HD 4850 X2 has 508 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 8970M.
  • Radeon HD 4850 X2 is used in Desktops, and Radeon HD 8970M - in Laptops.
  • Radeon HD 4850 X2 is build with TeraScale architecture, and Radeon HD 8970M - with GCN.
  • Core clock speed of Radeon HD 8970M is 225 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 4850 X2.
  • Radeon HD 4850 X2 is manufactured by 55 nm process technology, and Radeon HD 8970M - by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon HD 8970M is 2810 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 4850 X2.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 3−4 20−22
ultra / 1080p 2−3 12−14
QHD / 1440p 0−1 6−7
4K / 2160p 5−6
low / 720p 14−16 35−40
medium / 1080p 5−6 24−27
The average gaming FPS of Radeon HD 8970M in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 300% more, than Radeon HD 4850 X2.

Full Specs

  Radeon HD 4850 X2 Radeon HD 8970M
Architecture TeraScale GCN
Code name R700 Neptune
Type Desktop Laptop
Release date 7 November 2008 15 May 2013
Pipelines 800 1280
Core clock speed 625 MHz 850 MHz
Boost Clock 900 MHz
Transistor count 956 million 2,800 million
Manufacturing process technology 55 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 25.00 72.00
Floating-point performance 2x 1,000.0 gflops 2,304 gflops
Length 267 mm
Memory bus width 256 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 1990 MHz 4800 MHz
Memory bandwidth 63.68 GB/s 153.6 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 10.1 (10_1) 12 (11_1)
Shader Model 4.1 5.1
OpenGL 3.3 4.6
OpenCL 1.1 1.2
Vulkan N/A 1.2.131
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 273 Mh/s
Laptop size large
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