Radeon HD 7790 vs Radeon HD 8970M

When comparing Radeon HD 7790 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 7790 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 7790 Radeon HD 8970M
Power consumption (TDP) 85 Watt 100 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 1x 6-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 1 GB 4 GB
Display Connectors 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 2x mini-DisplayPort No outputs
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  • Radeon HD 8970M has 17% more power consumption, than Radeon HD 7790.
  • Both video cards are using PCIe 3.0 x16 interface connection to a motherboard.
  • Radeon HD 8970M has 3 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 7790.
  • Radeon HD 7790 is used in Desktops, and Radeon HD 8970M - in Laptops.
  • Radeon HD 7790 is build with GCN 2.0 architecture, and Radeon HD 8970M - with GCN.
  • Core clock speed of Radeon HD 7790 is 150 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 8970M.
  • Radeon HD 7790 and Radeon HD 8970M are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon HD 7790 is 1200 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 8970M.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 16−18 20−22
ultra / 1080p 9−10 12−14
QHD / 1440p 4−5 6−7
4K / 2160p 4−5 5−6
low / 720p 30−35 35−40
medium / 1080p 20−22 24−27
The average gaming FPS of Radeon HD 8970M in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 28% more, than Radeon HD 7790.

Full Specs

  Radeon HD 7790 Radeon HD 8970M
Architecture GCN 2.0 GCN
Code name Bonaire Neptune
Type Desktop Laptop
Release date 22 March 2013 15 May 2013
Pipelines 896 1280
Core clock speed 1000 MHz 850 MHz
Boost Clock 900 MHz
Transistor count 2,080 million 2,800 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 56.00 72.00
Floating-point performance 1,792 gflops 2,304 gflops
Length 183 mm
Memory bus width 128 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 6000 MHz 4800 MHz
Memory bandwidth 96 GB/s 153.6 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 12 (12_0) 12 (11_1)
Shader Model 6.3 5.1
OpenGL 4.6 4.6
OpenCL 2.0 1.2
Vulkan 1.2.131 1.2.131
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 218 Mh/s 273 Mh/s
Laptop size large
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 5.2 Mh/s
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