Radeon HD 8970M vs Radeon RX 460

When comparing Radeon HD 8970M and Radeon RX 460, 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 8970M and Radeon RX 460 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 8970M Radeon RX 460
Power consumption (TDP) 100 Watt 75 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x8
Supplementary power connectors None
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 4 GB 4 GB
Display Connectors No outputs 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort
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  • Radeon HD 8970M has 33% more power consumption, than Radeon RX 460.
  • Radeon HD 8970M is connected by PCIe 3.0 x16, and Radeon RX 460 uses PCIe 3.0 x8 interface.
  • Radeon HD 8970M and Radeon RX 460 have maximum RAM of 4 GB.
  • Radeon HD 8970M is used in Laptops, and Radeon RX 460 - in Desktops.
  • Radeon HD 8970M is build with GCN architecture, and Radeon RX 460 - with Polaris.
  • Core clock speed of Radeon RX 460 is 240 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 8970M.
  • Radeon HD 8970M is manufactured by 28 nm process technology, and Radeon RX 460 - by 14 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon RX 460 is 2200 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 8970M.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 20−22 21−24
ultra / 1080p 12−14 12−14
QHD / 1440p 6−7 7−8
4K / 2160p 5−6 5−6
low / 720p 35−40 40−45
medium / 1080p 24−27 24−27
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 460 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 5% more, than Radeon HD 8970M.

Full Specs

  Radeon HD 8970M Radeon RX 460
Architecture GCN Polaris
Code name Neptune Polaris 11 / Baffin XT
Type Laptop Desktop
Release date 15 May 2013 8 August 2016
Pipelines 1280 896
Core clock speed 850 MHz 1090 MHz
Boost Clock 900 MHz 1200 MHz
Transistor count 2,800 million 3,000 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 14 nm
Texture fill rate 72.00 67.20
Floating-point performance 2,304 gflops 2,150 gflops
Length 170 mm
Memory bus width 256 Bit 128 Bit
Memory clock speed 4800 MHz 7000 MHz
Memory bandwidth 153.6 GB/s 112.0 GB/s
Shared memory - -
DirectX 12 (11_1) 12 (12_0)
Shader Model 5.1 6.4
OpenGL 4.6 4.6
OpenCL 1.2 2.0
Vulkan 1.2.131 1.2.131
FreeSync +
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 273 Mh/s 240 Mh/s
Laptop size large
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