Radeon HD 8790M vs Radeon R9 M470

When comparing Radeon HD 8790M and Radeon R9 M470, 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 8790M and Radeon R9 M470 is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Radeon HD 8790M and Radeon R9 M470 are Laptop Graphics Cards

Note: Radeon HD 8790M and Radeon R9 M470 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 8790M or Radeon R9 M470 here:

Main Specs

  Radeon HD 8790M Radeon R9 M470
Interface MXM-A (3.0) PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors None
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 2 GB 4 GB
Display Connectors No outputs No outputs
  Check Price Check Price
  • Radeon HD 8790M is connected by MXM-A (3.0), and Radeon R9 M470 uses PCIe 3.0 x16 interface.
  • Radeon R9 M470 has 2 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 8790M.
  • Both cards are used in Laptops.
  • Radeon HD 8790M is build with GCN architecture, and Radeon R9 M470 - with GCN 2.
  • Core clock speed of Radeon R9 M470 is 150 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 8790M.
  • Radeon HD 8790M and Radeon R9 M470 are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon R9 M470 is 1500 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 8790M.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 3−4 12−14
ultra / 1080p 1−2 7−8
QHD / 1440p 0−1 2−3
low / 720p 14−16 24−27
medium / 1080p 6−7 14−16
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 M470 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 150% more, than Radeon HD 8790M.

Full Specs

  Radeon HD 8790M Radeon R9 M470
Architecture GCN GCN 2
Code name Mars XTX Saturn
Type Laptop Laptop
Release date 16 November 2012 14 May 2016
Pipelines 384 768
Core clock speed 850 MHz 1000 MHz
Boost Clock 900 MHz 1000 MHz
Transistor count 950 million 2,080 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 21.60 48.00
Floating-point performance 691.2 gflops 1,536 gflops
Memory bus width 128 Bit 128 Bit
Memory clock speed 4500 MHz 6000 MHz
Memory bandwidth 64 GB/s 96 GB/s
Shared memory - -
DirectX 12 (11_1) 12 (12_0)
Shader Model 5.1 6.3
OpenGL 4.6 4.6
OpenCL 1.2 2.0
Vulkan 1.2.131 1.2.131
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 80 Mh/s
Laptop size medium sized large
  Check Price Check Price