Radeon HD 8970M vs Radeon RX 570

When comparing Radeon HD 8970M and Radeon RX 570, 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 570 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 570
Power consumption (TDP) 100 Watt 120 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 1x 6-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 4 GB 8 GB
Display Connectors No outputs 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort
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  • Radeon RX 570 has 20% more power consumption, than Radeon HD 8970M.
  • Both video cards are using PCIe 3.0 x16 interface connection to a motherboard.
  • Radeon RX 570 has 4 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 8970M.
  • Radeon HD 8970M is used in Laptops, and Radeon RX 570 - in Desktops.
  • Radeon HD 8970M is build with GCN architecture, and Radeon RX 570 - with Polaris.
  • Core clock speed of Radeon RX 570 is 318 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 8970M.
  • Radeon HD 8970M is manufactured by 28 nm process technology, and Radeon RX 570 - by 14 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon RX 570 is 2200 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 8970M.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 20−22 35−40
ultra / 1080p 12−14 21−24
QHD / 1440p 6−7 16−18
4K / 2160p 5−6 10−11
low / 720p 35−40 60−65
medium / 1080p 24−27 40−45
The average gaming FPS of Radeon RX 570 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 77% more, than Radeon HD 8970M.

Full Specs

  Radeon HD 8970M Radeon RX 570
Architecture GCN Polaris
Code name Neptune Polaris 20 Ellesmere
Type Laptop Desktop
Release date 15 May 2013 18 April 2017
Pipelines 1280 2048
Core clock speed 850 MHz 1168 MHz
Boost Clock 900 MHz 1244 MHz
Transistor count 2,800 million 5,700 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 14 nm
Texture fill rate 72.00 159.2
Floating-point performance 2,304 gflops 5,095 gflops
Length 241 mm
Memory bus width 256 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 4800 MHz 7000 MHz
Memory bandwidth 153.6 GB/s 224.0 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 +
FreeSync +
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 273 Mh/s
Laptop size large
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