AMD Radeon 780M vs AMD Radeon HD 7970M Comparison

The AMD Radeon 780M and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M represent two vastly different eras of mobile graphics, and the benchmark data reflects a clear generational shift. The 780M, a modern integrated processor based on RDNA 3.0, decisively outperforms the older HD 7970M discrete GPU in the available test, securing a 9.3% lead in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark. While the HD 7970M was a formidable part in its day, the data shows that the 780M's architectural advancements have made it the stronger performer, despite its lower power envelope and integrated design.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results provide a single point of direct comparison, and it is a clear victory for the AMD Radeon 780M. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the 780M scores 18,602 points, while the HD 7970M trails with 17,019 points. This 9.3% delta indicates that the 780M holds a decisive advantage in this compute-oriented workload. The 780M also has the benefit of additional data points, including a Geekbench Vulkan score of 33,683 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 480, whereas the HD 7970M has no corresponding results in the dataset. This suggests the 780M is better equipped for modern graphics APIs like Vulkan and DirectX 12 Ultimate, which the HD 7970M cannot fully support.

Conversely, the HD 7970M's only win condition is its legacy status. Its architectural heritage as a discrete GPU with dedicated memory is its historical strength, but the data shows its performance has been surpassed. The HD 7970M does not win any head-to-head benchmark in the provided facts. Its sole benchmark result, the Geekbench OpenCL score, is lower than the 780M's. Therefore, in this comparison, the 780M wins in every measurable performance category, while the HD 7970M's advantage lies only in its availability as an older, end-of-life product with a different form factor (MXM Module).

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon 780M is the superior choice for anyone seeking performance today. Its 9.3% lead over the HD 7970M in Geekbench OpenCL, combined with its support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, makes it the clear winner for modern applications and games. The 780M achieves this with a 15 W TDP, a fraction of the 100 W TDP of the HD 7970M, showcasing the efficiency of the 4 nm process node. For a user building a new system, the 780M, as an integrated GPU, offers better performance and is a more future-proof option.

The HD 7970M, on the other hand, should only be considered in a legacy context. Its GCN 1.0 architecture and 28 nm process node are outdated, and its performance is now lower than a modern IGP. The 780M's percentile rank of 61 versus the HD 7970M's 60 also indicates that, within the entire GPU landscape, the 780M sits in a slightly higher performance tier. The HD 7970M's only advantage is its 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory with a 256-bit bus, which provides 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth. However, this dedicated memory advantage is not enough to overcome the architectural superiority of the 780M, which relies on system memory. The verdict is to choose the 780M for any new build or upgrade.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it is a definitive win for the AMD Radeon 780M. The 780M scored 18,602, while the HD 7970M scored 17,019. This represents a 9.3% performance advantage for the 780M. This is a substantial lead for an integrated GPU against a dedicated mobile part from a previous generation.

Looking at the broader benchmark context reinforces this result. The 780M's average benchmark score is 17,588, which is higher than the HD 7970M's average of 17,019. This difference in average scores, while not a direct head-to-head test, confirms the 780M's overall performance edge. Furthermore, the 780M's Vulkan score of 33,683 is nearly double its OpenCL score, suggesting it excels in modern, low-overhead graphics APIs. The HD 7970M has no Vulkan score in the data, further highlighting its inability to compete in modern graphics workloads. While the HD 7970M has a higher pixel rate at 27.20 GPixel/s compared to the 780M's 92.80 GPixel/s, this is a theoretical specification that does not translate to real-world benchmark dominance in this dataset.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in raw compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon 780M is faster. In the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, it scored 18,602 points, which is 9.3% higher than the HD 7970M's score of 17,019.

Q: How does the power consumption compare between the two?

A: The 780M is significantly more power-efficient. Its TDP is just 15 W, while the HD 7970M has a much higher TDP of 100 W.

Q: Which GPU supports more modern graphics APIs?

A: The 780M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the HD 7970M supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: What is the difference in their form factors?

A: The 780M is an integrated GPU (IGP) that is part of the Phoenix chip, while the HD 7970M is a discrete MXM Module.

Q: Does the HD 7970M have any performance advantage?

A: In the provided benchmark data, the HD 7970M does not win any test. Its only advantage is its dedicated memory configuration, but this does not translate to a benchmark win.

Q: What is the manufacturing process difference?

A: The 780M is built on a 4 nm process node, while the HD 7970M uses a much older 28 nm process node.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is immense, spanning over a decade of development. The 780M is based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. In contrast, the HD 7970M uses the older GCN 1.0 architecture on a 28 nm process. This fundamental difference in design philosophy is the primary driver of the performance gap. The 780M's chip, Phoenix, contains 25,390 million transistors on a 178 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 142.6M / mm². The HD 7970M's Wimbledon chip has only 2,800 million transistors on a larger 212 mm² die, with a density of just 13.2M / mm².

The 780M is a modern design with dedicated ray tracing cores, numbering 12, a feature completely absent from the HD 7970M. The 780M also has a much higher boost clock of 2900 MHz compared to the HD 7970M, which has no listed base or boost clock in the data. The 780M's memory is system-shared, while the HD 7970M uses 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5. Furthermore, the 780M supports the PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interface, whereas the HD 7970M uses the older MXM-B (3.0) interface. These architectural differences, from the process node to the core design, explain the 780M's superior performance and efficiency.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for the two GPUs show clear differences in nearly every category. The most significant difference is in compute power: the 780M delivers 8.909 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the HD 7970M provides only 2.176 TFLOPS. This is a four-fold difference in raw compute capability. The 780M also has a substantial lead in texture and pixel rates, with 139.2 GTexel/s and 92.80 GPixel/s, respectively, versus the HD 7970M's 68.00 GTexel/s and 27.20 GPixel/s.

The memory subsystems are fundamentally different. The 780M uses system-shared memory with a system-dependent bandwidth, while the HD 7970M has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, providing 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The 780M has 768 shading units and 48 TMUs, while the HD 7970M has 1280 shading units and 80 TMUs. Interestingly, the HD 7970M has more shading units, but the 780M's higher clock speeds and newer architecture make it far more efficient. The 780M features 12 ray tracing cores, a capability the HD 7970M lacks entirely.

Power and physical specifications also differ greatly. The 780M has a TDP of 15 W and is an integrated part (IGP), while the HD 7970M has a 100 W TDP and is an MXM module. The 780M is an active product released in 2024, while the HD 7970M is end-of-life, having been released in 2012. The 780M also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, while the HD 7970M is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Finally, the 780M is manufactured on a 4 nm process, while the HD 7970M uses a 28 nm process, explaining the vast differences in transistor count and density.