AMD Radeon 880M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark comparison between the AMD Radeon 880M and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 shows a split decision, with each GPU winning five of the ten recorded tests. The most dramatic difference appears in the Vulkan compute test, where the Radeon 880M scores 40,006 against the GTX 970's 20,005, a 100% advantage. This margin is the largest in the entire comparison and points to a fundamental strength in the newer architecture's Vulkan implementation. Similarly, in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the Radeon 880M scores 535 versus 369 for the GTX 970, a 45% lead that suggests the integrated GPU handles modern DirectX 12 workloads with considerably more efficiency.

The Geekbench OpenCL results also favor the Radeon 880M, with a score of 31,285 compared to 29,982 for the GTX 970, a 4.3% difference. While not as pronounced as the Vulkan gap, this still represents a clear win for the AMD part. In the PassMark DirectX 11 test, the Radeon 880M edges ahead with 73 points versus 71 for the GTX 970, a modest 2.8% margin. The 2D graphics test shows another substantial win for the AMD GPU: 969 points versus 764, a 26.8% advantage that reflects the integrated design's strong 2D performance characteristics.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, however, dominates several legacy DirectX tests. In PassMark DirectX 9, the GTX 970 scores 143 against the Radeon 880M's 97, a 32.2% lead. The DirectX 10 test shows a similar pattern, with the GTX 970 at 46 points versus 31 for the AMD part, a 32.6% advantage. The DirectX 12 PassMark test also goes to NVIDIA, with 41 points versus 32, a 22% difference. The overall 3D performance metric, PassMark G3D, strongly favors the GTX 970: 9,638 points versus 7,615, a 21% lead. The GPU compute test rounds out the NVIDIA wins with 4,073 points against 3,719, an 8.7% margin.

The average benchmark scores reflect these competing strengths. The Radeon 880M averages 8,436 points across its full benchmark suite, while the GTX 970 averages 7,157 points. This places the Radeon 880M in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the GTX 970 sits in the 39th percentile. The Radeon 880M's nearest rivals by average score include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX at 8,427 (0.1% behind) and the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 at 8,458 (0.3% ahead), while the GTX 970's nearest rivals are the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 at 7,170 (0.2% behind) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE at 7,171 (0.2% behind). The data indicates that while the GTX 970 wins in traditional 3D rendering, the Radeon 880M's modern API performance gives it a significant edge in newer workloads.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different eras and design philosophies. The AMD Radeon 880M is built on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It uses the Strix Point chip and belongs to the Navi III IGP generation for Strix Point Mobile. The die size is 233 mm² and contains 34,000 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 145.9M per mm². The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, in contrast, uses the Maxwell 2.0 architecture with the GM204 chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. Its die is larger at 398 mm² but contains far fewer transistors at 5,200 million, resulting in a density of only 13.1M per mm². The process node advantage alone explains much of the Radeon 880M's efficiency gains.

The compute configurations differ substantially. The Radeon 880M has 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. It also includes 12 ray tracing cores, a feature the GTX 970 lacks entirely. The GTX 970 counters with 1,664 shading units, 104 TMUs, and 56 ROPs, more than double the AMD part in each category. The pixel rate reflects this: the GTX 970 achieves 65.97 GPixel/s versus 46.40 GPixel/s for the Radeon 880M. However, the texture rate tells a different story, with the Radeon 880M at 139.2 GTexel/s against 122.5 GTexel/s for the GTX 970, despite having fewer TMUs. The FP32 compute output shows the AMD part at 4.454 TFLOPS versus 3.920 TFLOPS for NVIDIA, meaning the Radeon 880M delivers more raw floating-point throughput per cycle.

Memory architecture creates one of the most significant divides. The Radeon 880M uses system shared memory with a bandwidth that is system dependent, meaning its performance scales with the host platform's memory configuration. The GTX 970 has dedicated 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 224.4 GB/s of bandwidth. This dedicated memory with high bandwidth is a major reason why the GTX 970 wins in traditional 3D rendering tests, as it does not contend with the system for memory access. The Radeon 880M's memory clock is listed as system shared, while the GTX 970 runs its memory at 1753 MHz, with 7 Gbps effective speed.

Power and physical characteristics diverge sharply. The Radeon 880M has a TDP of 15 W, is an IGP with no power connectors, and requires no suggested PSU. The GTX 970 draws 148 W, is a dual-slot card with two 6-pin power connectors, and requires a 300 W suggested PSU. The GTX 970 measures 267 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. The Radeon 880M's dimensions are portable device dependent. The bus interfaces also differ: the Radeon 880M uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the GTX 970 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The Radeon 880M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GTX 970 supports DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The GTX 970 has display outputs of 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.2, while the Radeon 880M's outputs are portable device dependent.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear choice depending on workload priorities. For users running modern APIs and compute tasks, the AMD Radeon 880M is the stronger option. Its 100% lead in Vulkan and 45% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 demonstrate that it handles current-generation graphics workloads with far greater efficiency. The 4.3% OpenCL advantage and 26.8% 2D performance lead reinforce this pattern. The Radeon 880M also has the benefit of ray tracing cores, a feature absent from the GTX 970, making it suitable for applications that leverage hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

For traditional 3D rendering and legacy API compatibility, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 remains competitive. Its 21% lead in PassMark G3D, 32.2% lead in DirectX 9, 32.6% lead in DirectX 10, and 22% lead in DirectX 12 indicate that for older games and applications built around those API levels, the GTX 970 delivers better performance. The 8.7% GPU compute win also favors NVIDIA in that specific test. The GTX 970's dedicated 4 GB GDDR5 memory with 224.4 GB/s bandwidth provides a stable, predictable memory subsystem that does not depend on the host system.

The overall average benchmark scores favor the Radeon 880M, with 8,436 versus 7,157, a difference that places the AMD part in the 43rd percentile versus the GTX 970's 39th percentile. The Radeon 880M also holds a transistor density advantage of 145.9M per mm² versus 13.1M per mm², and it operates at a 15 W TDP versus 148 W, making it dramatically more power-efficient. The GTX 970's production status is end-of-life, while the Radeon 880M is active, and the GTX 970's release date of September 2014 predates the Radeon 880M's July 2024 release by nearly a decade. The GTX 970 had a launch MSRP of 329 USD.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins more benchmark tests?

A: The comparison is tied at five wins each. The AMD Radeon 880M wins in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, Geekbench OpenCL, Geekbench Vulkan, PassMark DirectX 11, and PassMark G2D. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 wins in PassMark DirectX 9, DirectX 10, DirectX 12, G3D, and GPU Compute.

Q: What is the largest single benchmark margin between the two?

A: The Geekbench Vulkan test shows the biggest gap, with the AMD Radeon 880M scoring 40,006 versus the GTX 970's 20,005, a 100% advantage. The second largest is the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the Radeon 880M leads by 45%.

Q: Does the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 have ray tracing support?

A: No. The GTX 970 has no ray tracing cores listed in the database. The AMD Radeon 880M includes 12 ray tracing cores as part of its RDNA 3.5 architecture.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: The Radeon 880M uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth, while the GTX 970 has 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 224.4 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 970's memory runs at 1753 MHz with 7 Gbps effective speed.

Q: What are the power requirements for each GPU?

A: The Radeon 880M has a 15 W TDP, is an IGP with no power connectors, and requires no suggested PSU. The GTX 970 has a 148 W TDP, is a dual-slot card with two 6-pin power connectors, and requires a 300 W suggested PSU.

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon 880M has an average benchmark score of 8,436, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 averages 7,157. The Radeon 880M sits in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, and the GTX 970 sits in the 39th percentile.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon 880M wins decisively in modern API and compute-oriented workloads. The 100% Vulkan advantage makes it the clear choice for Vulkan-based applications, and the 45% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 suggests strong performance in current DirectX 12 titles. The 4.3% OpenCL lead and 26.8% 2D performance advantage further establish its strengths in general compute and desktop-style workloads. The presence of 12 ray tracing cores means it can handle ray-traced effects that the GTX 970 cannot accelerate in hardware. The 2.8% DirectX 11 win, while small, still favors the AMD part in that API generation.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 wins in legacy and traditional 3D rendering scenarios. The 32.2% DirectX 9 lead and 32.6% DirectX 10 lead make it the better option for older games that use those APIs. The 22% DirectX 12 PassMark win shows it still holds an edge in that specific benchmark, even though the Radeon 880M dominates the Steel Nomad DX12 test. The 21% PassMark G3D lead and 8.7% GPU compute win round out its advantages in overall 3D performance and compute throughput. The dedicated 4 GB GDDR5 memory with 224.4 GB/s bandwidth provides consistent performance that does not depend on system memory speed.

The use-case split is therefore clear. For modern gaming, Vulkan applications, ray-traced content, and power-constrained mobile or portable systems, the Radeon 880M is the better fit. For older game libraries, DirectX 9 through 12 legacy titles, and scenarios requiring dedicated high-bandwidth memory, the GTX 970 remains competitive despite its age. The Radeon 880M's 15 W TDP versus the GTX 970's 148 W TDP also makes it the only viable option for systems without discrete GPU power delivery.

Specification Differences

The AMD Radeon 880M and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 differ across nearly every major specification category. The Radeon 880M uses the RDNA 3.5 architecture with a 4 nm process, while the GTX 970 uses Maxwell 2.0 on a 28 nm process. Both are manufactured by TSMC. The Radeon 880M has 34,000 million transistors on a 233 mm² die, while the GTX 970 has 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die. Transistor density stands at 145.9M per mm² for AMD and 13.1M per mm² for NVIDIA.

Clock speeds differ significantly. The Radeon 880M has a base clock of 400 MHz and a boost clock of 2900 MHz. The GTX 970 has a base clock of 1050 MHz and a boost clock of 1178 MHz. Memory clocks show the GTX 970 at 1753 MHz with 7 Gbps effective speed, while the Radeon 880M uses system shared memory. The memory bus width is 256-bit for the GTX 970 versus system shared for the Radeon 880M, and bandwidth is 224.4 GB/s versus system dependent.

Compute unit counts vary widely. The Radeon 880M has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, plus 12 ray tracing cores. The GTX 970 has 1,664 shading units, 104 TMUs, and 56 ROPs, with no ray tracing cores. Pixel rates are 46.40 GPixel/s for AMD and 65.97 GPixel/s for NVIDIA. Texture rates are 139.2 GTexel/s for AMD and 122.5 GTexel/s for NVIDIA. FP32 performance is 4.454 TFLOPS for AMD and 3.920 TFLOPS for NVIDIA, with the AMD part also listing FP16 at 4.454 TFLOPS (1:1).

Power and physical specifications show the largest practical differences. The Radeon 880M has a 15 W TDP, is an IGP with no power connectors, and no suggested PSU. The GTX 970 has a 148 W TDP, is dual-slot, uses two 6-pin power connectors, and requires a 300 W suggested PSU. The GTX 970 measures 267 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. Bus interfaces are PCIe 4.0 x8 for AMD and PCIe 3.0 x16 for NVIDIA. DirectX support is 12 Ultimate (12_2) for AMD and 12 (12_1) for NVIDIA, with both supporting OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The GTX 970 has display outputs of 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.2, while the Radeon 880M's outputs are portable device dependent. Production status is active for AMD and end-of-life for NVIDIA, with release dates of July 2024 and September 2014 respectively. The GTX 970's successor is GeForce 10, while the Radeon 880M has no successor listed.