AMD Radeon HD 7950 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded database scores for these two GPUs come from different benchmark suites, so a direct apples-to-apples comparison requires careful reading. The AMD Radeon HD 7950 has a single Geekbench Metal score of 33,951, placing it in the 78th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile has no Metal result, but its Geekbench OpenCL score reaches 122,238 and its Vulkan score is 116,960. That is a massive gap in raw compute-oriented workloads, roughly 3.6 times the HD 7950's Metal score in OpenCL.

The RTX 5070 Mobile also has PassMark results across multiple DirectX versions. Its PassMark G3D score is 20,355, while its GPU compute score is 8,279. The HD 7950 has no PassMark entries in the database, so we cannot directly compare those numbers. Instead, the nearest rival data provides the context. The HD 7950's average benchmark score is 33,951, and its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 480, scores 33,997, a delta of -0.1%. The RX 7700S trails it by 0.3%, while the RX 560 XT is 0.5% ahead and the RTX A2000 12 GB is 0.6% ahead. The HD 7950 is essentially tied with a modern mid-range mobile GPU in this specific Metal benchmark, which speaks to how well the old GCN architecture holds up in that test.

The RTX 5070 Mobile's average benchmark score is 29,928, with its nearest rivals being the RTX 3070 Ti at 29,945 (delta -0.1%), the RTX 2080 Ti at 29,783 (delta +0.5%), the RX 6800 at 30,095 (delta -0.6%), and the RX 6700 at 30,433 (delta -1.7%). This places it in the 75th percentile of all GPUs, just below the HD 7950's 78th percentile ranking. Yet the actual score gap between the two GPUs is enormous: the RTX 5070 Mobile's Geekbench OpenCL score of 122,238 is 88,287 points higher than the HD 7950's Metal score. Even the Vulkan score of 116,960 is 83,009 points higher. The percentile rankings are close, but the raw numbers tell a different story, likely because the HD 7950's single Metal result is an outlier relative to its aging hardware.

The biggest win for the RTX 5070 Mobile is in raw throughput. Its FP32 compute is 13.13 TFLOPS versus 2.867 TFLOPS for the HD 7950, a 4.6 times advantage. Pixel rate is 68.40 GPixel/s versus 25.60 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 205.2 GTexel/s versus 89.60 GTexel/s. The HD 7950 has no wins in the head-to-head benchmarks because there are no shared tests, but the specification comparison shows where the older card can still claim relevance. Its memory bus is 384-bit versus 128-bit, and its launch MSRP was 449 USD, though we do not discuss pricing beyond that single mention.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5070 Mobile wins decisively in every compute-heavy scenario the database covers. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 122,238 and Vulkan score of 116,960 indicate strong performance in general-purpose compute and modern graphics APIs. The PassMark G3D score of 20,355 suggests solid DirectX 11 and 12 gaming performance, and the GPU compute score of 8,279 reinforces its compute capability. The FP16 throughput of 13.13 TFLOPS (1:1) matches its FP32 rate, which is a feature the HD 7950 lacks entirely, as its FP16 field is null. The RTX 5070 Mobile also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the HD 7950 tops out at DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. For modern games that use DirectX 12 Ultimate features like mesh shaders or ray tracing, the RTX 5070 Mobile is the only viable option, as it has 36 RT cores and 144 tensor cores while the HD 7950 has none.

The HD 7950's wins are narrower but real. Its 384-bit memory bus and 240.0 GB/s bandwidth, while lower than the RTX 5070 Mobile's 384.0 GB/s, come with 3 GB of GDDR5 memory. That is less capacity than the RTX 5070 Mobile's 8 GB of GDDR7, but the wider bus means the HD 7950 was designed for high-resolution textures in its era. The 78th percentile ranking versus the RTX 5070 Mobile's 75th percentile is the HD 7950's only ranking advantage in the database. Its nearest rivals, the RX 480 and RX 7700S, are within 0.3% of its score, which suggests the Metal benchmark is not particularly demanding on memory bandwidth. The HD 7950 also has a dual-slot cooler design and 2x 6-pin power connectors, which means it can be installed in older systems with PCIe 3.0 x16 slots. The RTX 5070 Mobile is an integrated mobile GPU with no power connectors and a TDP of 50 W, so it belongs in laptops, not desktop builds.

For gaming, the RTX 5070 Mobile's PassMark DirectX 11 score of 192 and DirectX 12 score of 93 are the only direct gaming metrics in the database. The HD 7950 has no equivalent numbers, so we cannot claim a win either way. The RTX 5070 Mobile's 8 GB GDDR7 memory and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth are clearly superior to the HD 7950's 3 GB GDDR5 and 240.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5070 Mobile also has 4,608 shading units versus 1,792, 144 TMUs versus 112, and 48 ROPs versus 32. Any workload that scales with shader count or texture fill rate will favor the RTX 5070 Mobile by a wide margin.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear choice for most users. The RTX 5070 Mobile is the superior GPU for modern workloads. Its compute scores are an order of magnitude higher, its memory subsystem is faster, and it supports current APIs and hardware features like ray tracing and tensor cores. The HD 7950 is an end-of-life product from 2012 with a 28 nm process node, while the RTX 5070 Mobile is an active product on a 5 nm node. If you are building a laptop or buying a new system, the RTX 5070 Mobile is the only reasonable option.

However, the HD 7950 is not useless. Its 78th percentile ranking is actually higher than the RTX 5070 Mobile's 75th percentile, and its nearest rivals are all modern GPUs within a fraction of a percent. That suggests the HD 7950 can still handle certain legacy workloads or Metal-based applications reasonably well. The 3 GB of memory and 384-bit bus may be adequate for older games or compute tasks that do not require large memory pools. The dual-slot design and 2x 6-pin connectors mean it can drop into a desktop with a PCIe 3.0 slot and a 550 W power supply, no adapter needed.

For anyone choosing between these two, the decision hinges on the use case. If you need portability, modern API support, or high compute throughput, pick the RTX 5070 Mobile. If you have a legacy desktop and only run older software that does not need DirectX 12 Ultimate or Vulkan 1.4, the HD 7950 can still serve. The RTX 5070 Mobile's average benchmark score of 29,928 versus the HD 7950's 33,951 may look contradictory, but the different benchmark suites explain the discrepancy. The HD 7950's only score comes from Metal, which is not a general-purpose compute test, while the RTX 5070 Mobile's scores come from OpenCL, Vulkan, and PassMark. In any shared workload, the RTX 5070 Mobile's 13.13 TFLOPS of FP32 and 8 GB of GDDR7 memory would dominate the HD 7950's 2.867 TFLOPS and 3 GB of GDDR5.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7950 has an average score of 33,951, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile has an average of 29,928. However, the HD 7950 has only one benchmark (Geekbench Metal), while the RTX 5070 Mobile has nine results across OpenCL, Vulkan, and PassMark.

Q: Does the RTX 5070 Mobile support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RTX 5070 Mobile has 36 RT cores and 144 tensor cores, and its API support includes DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). The HD 7950 has no RT cores or tensor cores and only supports DirectX 12 (11_1).

Q: What is the memory configuration of each GPU?

A: The HD 7950 has 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 240.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5070 Mobile has 8 GB of GDDR7 on a 128-bit bus with 384.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The RTX 5070 Mobile has a transistor density of 121.0M per mm², while the HD 7950 has 12.3M per mm². The RTX 5070 Mobile packs 21,900 million transistors into a 181 mm² die, versus 4,313 million in 352 mm² for the HD 7950.

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The RTX 5070 Mobile has a TDP of 50 W and no power connectors, as it is an integrated mobile GPU. The HD 7950 has a TDP of 200 W, requires 2x 6-pin power connectors, and suggests a 550 W power supply.

Q: Which GPU has a better percentile ranking?

A: The HD 7950 ranks in the 78th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 5070 Mobile ranks in the 75th percentile. This is based on each GPU's average benchmark score in the database.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon HD 7950 uses the Tahiti chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC with 4,313 million transistors on a 352 mm² die. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile uses the GB206 chip on Blackwell 2.0 architecture, also made by TSMC but on a 5 nm process, with 21,900 million transistors on a much smaller 181 mm² die. The transistor density difference is stark: 12.3M per mm² for the HD 7950 versus 121.0M per mm² for the RTX 5070 Mobile, a tenfold improvement in packing efficiency.

The HD 7950 belongs to the Southern Islands generation (HD 7900) with a predecessor of Northern Islands and a successor of Sea Islands. The RTX 5070 Mobile is part of the GeForce 50 Mobile series, with a predecessor of GeForce 40 Mobile and no successor listed. The HD 7950 has 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, while the RTX 5070 Mobile has 4,608 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The RTX 5070 Mobile also adds 36 RT cores and 144 tensor cores, which are absent entirely from the HD 7950.

API support differs substantially. The HD 7950 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The RTX 5070 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Both use PCIe, but the HD 7950 is PCIe 3.0 x16 while the RTX 5070 Mobile is PCIe 5.0 x16. The HD 7950 is end-of-life, released in January 2012, while the RTX 5070 Mobile is active, released in April 2025. The HD 7950 has a launch MSRP of 449 USD.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every measurable specification. The process node is 28 nm for the HD 7950 versus 5 nm for the RTX 5070 Mobile. Transistor count is 4,313 million versus 21,900 million, and die size is 352 mm² versus 181 mm². The HD 7950 has no base or boost clock listed, while the RTX 5070 Mobile runs at 907 MHz base and 1425 MHz boost. Memory clocks are 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) for the HD 7950 versus 1500 MHz (24 Gbps effective) for the RTX 5070 Mobile.

Memory capacity is 3 GB of GDDR5 versus 8 GB of GDDR7. Bus width is 384-bit versus 128-bit, but bandwidth is 240.0 GB/s for the HD 7950 versus 384.0 GB/s for the RTX 5070 Mobile. Shading units are 1,792 versus 4,608, TMUs are 112 versus 144, and ROPs are 32 versus 48. Pixel rate is 25.60 GPixel/s versus 68.40 GPixel/s, texture rate is 89.60 GTexel/s versus 205.2 GTexel/s, and FP32 compute is 2.867 TFLOPS versus 13.13 TFLOPS. The RTX 5070 Mobile also has FP16 at 13.13 TFLOPS (1:1), while the HD 7950 has no FP16 data.

Power and physical specs: the HD 7950 has a TDP of 200 W, is dual-slot, uses 2x 6-pin power connectors, and suggests a 550 W PSU. The RTX 5070 Mobile has a TDP of 50 W, is an IGP with no power connectors, and has no suggested PSU. The HD 7950 measures 278 mm long, 111 mm high, and 38 mm wide, while the RTX 5070 Mobile has no dimensions listed. Display outputs are 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 for the HD 7950, versus portable device dependent for the RTX 5070 Mobile. The HD 7950 supports PCIe 3.0 x16, the RTX 5070 Mobile supports PCIe 5.0 x16.