AMD Radeon HD 7970 vs AMD Radeon Pro 570 Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 7970 and the AMD Radeon Pro 570 represent two distinct eras of Graphics Core Next architecture, separated by five years of process technology evolution. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy: the HD 7970 leads in the only shared benchmark, delivering a 24.7% higher OpenCL score, while the Pro 570 counters with a substantially lower power draw and a more modern feature set. These are not interchangeable parts; each serves a different primary role, reflected in their respective benchmark results and physical specifications.

Where Each One Wins

The performance split is stark and favors the older card in raw compute. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, which is the only benchmark where both GPUs have direct comparable scores, the AMD Radeon HD 7970 scores 34,541 against the Pro 570’s 27,702. This 24.7% delta is the single largest measurable difference between the two, making the HD 7970 the definitive winner in general-purpose compute workloads that rely on OpenCL.

However, the Radeon Pro 570’s win condition is not raw speed but operational efficiency and API modernity. The Pro 570 is rated at a 150 W TDP compared to the HD 7970’s 250 W, a 100 W advantage that translates into significantly less heat output and lower system power requirements. The Pro 570 also supports Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_0), whereas the HD 7970 is limited to Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (11_1). For software developers or users running modern Vulkan titles, the Pro 570’s API support is a functional advantage that no benchmark score can fully quantify.

The Pro 570 also wins on memory capacity, offering 4 GB of GDDR5 against the HD 7970’s 3 GB. While the HD 7970 has a wider 384-bit bus and higher bandwidth (264.0 GB/s vs. 217.0 GB/s), the Pro 570’s extra gigabyte can be decisive in texture-heavy or large-dataset workloads that exceed the 3 GB ceiling. Conversely, the HD 7970 wins decisively on memory bandwidth, which directly contributes to its OpenCL advantage.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two cards is foundational. The HD 7970 uses the Tahiti chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on TSMC’s 28 nm process. This older node packs 4,313 million transistors into a 352 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.3M per mm². The Pro 570, by contrast, uses the Ellesmere chip with GCN 4.0 architecture, built on GlobalFoundries’ 14 nm process. This newer node fits 5,700 million transistors into a smaller 232 mm² die, achieving a density of 24.6M per mm² — double the density of the Tahiti chip.

These process differences drive the power efficiency gap: the Pro 570 delivers comparable raw FP32 throughput (3.960 TFLOPS vs. 3.789 TFLOPS) while drawing 100 W less. The Pro 570 also supports FP16 compute at a 1:1 ratio (3.960 TFLOPS), a feature absent from the HD 7970’s spec sheet. This makes the Pro 570 more capable for workloads that can leverage half-precision math, though the HD 7970’s higher pure FP32 rate in the shared benchmark suggests its architecture was more efficient per-clock for that particular test.

Core configurations differ substantially. The HD 7970 has 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, while the Pro 570 has 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and also 32 ROPs. Despite having fewer cores, the Pro 570 achieves higher pixel and texture rates: 35.36 GPixel/s and 123.8 GTexel/s, respectively, versus 29.60 GPixel/s and 118.4 GTexel/s for the HD 7970. This is a direct consequence of the Pro 570’s higher clock speeds — 1000 MHz base and 1105 MHz boost, compared to the HD 7970’s unspecified base and boost clocks, with only its 1375 MHz memory clock listed.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct head-to-head benchmark available is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is unambiguous. The HD 7970 scores 34,541, while the Pro 570 scores 27,702, giving the HD 7970 a 24.7% victory. This is a substantial margin, indicating that the older card’s wider memory bus and higher raw shading unit count translate directly into OpenCL performance. The HD 7970’s 384-bit bus and 264.0 GB/s bandwidth likely play a significant role, as OpenCL workloads often stress memory throughput.

In the broader benchmark context, the Pro 570 also has results in Metal and Vulkan, but these have no direct HD 7970 counterpart in the FACT PACK. The Pro 570 scores 39,945 in Geekbench Metal and 31,974 in Geekbench Vulkan, both of which exceed its OpenCL score. This suggests the Pro 570 is better optimized for Apple’s Metal API and modern Vulkan paths, though without a corresponding HD 7970 score in those tests, a direct comparison is impossible.

The nearest rival data provides additional context. The HD 7970’s average benchmark score of 34,541 places it 0.1% behind the NVIDIA T1000 8 GB and 0.4% behind the NVIDIA A2, while being 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA TITAN V and 1% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A1000. The Pro 570’s average score of 33,207 puts it 0.1% ahead of both the GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile and T550 Mobile, and 0.7% ahead of the P104-100. This places the HD 7970 in a slightly higher performance bracket overall, despite its age.

The Verdict

From a pure benchmark perspective, the AMD Radeon HD 7970 is the faster GPU. Its 24.7% OpenCL lead over the Pro 570 is decisive, and its average benchmark score of 34,541 exceeds the Pro 570’s 33,207. The HD 7970 also has superior memory bandwidth (264.0 GB/s vs. 217.0 GB/s) and a wider 384-bit bus, which contribute to its compute advantage. For users prioritizing raw OpenCL performance or gaming at high resolutions where bandwidth matters, the HD 7970 is the data-backed choice.

The AMD Radeon Pro 570, however, is the better choice for power-constrained or workspace-limited environments. Its 150 W TDP is 40% lower than the HD 7970’s 250 W, and its IGP slot width and lack of external power connectors mean it can be integrated into systems where the dual-slot, 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin requirement of the HD 7970 would be impractical. The Pro 570’s 4 GB memory capacity and 1:1 FP16 support also make it more versatile for modern compute tasks that exceed 3 GB or benefit from half-precision arithmetic.

The data does not support a single universal winner. The HD 7970 wins on raw compute and bandwidth, while the Pro 570 wins on efficiency, API support, and memory capacity. The choice depends entirely on whether the workload is performance-bound or power/space-bound. For a desktop workstation with ample power delivery, the HD 7970’s 24.7% OpenCL advantage is compelling. For a compact or mobile system, the Pro 570’s 100 W lower power draw and modern Vulkan 1.3 support are decisive.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7970 scores 34,541 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 24.7% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 570’s score of 27,702.

Q: How do the two cards compare in terms of power consumption?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 570 has a 150 W TDP, while the AMD Radeon HD 7970 has a 250 W TDP, making the Pro 570 100 W more power-efficient.

Q: Does the Radeon Pro 570 support newer graphics APIs than the HD 7970?

A: Yes, the Radeon Pro 570 supports Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_0), while the HD 7970 supports Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (11_1).

Q: What is the memory capacity difference between these two GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 570 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the AMD Radeon HD 7970 has 3 GB of GDDR5 memory.

Q: Which card has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7970 has a bandwidth of 264.0 GB/s from a 384-bit bus, compared to the Radeon Pro 570’s 217.0 GB/s from a 256-bit bus.

Q: What is the transistor density difference between the two architectures?

A: The Radeon Pro 570’s GCN 4.0 chip on 14 nm achieves 24.6M transistors per mm², while the HD 7970’s GCN 1.0 chip on 28 nm achieves 12.3M transistors per mm².