AMD Radeon HD 7970 vs AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison recorded in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is decisive. The AMD Radeon HD 7970 scores 34,541 points, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH trails at 27,125 points. That represents a 27.3% advantage for the older card, a substantial gap in raw compute throughput for this particular workload. The HD 7970’s score places it in the 79th percentile of all GPUs in the database, whereas the Vega M GH sits at the 74th percentile, a meaningful but not enormous separation in overall ranking.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each card helps contextualize these scores. The HD 7970’s 34,541 OpenCL result is just 0.1% behind the NVIDIA T1000 8 GB (34,561) and 0.4% behind the NVIDIA A2 (34,690), while it edges out the NVIDIA TITAN V (34,355) by 0.5% and the NVIDIA RTX A1000 (34,207) by 1%. In other words, the old Tahiti chip is remarkably competitive with much newer professional and workstation GPUs in this compute test. The Vega M GH, with its 27,125 OpenCL score, lands in a completely different neighborhood. It sits 0.0% away from the AMD FirePro W8000 (29,211), 0.1% ahead of the Intel Arc A370M (29,175), 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 470 (28,996), and 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (28,874). The Vega M GH is not a slow chip by any means, but it is clearly outgunned by the HD 7970 in raw OpenCL compute.

The database also records a Geekbench Vulkan result for the Vega M GH, which scores 31,268 points. The HD 7970 has no Vulkan benchmark entry, so a direct Vulkan comparison is not possible from the recorded data. However, the OpenCL delta alone is enough to establish a clear hierarchy: the HD 7970 is the stronger compute performer in this head-to-head matchup. The wins table confirms this, with the HD 7970 taking 1 win and the Vega M GH taking 0.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7970 scores 34,541 points, which is 27.3% higher than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH’s 27,125 points.

Q: How does the HD 7970 compare to its closest rivals in the database?**

A: The HD 7970 is nearly tied with the NVIDIA T1000 8 GB (0.1% slower) and NVIDIA A2 (0.4% slower), and it outperforms the NVIDIA TITAN V by 0.5% and the NVIDIA RTX A1000 by 1%.

Q: What about the Vega M GH’s performance against its own rivals?**

A: The Vega M GH is effectively even with the AMD FirePro W8000 (0.0% difference), slightly ahead of the Intel Arc A370M by 0.1%, the AMD Radeon RX 470 by 0.7%, and the AMD Radeon RX 6800M by 1.1%.

Q: Does the Vega M GH have any benchmark advantage over the HD 7970?**

A: The database records no winning benchmark for the Vega M GH. The only head-to-head test is Geekbench OpenCL, which the HD 7970 wins. The Vega M GH does have a separate Geekbench Vulkan score of 31,112, but no corresponding Vulkan score is listed for the HD 7970.

Q: How do their overall percentile rankings compare?**

A: The HD 7970 sits in the 79th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the Vega M GH is in the 74th percentile.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?**

A: The HD 7970 has 2,048 shading units, while the Vega M GH has 1,536 shading units.

Where Each One Wins

The data points to a clear split in use cases. The HD 7970 is the stronger compute-oriented card. Its 27.3% OpenCL lead over the Vega M GH, combined with its higher 79th percentile ranking, suggests it is the better choice for tasks that rely on raw compute throughput, such as OpenCL-accelerated applications, rendering, or compute workloads. The HD 7970 also has a higher FP32 throughput of 3.789 TFLOPS versus the Vega M GH’s 3.656 TFLOPS, and a higher texture rate of 118.4 GTexel/s versus 114.2 GTexel/s, reinforcing its advantage in texture-heavy compute. Its 384-bit memory bus and 264.0 GB/s bandwidth exceed the Vega M GH’s 204.8 GB/s, which also favors the HD 7970 in bandwidth-intensive tasks.

The Vega M GH, on the other hand, is not without its strengths. Its 64 ROPs double the HD 7970’s 32 ROPs, and its pixel rate of 76.16 GPixel/s is more than twice the HD 7970’s 29.60 GPixel/s. This indicates that the Vega M GH is better suited for fill-rate-bound scenarios, such as high-resolution rasterization or pixel-heavy effects. Additionally, the Vega M GH supports DirectX 12 at feature level 12_0, while the HD 7970 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1), which could be relevant for compatibility with modern game titles that require DX12_0 features. The Vega M GH also has a Vulkan 1.3 API rating versus the HD 7970’s Vulkan 1.2.170, plus a FP16 throughput of 3.656 TFLOPS (1:1) that the HD 7970 does not recorded.

The HD 7970 is a discrete dual-slot card with a 250 W TDP, while the Vega M GH is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a 100 W TDP, so the Vega is clearly meant for compact, power-efficient systems where the HD 7970’s large physical footprint and power requirement would not fit. For a desktop system with a dedicated PSU and space for a full-length card, the HD 7970 wins outright in compute. For a laptop or small form factor setup relying on integrated graphics, the Vega M GH offers better pixel throughput and more modern API support.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ substantially in almost every key specification. The HD 7970 is built on TSMC’s 28 nm process and has 4,313 million transistors on a 352 mm² die, a transistor density of 12.3M / mm². The Vega M GH uses GlobalFoundries’ 14 nm node with 5,000 million transistors on a smaller 208 mm² die, achieving 24.0M / mm² density. The Vega has 1,536 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 64 ROPs; the HD 7970 has 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and only 32 ROPs.

Memory configurations are also completely different. The HD 7970 packs 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, yielding 264.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega M GH has 4 GB of HBM2 on a 1024-bit bus, but its bandwidth is only 204.8 GB/s due to the lower memory clock of 800 MHz (1600 Mbps effective) versus the HD 7970’s 1375 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective).

Clock speeds are not fully recorded for the HD 7970, which has no base or boost clock in the database. The Vega M GH has a base clock of 1063 MHz and boost of 1190 MHz. The HD 7970’s pixel rate is 29.60 GPixel/s versus the Vega’s 76.16 GPixel/s, but the HD 7970’s texture rate is 118.4 GTexel/s versus 114.2 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 3.789 TFLOPS for the HD and 3.656 TFLOPS for the Vega, with the Vega also supporting FP16 at 3.656 TFLOPS (1:1).

Power and physical dimensions diverge sharply. The HD 7970 is a dual-slot card with a 250 W TDP, requiring a 600 W PSU and one 6-pin plus one 8-pin power connector, and measures 275 mm long. The Vega M GH is an IGP with a 100 W TDP, no power connectors, no PSU recommendation, and no listed dimensions, since it is portable-device dependent.

Architecture Differences

The HD 7970 uses the Tahiti chip under GCN 1.0 architecture, belonging to the Southern Islands generation (HD 7900). Its predecessor is Northern Islands and its successor is Sea Islands. The Vega M GH uses the Polaris 22 chip under GCN 4.0, part of the Vega (Vega M) generation, with no predecessor or successor listed. The process node differs: 28 nm (TSMC) for the HD 7970 versus 14 nm (GlobalFoundries) for the Vega M GH.

In the API support, the HD 7970 offers DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Vega M GH supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The Vega’s newer architecture also yields 64 ROPs compared to 32 on the HD 7970, and a much higher pixel rate (76.16 vs 29.60 GPixel/s). The HD 7970 compensates with more shading units (2048 vs 1536), more TMUs (128 vs 96), and a higher texture rate (118.4 vs 114.2 GTexel/s).

The release dates show a six-year gap: the HD 7970 launched in January 2012, while the Vega M GH launched in January 2018. Both are now end-of-life. The HD 7970’s launch MSRP was 549 USD (stated once here). The Vega M GH has no launch MSRP in the database.

The Verdict

The data indicates a clear compute winner: the AMD Radeon HD 7970. Its 27.3% OpenCL lead, higher FP32 throughput (3.789 TFLOPS vs 3.656 TFLOPS), and larger memory bandwidth (264.0 GB/s vs 204.8 GB/s) make it the superior choice for any workload that relies on raw compute performance or memory-intensive processing. Its 79th percentile ranking versus the Vega’s 74th percentile reinforces the HD 7970’s standing. For a user with a desktop chassis that fits a 275 mm dual-slot card, a 600 W PSU, and a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connector, the HD 7970 is the stronger performer in the recorded data.

The Vega M GH is the practical alternative for compact systems, given its integrated design, 100 W TDP, and absence of external power requirements. Its 64 ROPs and 76.16 GPixel/s pixel rate are more than double the HD 7970’s pixel throughput, so it wins in fill-rate-bound scenarios. But the database records exactly 0 benchmark wins for the Vega M GH against the HD 7970. The only direct comparison is OpenCL, where it loses by 27.3%.

There is also a compatibility angle. The Vega M GH supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, while the HD 7970 only reaches DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. For modern game features or applications that require DX12_0 or newer Vulkan APIs, the Vega M GH is the better fit. The Vega also doubles the VRAM to 4 GB over the HD 7970’s 3 GB, and its HBM2 memory on a 1024-bit bus offers a different bandwidth profile that may benefit certain memory patterns, though the HD 7970’s raw bandwidth is higher.

In summary, the HD 7970 is the compute and bandwidth champion, while the Vega M GH is the pixel-rate and API-modernity champion. The data does not support a win for the Vega M GH in head-to-head compute, but it does support the Vega as a smarter choice for integrated, low-power systems where the HD 7970 simply cannot fit. The choice depends on the chassis, the power budget, and the API requirements. For pure OpenCL performance, the HD 7970 is 27.3% faster, and the benchmark numbers leave no ambiguity.