AMD Radeon HD 7970 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile and the AMD Radeon HD 7970 represent two vastly different eras of GPU design, and the benchmark data confirms a generational chasm. In the single available head-to-head test, the RTX 4080 Mobile delivers a 362% higher score, making its superiority unambiguous. While the HD 7970 was a formidable desktop flagship in its time, its GCN 1.0 architecture cannot compete with the modern Ada Lovelace design in raw compute or feature support.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is a landslide. The RTX 4080 Mobile scores 159,575 points, while the HD 7970 manages 34,541 points. This gives the NVIDIA part a 362% performance advantage. This is not a marginal win; it is a multi-generational leap. The RTX 4080 Mobile is not merely faster; it is operating in a completely different performance class, delivering over four times the compute throughput in this metric.

To contextualize the RTX 4080 Mobile’s standing, its average benchmark score is 38,135, placing it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 (average score 38,299, only -0.4% behind) and the RTX 5080 Mobile (average score 38,349, -0.6% behind). This shows the RTX 4080 Mobile sits in a tightly contested performance tier, just slightly behind these contemporaries. The HD 7970’s average score is 34,541, placing it in the 79th percentile. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA T1000 8 GB (average score 34,561, -0.1% ahead), indicating that the HD 7970’s performance is still within range of much more recent entry-level professional cards.

The deltas between the two cards are stark. A 362% lead in OpenCL is a decisive metric that reflects the architectural and technological progress between 2012 and 2023. The data indicates that the RTX 4080 Mobile’s compute capabilities are in a different league, a fact that will be reinforced by the architectural differences detailed below.

Architecture Differences

The core architectures are separated by over a decade of engineering. The RTX 4080 Mobile is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using the AD104 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. This incredibly dense process allows for 35,800 million transistors packed into a 294 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 121.8M / mm². In contrast, the HD 7970 uses the older GCN 1.0 architecture with the Tahiti chip, built on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. This process yields 4,313 million transistors on a larger 352 mm² die, with a density of just 12.3M / mm².

The memory subsystems are equally divergent. The RTX 4080 Mobile features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The HD 7970 counter with 3 GB of GDDR5 on a wider 384-bit bus, but its memory clocks are far lower, resulting in 264.0 GB/s of bandwidth. While the HD 7970 has a wider bus, the RTX 4080 Mobile’s much faster memory type and higher clocks give it a 63.6% bandwidth advantage.

Feature support highlights the generational gap. The RTX 4080 Mobile includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing cores (58 RT cores) and tensor cores (232), which are absent from the HD 7970. The NVIDIA card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD card only reaches DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. This means the RTX 4080 Mobile can handle modern rendering techniques like ray tracing and mesh shaders, while the HD 7970 is limited to older APIs. The HD 7970 also lacks any FP16 support, whereas the RTX 4080 Mobile offers 24.72 TFLOPS of FP16 performance, matching its FP32 output.

Power and physical characteristics also differ massively. The RTX 4080 Mobile has a TDP of 110 W and is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors. The HD 7970, by contrast, is a 250 W dual-slot card requiring 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power connectors and a 600 W suggested PSU. It is a physically large card, measuring 275 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 38 mm in width.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile in the only shared benchmark?

A: The RTX 4080 Mobile scores 159,575 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 362% higher than the HD 7970’s score of 34,541.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon HD 7970 support ray tracing?

A: No. The data shows the HD 7970 has no RT cores, while the RTX 4080 Mobile has 58 RT cores.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two cards?

A: The RTX 4080 Mobile has 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth, while the HD 7970 has 264.0 GB/s. The NVIDIA card has a 63.6% higher bandwidth figure.

Q: Which card is more power-efficient based on the data?

A: The RTX 4080 Mobile has a TDP of 110 W, while the HD 7970 has a TDP of 250 W. The RTX 4080 Mobile delivers far more performance at less than half the power draw.

Q: What is the production status of these GPUs?

A: The RTX 4080 Mobile is listed as Active, while the HD 7970 is End-of-life.

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4080 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 38,135, compared to the HD 7970’s 34,541.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two cards:

• Process Node: RTX 4080 Mobile is 5 nm; HD 7970 is 28 nm.
• Transistors: RTX 4080 Mobile has 35,800 million; HD 7970 has 4,313 million.
• Die Size: RTX 4080 Mobile is 294 mm²; HD 7970 is 352 mm².
• Memory Size: RTX 4080 Mobile is 12 GB; HD 7970 is 3 GB.
• Memory Type: RTX 4080 Mobile is GDDR6; HD 7970 is GDDR5.
• Memory Clock: RTX 4080 Mobile is 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective); HD 7970 is 1375 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective).
• Memory Bus Width: RTX 4080 Mobile is 192 bit; HD 7970 is 384 bit.
• Bandwidth: RTX 4080 Mobile is 432.0 GB/s; HD 7970 is 264.0 GB/s.
• Shading Units: RTX 4080 Mobile has 7424; HD 7970 has 2048.
• TMUs: RTX 4080 Mobile has 232; HD 7970 has 128.
• ROPs: RTX 4080 Mobile has 80; HD 7970 has 32.
• RT Cores: RTX 4080 Mobile has 58; HD 7970 has 0.
• Tensor Cores: RTX 4080 Mobile has 232; HD 7970 has 0.
• Pixel Rate: RTX 4080 Mobile is 133.2 GPixel/s; HD 7970 is 29.60 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: RTX 4080 Mobile is 386.3 GTexel/s; HD 7970 is 118.4 GTexel/s.
• FP32 Performance: RTX 4080 Mobile is 24.72 TFLOPS; HD 7970 is 3.789 TFLOPS.
• FP16 Performance: RTX 4080 Mobile is 24.72 TFLOPS (1:1); HD 7970 has none listed.
• TDP: RTX 4080 Mobile is 110 W; HD 7970 is 250 W.
• Slot Width: RTX 4080 Mobile is IGP; HD 7970 is Dual-slot.
• Power Connectors: RTX 4080 Mobile has None; HD 7970 has 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin.
• Suggested PSU: RTX 4080 Mobile has none listed; HD 7970 is 600 W.
• Bus Interface: RTX 4080 Mobile is PCIe 4.0 x16; HD 7970 is PCIe 3.0 x16.
• DirectX Support: RTX 4080 Mobile is 12 Ultimate (12_2); HD 7970 is 12 (11_1).
• Vulkan Support: RTX 4080 Mobile is 1.4; HD 7970 is 1.2.170.
• Dimensions: HD 7970 is 275 mm long, 111 mm high, 38 mm wide; RTX 4080 Mobile has no listed dimensions.
• Release Date: RTX 4080 Mobile is 2023-01-02; HD 7970 is 2012-01-08.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4080 Mobile wins decisively across every measurable compute metric. In the shared Geekbench OpenCL test, it is 362% faster. Its shading unit count (7424 vs 2048), texture fill rate (386.3 GTexel/s vs 118.4 GTexel/s), and pixel fill rate (133.2 GPixel/s vs 29.60 GPixel/s) are all far superior. It also offers modern features like ray tracing and tensor cores, which the HD 7970 lacks entirely. The RTX 4080 Mobile’s higher transistor density (121.8M / mm² vs 12.3M / mm²) and lower power draw (110 W vs 250 W) make it the clear winner in efficiency and capability.

The HD 7970 has no benchmark wins in the provided head-to-head data. Its only nominal advantage lies in its wider 384-bit memory bus, which is a legacy design choice, and its physical dimensions, which are irrelevant for comparison purposes. Its 79th percentile ranking and average score of 34,541 show it remains a functional GPU, but it is outclassed by the RTX 4080 Mobile in every performance category.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is the superior product by a massive margin. With a 362% lead in OpenCL performance, it is in an entirely different performance tier. The RTX 4080 Mobile’s 81st percentile ranking, 24.72 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, and modern feature set make it a compelling choice for any modern workload, from gaming to compute tasks. Its 110 W TDP also makes it suitable for thin-and-light laptops, contrasting with the HD 7970’s 250 W desktop-bound power requirement.

The AMD Radeon HD 7970, now End-of-life, is a relic of the past. Its 3 GB of VRAM and 264.0 GB/s of bandwidth are insufficient for modern applications. While its 79th percentile score is respectable for a card from 2012, it simply cannot compete with the Ada Lovelace architecture. The data shows that the HD 7970 is only suitable for legacy systems or very basic tasks. For anyone choosing between these two, the RTX 4080 Mobile is the only rational choice. Its performance, efficiency, and feature support are generations ahead, making it the definitive winner in this comparison.