AMD Radeon HD 7970M vs AMD Radeon Pro 460 Comparison

AMD Radeon Pro 460 and AMD Radeon HD 7970M are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions, but they represent opposite ends of the design spectrum: one is a modern, power-efficient integrated part, while the other is a larger, older discrete module. Benchmark results show a clear, if narrow, victory for the older chip in the single available head-to-head test, yet the Pro 460 counters with a broader software feature set and a much more favorable performance-per-watt profile. The data indicates these are not direct competitors in the traditional sense, but rather solutions for different eras and priorities.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results are surprisingly close. The AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17,019 points, while the AMD Radeon Pro 460 scores 15,284 points. This gives the HD 7970M a 10.2% lead, a meaningful but not overwhelming advantage. In this test, the older chip's higher raw compute throughput — 2.176 TFLOPS FP32 versus 1.858 TFLOPS — translates directly into a faster OpenCL result. The HD 7970M also benefits from a wider 256-bit memory bus and 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which is nearly double the Pro 460's 81.28 GB/s, helping feed its 1,280 shading units.

However, the Pro 460 is not without its own benchmark credentials. In Geekbench Metal, the Pro 460 scores 20,426 points, and in Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 16,816 points. The HD 7970M has no recorded Metal or Vulkan scores in the data, so no direct comparison is possible there. Still, the Pro 460's Vulkan score of 16,816 is notably higher than its own OpenCL score of 15,284, suggesting that the newer architecture extracts more performance from modern APIs. The Pro 460's average benchmark score across all tests is 17,509, which is actually higher than the HD 7970M's average of 17,019, even though the HD 7970M wins the single shared test. This discrepancy highlights that the Pro 460's performance is more consistent across different workloads, while the HD 7970M's advantage is concentrated in the OpenCL compute test.

Looking at the broader competitive landscape, the Pro 460 sits at the 61st percentile of all GPUs, while the HD 7970M sits at the 60th percentile. The Pro 460's nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla K40c, which scores 17,468 on average, a mere 0.2% difference. The Pro 460 is also within 0.7% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060's average score of 17,639, which is remarkable for a 35-watt integrated part. The HD 7970M's nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, with an average score of 17,037, just 0.1% higher. It also trails the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT by 0.4% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 by 1.1%. These numbers show that both GPUs are clustered tightly with much newer and more powerful discrete cards, but the HD 7970M's single strong OpenCL result is what gives it the edge in the direct comparison.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the AMD Radeon HD 7970M in raw compute performance, but the AMD Radeon Pro 460 is the better overall product for modern use. If the priority is maximum OpenCL throughput and the user is working with legacy software that relies on that API, the HD 7970M's 10.2% lead in Geekbench OpenCL makes it the pick. Its higher pixel rate of 27.20 GPixel/s and texture rate of 68.00 GTexel/s also suggest stronger fill-rate performance, which could benefit certain older game workloads.

However, the Pro 460 wins on architecture, efficiency, and API support. It is built on a 14 nm process versus the HD 7970M's 28 nm, and it consumes only 35 W compared to 100 W. This is a massive efficiency gap — the Pro 460 delivers nearly 80% of the HD 7970M's OpenCL score while using only 35% of the power. The Pro 460 also supports DirectX 12 (12_0), Vulkan 1.3, and OpenGL 4.6, while the HD 7970M only reaches DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. For anyone running modern graphics APIs or compute workloads, the Pro 460 is the safer choice. The HD 7970M is a relic of 2012, and while it still has compute muscle, its software support is aging. The Pro 460's higher average benchmark score of 17,509 versus 17,019 further reinforces that it is more versatile across multiple test scenarios.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17,019, which is 10.2% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 460's 15,284.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 460 has a higher average benchmark score of 17,509, while the AMD Radeon HD 7970M averages 17,019.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Pro 460 and its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla K40c?

A: The Pro 460's average score is 17,509, while the Tesla K40c scores 17,468, making the Pro 460 0.2% faster.

Q: Does the HD 7970M support Vulkan 1.3?

A: No, the HD 7970M supports Vulkan 1.2.170, while the Pro 460 supports Vulkan 1.3.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 460 has a transistor density of 24.4 million transistors per square millimeter, while the HD 7970M has 13.2 million per square millimeter.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of each GPU?

A: The HD 7970M has 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth, while the Pro 460 has 81.28 GB/s.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ substantially in nearly every core specification. The AMD Radeon Pro 460 uses a 128-bit memory bus with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, whereas the AMD Radeon HD 7970M uses a wider 256-bit bus but only 2 GB of GDDR5. This results in the HD 7970M having nearly double the memory bandwidth: 153.6 GB/s versus 81.28 GB/s.

In terms of compute units, the HD 7970M has 1,280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, while the Pro 460 has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The HD 7970M's pixel rate is 27.20 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 68.00 GTexel/s, compared to the Pro 460's 14.51 GPixel/s and 58.05 GTexel/s. The HD 7970M also has higher FP32 throughput at 2.176 TFLOPS versus 1.858 TFLOPS.

The HD 7970M is a 100 W MXM module, while the Pro 460 is a 35 W integrated part (IGP) with no power connectors. The HD 7970M uses an MXM-B (3.0) bus interface, while the Pro 460 uses PCIe 3.0 x8. The HD 7970M's memory runs at 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective), while the Pro 460's memory runs at 1270 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective). The HD 7970M was released on April 23, 2012, with the Pro 460 following on October 29, 2016.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is generational. The AMD Radeon Pro 460 is built on the GCN 4.0 architecture using the Baffin chip, fabricated on a 14 nm process by GlobalFoundries. It contains 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, resulting in a density of 24.4 million transistors per square millimeter.

The AMD Radeon HD 7970M uses the older GCN 1.0 architecture with the Wimbledon chip, built on a 28 nm process by TSMC. It packs 2,800 million transistors onto a much larger 212 mm² die, giving a density of just 13.2 million transistors per square millimeter. The Pro 460's smaller, denser design is a direct result of the more advanced manufacturing process.

Feature-wise, the Pro 460 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), Vulkan 1.3, and OpenGL 4.6. The HD 7970M supports DirectX 12 (11_1), Vulkan 1.2.170, and OpenGL 4.6. The Pro 460 also supports FP16 compute with a 1:1 ratio, while the HD 7970M has no listed FP16 support. The Pro 460's generation is listed as "Radeon Pro Mac (400 Series)," while the HD 7970M belongs to the "London (HD 7900M)" generation. The HD 7970M has a predecessor named "Vancouver" and a successor named "Solar System," while the Pro 460 has no listed predecessor or successor.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 7970M wins decisively in raw compute and memory throughput. Its 10.2% lead in Geekbench OpenCL, combined with 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth and 2.176 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, makes it the stronger choice for compute-heavy OpenCL workloads. Its higher pixel rate of 27.20 GPixel/s and texture rate of 68.00 GTexel/s also give it an edge in fill-rate-bound scenarios, which could translate to better performance in older games or legacy applications that are not optimized for modern architectures.

The AMD Radeon Pro 460 wins in efficiency, modern API support, and versatility. Its 35 W power draw is less than half of the HD 7970M's 100 W, making it suitable for thin-and-light laptops where power and thermal budgets are tight. The Pro 460's support for Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_0) means it can run newer software that the HD 7970M cannot fully support. Its higher average benchmark score of 17,509 indicates more balanced performance across different test types, and its 4 GB of VRAM doubles the HD 7970M's 2 GB, which is beneficial for modern texture-heavy workloads.

For a user who needs maximum compute throughput and does not care about power consumption or modern API compatibility, the HD 7970M is the winner. For anyone else — particularly those using current software, running Vulkan or Metal, or valuing battery life — the Pro 460 is the superior choice based on the data.