AMD Radeon HD 7970M vs AMD Radeon R9 M380 Comparison

AMD Radeon HD 7970M and AMD Radeon R9 M380 are two mobile graphics solutions from different generations of AMD’s GCN architecture. In the only directly comparable benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test, the HD 7970M is the clear winner, scoring 17,019 points against the R9 M380’s 12,565 points. This represents a 35.4% performance advantage for the older part. However, the R9 M380 has its own strengths, including a newer architecture, double the memory capacity, and a higher DirectX feature level, making the choice between them less about raw speed and more about specific feature needs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data is unequivocal in this matchup. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD Radeon HD 7970M delivers a score of 17,019, while the AMD Radeon R9 M380 manages only 12,565. This gives the HD 7970M a 35.4% lead over its newer counterpart. This is not a marginal victory; it is a dominant one. The HD 7970M’s score places it in the 60th percentile of all GPUs, while the R9 M380 sits at the 58th percentile. When looking at their nearest rivals, the data shows the HD 7970M is essentially neck-and-neck with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, scoring 0.1% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, scoring 0.4% lower. The R9 M380, on the other hand, is nearly identical in performance to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, with a delta of -0.2%. This places the two AMD cards in different performance strata, with the HD 7970M competing in a higher tier.

The 35.4% delta in OpenCL performance is the headline figure. This is a decisive win for the HD 7970M, suggesting that its larger GPU configuration more than compensates for its older architecture. While the R9 M380 also has a Geekbench Metal score of 18,476, there is no corresponding Metal score for the HD 7970M in the data, so a direct comparison in that API is not possible. The overall average benchmark score for the HD 7970M is 17,019, whereas the R9 M380’s average is 15,521, which reflects its weaker OpenCL showing. The raw numbers tell a clear story: for general-purpose compute workloads, the HD 7970M is the superior performer.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is significant. The AMD Radeon HD 7970M is built on the GCN 1.0 architecture, with a chip codenamed "Wimbledon". It is part of the London (HD 7900M) generation and was released in 2012. In contrast, the AMD Radeon R9 M380 uses the newer GCN 2.0 architecture, with a chip codenamed "Strato". It belongs to the Gem System (R9 M300) generation and was released in 2015. While both are manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC, there is a major difference in the physical silicon. The HD 7970M has a larger die size of 212 mm² and houses 2,800 million transistors. The R9 M380 is smaller, with a die size of 160 mm² and 2,080 million transistors. This results in similar transistor densities of 13.2M / mm² and 13.0M / mm², respectively.

The compute resources are drastically different. The HD 7970M features 1,280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 ROPs. The R9 M380 is a leaner chip, with only 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This explains the HD 7970M’s performance advantage in raw throughput. Its pixel rate is 27.20 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 68.00 GTexel/s, both far higher than the R9 M380’s 16.00 GPixel/s and 48.00 GTexel/s. Consequently, the HD 7970M achieves 2.176 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, against the R9 M380’s 1.536 TFLOPS. The memory subsystems also differ. The HD 7970M uses a 256-bit memory bus with 2 GB of GDDR5 running at 4.8 Gbps effective, providing 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The R9 M380 has a narrower 128-bit bus, but compensates with a larger 4 GB frame buffer and faster memory at 6 Gbps effective, though this still yields a lower bandwidth of 96.00 GB/s.

There are also differences in API support and connectivity. The R9 M380 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the HD 7970M is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170. The HD 7970M is an MXM module with a bus interface of MXM-B (3.0), while the R9 M380 uses a standard PCIe 3.0 x16 interface. The HD 7970M has a listed TDP of 100 W, while the R9 M380’s TDP is not specified in the data. The HD 7970M also has no power connectors, drawing all power through the MXM slot, whereas the R9 M380’s power connector requirements are not listed.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 7970M is the clear winner in raw computational performance. The 35.4% lead in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark is its primary territory. This makes it the better choice for applications that rely heavily on general-purpose compute, such as OpenCL-accelerated tasks. Its higher texture and pixel rates (68.00 GTexel/s vs. 48.00 GTexel/s and 27.20 GPixel/s vs. 16.00 GPixel/s) also suggest it will handle traditional 3D rendering tasks, like gaming, with more headroom. Its higher memory bandwidth of 153.6 GB/s, compared to the R9 M380’s 96.00 GB/s, is another advantage for high-resolution textures and data-heavy workloads.

The AMD Radeon R9 M380 has its own set of advantages, despite losing the compute benchmark. Its most significant win is the 4 GB of memory, which is double the HD 7970M’s 2 GB. For modern games with large texture packs, this larger frame buffer can be critical to prevent stuttering or texture pop-in. The R9 M380 also supports a newer version of DirectX (12_0 vs. 11_1), which is a requirement for some newer games that are built exclusively for the newer API. Its boot clock of 900 MHz and boost clock of 1000 MHz are specified, while the HD 7970M’s clocks are not listed in the data. The R9 M380 also has a superior Geekbench Metal score of 18,476, though this cannot be directly compared to the HD 7970M. For users on a platform that prioritizes Metal performance or require more video memory, the R9 M380 would be the more appropriate option.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7970M is significantly faster, scoring 17,019 compared to the Radeon R9 M380’s 12,565, a 35.4% difference.

Q: Does the newer Radeon R9 M380 have more video memory?

A: Yes, the Radeon R9 M380 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, which is double the 2 GB found on the HD 7970M.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7970M has 1,280 shading units, while the Radeon R9 M380 has 768.

Q: What are the DirectX version differences between the two cards?

A: The Radeon R9 M380 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the HD 7970M is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1).

Q: How does the Radeon R9 M380 compare to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti in average score?

A: The Radeon R9 M380’s average benchmark score of 15,521 is only 0.2% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti’s average score of 15,548.

Q: What is the memory bus width difference?

A: The HD 7970M uses a 256-bit memory bus, providing 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth, while the R9 M380 uses a 128-bit bus, providing 96.00 GB/s.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the AMD Radeon HD 7970M is the superior performer. Its 35.4% lead in the Geekbench OpenCL test is a decisive factor. Its historical performance relative to its rivals, being within 1.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 and 0.4% of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, shows it still holds its own against much newer parts. The HD 7970M is the right choice for tasks that demand maximum compute throughput and memory bandwidth. Its higher pixel rate (27.20 GPixel/s) and texture rate (68.00 GTexel/s) make it the stronger candidate for graphics-intensive workloads.

The AMD Radeon R9 M380, while losing on raw compute, is not without merit. Its 4 GB frame buffer is a significant advantage for modern games and applications that require large amounts of video memory. For users who prioritize the ability to load high-resolution textures or run applications that require DirectX 12 (12_0) support, the R9 M380 is the better fit. It also demonstrates strong performance in the Geekbench Metal test, scoring 18,476, which could be a deciding factor for users on platforms that leverage Metal. The data indicates the HD 7970M for pure performance and the R9 M380 for features like memory capacity and newer API support.

Specification Differences

The following table highlights the key specification differences between the two GPUs, based solely on the provided data.

| Specification | AMD Radeon HD 7970M | AMD Radeon R9 M380 |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | GCN 2.0 |

| Chip | Wimbledon | Strato |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 2,800 million | 2,080 million |

| Die Size | 212 mm² | 160 mm² |

| Memory Size | 2 GB | 4 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 153.6 GB/s | 96.00 GB/s |

| Memory Clock | 4.8 Gbps effective | 6 Gbps effective |

| Shading Units | 1280 | 768 |

| TMUs | 80 | 48 |

| ROPs | 32 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 27.20 GPixel/s | 16.00 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 68.00 GTexel/s | 48.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 2.176 TFLOPS | 1.536 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 100 W | Not specified |

| Bus Interface | MXM-B (3.0) | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| DirectX Support | 12 (11_1) | 12 (12_0) |

| Base Clock | Not specified | 900 MHz |

| Boost Clock | Not specified | 1000 MHz |