AMD Radeon HD 7970M vs AMD Radeon RX 7600 Comparison

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Radeon HD 7970M compare to the AMD Radeon RX 7600 in raw compute performance?

A: The RX 7600 is drastically ahead in compute. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RX 7600 scores 88,051 points, which is 417% higher than the HD 7970M's score of 17,019 points.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600 has a significantly higher transistor density at 65.2M per mm², compared to the HD 7970M's 13.2M per mm².

Q: What are the memory specifications for each card?

A: The HD 7970M features 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 153.6 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 7600 features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU supports ray tracing?

A: Only the AMD Radeon RX 7600 supports ray tracing, as it has 32 dedicated ray tracing cores. The HD 7970M has no RT cores listed.

Q: What is the difference in their DirectX support?

A: The HD 7970M supports DirectX 12 (11_1), while the RX 7600 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2).

Q: What is the production status of each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7970M is end-of-life, while the AMD Radeon RX 7600 is currently active in production.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent entirely different eras of AMD design. The HD 7970M is built on the GCN 1.0 architecture using the Wimbledon chip, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The RX 7600 uses the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 33 chip, built on a 6 nm process, also at TSMC.

The manufacturing scale shows a massive leap. The HD 7970M integrates 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die, resulting in a density of 13.2M per mm². The RX 7600 packs 13,300 million transistors onto a slightly smaller 204 mm² die, achieving a density of 65.2M per mm², nearly five times higher.

Core configuration differs substantially. The HD 7970M has 1,280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The RX 7600 scales up to 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Additionally, the RX 7600 introduces 32 ray tracing cores, a feature completely absent from the older GCN architecture.

Clock speeds also reflect the architectural evolution. The HD 7970M has no listed base or boost clock, with memory running at 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective). The RX 7600 runs at a 1720 MHz base, 2250 MHz game clock, and 2655 MHz boost, with memory at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective).

Feature support differs in API levels. The HD 7970M supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The RX 7600 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The RX 7600 also supports FP16 compute at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, while the HD 7970M lists no FP16 capability. The form factor and interface have changed too: the HD 7970M is an MXM Module with MXM-B (3.0) interface, while the RX 7600 is a dual-slot card using PCIe 4.0 x8.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 7600 wins decisively in every measurable compute and graphics workload. The database records one head-to-head benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, where the RX 7600 dominates with a score of 88,051 versus 17,019 for the HD 7970M, a delta of -80.7% for the older card.

Beyond the direct comparison, the RX 7600's benchmark suite shows broad strength: it scores 16,634 in Passmark G3D, 8,790 in Passmark GPU Compute, 984 in Passmark G2D, and 34,401 in Geekbench Vulkan. It also records 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,310.

The HD 7970M has only one recorded benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL at 17,019, which places it at the 60th percentile of all GPUs. The RX 7600 sits at the 57th percentile despite its much higher raw scores, reflecting the broader competitive field in its era.

The RX 7600's advantage extends to memory capacity and bandwidth. With 8 GB of GDDR6 and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, it offers four times the capacity and nearly double the bandwidth of the HD 7970M's 2 GB GDDR5 at 153.6 GB/s.

Texture and pixel throughput favor the newer card overwhelmingly. The RX 7600 delivers 339.8 GTexel/s and 169.9 GPixel/s, compared to 68.00 GTexel/s and 27.20 GPixel/s for the HD 7970M.

Specification Differences

The key specification differences are as follows:

• Process Node: 28 nm (HD 7970M) vs 6 nm (RX 7600)
• Transistors: 2,800 million vs 13,300 million
• Die Size: 212 mm² vs 204 mm²
• Transistor Density: 13.2M / mm² vs 65.2M / mm²
• Memory Size: 2 GB vs 8 GB
• Memory Type: GDDR5 vs GDDR6
• Memory Bus Width: 256 bit vs 128 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 153.6 GB/s vs 288.0 GB/s
• Memory Clock: 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective) vs 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective)
• Shading Units: 1280 vs 2048
• TMUs: 80 vs 128
• ROPs: 32 vs 64
• RT Cores: None vs 32
• Pixel Rate: 27.20 GPixel/s vs 169.9 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 68.00 GTexel/s vs 339.8 GTexel/s
• FP32: 2.176 TFLOPS vs 21.75 TFLOPS
• FP16: Not listed vs 21.75 TFLOPS (1:1)
• TDP: 100 W vs 165 W
• Slot Width: MXM Module vs Dual-slot
• Power Connectors: None vs 1x 8-pin
• Bus Interface: MXM-B (3.0) vs PCIe 4.0 x8
• Display Outputs: Portable Device Dependent vs 1x HDMI 2.1a, 3x DisplayPort 2.1
• DirectX: 12 (11_1) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2)
• Vulkan: 1.2.170 vs 1.4
• Release Date: 2012-04-23 vs 2023-05-24
• Production Status: End-of-life vs Active

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct head-to-head benchmark available in the database is Geekbench OpenCL. The RX 7600 scores 88,051, while the HD 7970M scores 17,019. This gives the RX 7600 a 417% advantage, recorded as a delta of -80.7% from the perspective of the older card.

This single result is indicative of the generational gap. The HD 7970M's nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17,037, delta -0.1%), the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17,083, delta -0.4%), the NVIDIA Tesla M4 (16,932, delta 0.5%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (17,208, delta -1.1%). The HD 7970M sits right in the middle of that group, within 1.1% of each competitor.

The RX 7600's nearest rivals paint a different picture. Its average benchmark score is 15,171, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM at 15,199 (delta -0.2%), the AMD Radeon Pro 560X at 15,082 (delta 0.6%), the AMD Radeon 680M at 15,270 (delta -0.7%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti at 15,063 (delta 0.7%).

The RX 7600 also has a much wider benchmark footprint. It records results across 3DMark, Geekbench (both OpenCL and Vulkan), and multiple Passmark tests covering DirectX 9, 10, 11, 12, G2D, G3D, and GPU compute. The HD 7970M has only the single Geekbench OpenCL entry.

In terms of raw FP32 compute, the RX 7600 delivers 21.75 TFLOPS, exactly ten times the HD 7970M's 2.176 TFLOPS. The pixel rate scales by a factor of 6.2, and the texture rate by a factor of 5.0.

The Verdict

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the clear winner in every recorded metric. The data shows a generational leap that leaves the HD 7970M in an entirely different performance class.

The RX 7600 should be the choice for anyone needing modern graphics features. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and ray tracing. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is essential for contemporary workloads. Its 21.75 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 21.75 TFLOPS FP16 performance make it suitable for compute tasks.

The HD 7970M, by contrast, is an end-of-life product from 2012. Its 2 GB memory capacity and 2.176 TFLOPS FP32 performance limit it to legacy applications and basic tasks. Its 60th percentile ranking among all GPUs is respectable for its age, but it cannot compete with modern hardware.

The RX 7600's 8 GB memory and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth provide a practical advantage for texture-heavy games and larger datasets. The HD 7970M's 153.6 GB/s bandwidth and 2 GB capacity will bottleneck in any modern scenario.

The RX 7600 also offers better connectivity with PCIe 4.0 x8, HDMI 2.1a, and three DisplayPort 2.1 outputs. The HD 7970M's MXM form factor and portable-device-dependent outputs restrict it to specific laptop or mobile configurations.

The RX 7600's active production status and its release in 2023 mean it remains a viable current-generation option. The HD 7970M's end-of-life status and 2012 release date make it a historical artifact.

For any new build or upgrade, the RX 7600 is the only rational choice. The HD 7970M may interest collectors or those maintaining legacy systems, but the benchmark data provides no scenario where it outperforms the RX 7600. The 417% lead in OpenCL compute is the defining statistic of this comparison.