AMD Radeon HD 7970M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER and AMD Radeon HD 7970M represent two vastly different eras of GPU design. The data is unequivocal: the RTX 2060 SUPER is the superior performer, boasting an average benchmark score of 18093 compared to the HD 7970M's 17019. This 352.2% lead in the only shared benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, is not a marginal improvement but a generational chasm, driven by a decade of architectural evolution, process node shrinks, and memory technology advancements.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the shared benchmark, and by how much?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is decisively faster. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, it scored 76957 points, while the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scored only 17019 points. This represents a 352.2% performance advantage for the NVIDIA card.

Q: What is the difference in their average benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093, placing it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. The HD 7970M has an average score of 17019, placing it in the 60th percentile. While the percentile ranks are close, the raw score difference is 1074 points in favor of NVIDIA.

Q: How do the memory subsystems compare?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER utilizes 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. In contrast, the HD 7970M has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing only 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a substantial difference in both capacity and speed.

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

A: The data shows the HD 7970M has a lower TDP of 100 W, while the RTX 2060 SUPER has a TDP of 175 W. However, the RTX 2060 SUPER delivers significantly more compute performance, with its FP32 throughput being more than three times higher.

Q: What are the key architectural differences between the two?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture using a 12 nm process, featuring 10,800 million transistors. The HD 7970M uses the older GCN 1.0 architecture on a 28 nm process, with 2,800 million transistors. The NVIDIA card also includes dedicated RT and Tensor cores, which the AMD card lacks.

Q: Which card supports newer graphics APIs?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4. The HD 7970M is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. This means the NVIDIA card is ready for the latest features and titles.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M is immense, reflecting their different release generations. The RTX 2060 SUPER is built on NVIDIA's Turing architecture, fabricated on a 12 nm process at TSMC. The HD 7970M, conversely, uses AMD's GCN 1.0 architecture on a much older 28 nm process, also from TSMC. This process difference is stark: the RTX 2060 SUPER packs 10,800 million transistors into a 445 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.3M / mm². The HD 7970M has just 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die, for a density of 13.2M / mm².

The core configurations are equally divergent. The RTX 2060 SUPER features 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 64 raster operation pipelines (ROPs). It also boasts 34 dedicated RT cores for ray tracing and 272 Tensor cores for AI workloads. The HD 7970M has 1280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with no RT or Tensor cores present. The NVIDIA card's FP32 compute throughput is 7.181 TFLOPS, dwarfing the HD 7970M's 2.176 TFLOPS. Furthermore, the RTX 2060 SUPER supports FP16 compute at 14.36 TFLOPS, a capability the AMD card does not offer.

Memory technology also separates these two GPUs. The RTX 2060 SUPER uses 8 GB of GDDR6 memory clocked at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective), achieving a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The HD 7970M uses 2 GB of GDDR5 memory at 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective), with a bandwidth of 153.6 GB/s. The NVIDIA card's memory is not only faster but also four times larger in capacity. In terms of API support, the RTX 2060 SUPER reaches DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the HD 7970M is capped at DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data provides a single, clear point of comparison between these two GPUs: the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this test, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER achieved a score of 76957, while the AMD Radeon HD 7970M managed only 17019. This results in a delta of 352.2%, a massive margin that underscores the performance disparity.

This result is not just a win for the RTX 2060 SUPER; it is a dominant one. The NVIDIA card's score is more than four times higher than the AMD card's. This can be attributed to the combined effects of its newer architecture, higher transistor count, faster memory, and more advanced feature set. The HD 7970M, while a capable card in its time, is simply outclassed by the modern Turing-based GPU.

While the head-to-head data lists only one test, the average benchmark scores corroborate the trend. The RTX 2060 SUPER's average score of 18093 is higher than the HD 7970M's 17019. The RTX 2060 SUPER also has a more robust suite of benchmark results, including scores for 3DMark Steel Nomad (2011), Passmark G3D (16462), and Passmark GPU Compute (6721), giving a broader picture of its capabilities. The HD 7970M only has the single Geekbench OpenCL result.

The Verdict

The verdict is clear: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the superior GPU in every measurable way. The data shows a 352.2% advantage in the shared Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, a substantial lead in average benchmark score (18093 vs 17019), and a far more modern feature set. The RTX 2060 SUPER is not just faster; it is in a different performance class.

The AMD Radeon HD 7970M, on the other hand, is an end-of-life product from a much older generation. Its performance, while once competitive, is now severely outdated. Its lower TDP of 100 W is its only advantage, making it a potentially lower-power option, but this comes at the cost of massive performance loss. For any modern workload or gaming scenario, the RTX 2060 SUPER is the only logical choice based on the benchmark data.

Users looking for maximum performance, higher resolutions, or features like ray tracing should unequivocally choose the RTX 2060 SUPER. The HD 7970M's 2 GB of VRAM and lower bandwidth are also significant bottlenecks in modern applications. While the HD 7970M might have a place in a legacy system, the RTX 2060 SUPER is the clear winner for anyone building or upgrading a system for current and future titles.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for these two GPUs highlight their generational gap. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER uses a TU106 chip on a 12 nm process, while the AMD Radeon HD 7970M uses a Wimbledon chip on a 28 nm process. The RTX 2060 SUPER has a transistor count of 10,800 million and a die size of 445 mm², compared to the HD 7970M's 2,800 million transistors and 212 mm² die.

• Process Node: 12 nm (NVIDIA) vs 28 nm (AMD)
• Transistors: 10,800 million vs 2,800 million
• Die Size: 445 mm² vs 212 mm²
• Shading Units: 2176 vs 1280
• TMUs: 136 vs 80
• ROPs: 64 vs 32
• RT Cores: 34 vs None
• Tensor Cores: 272 vs None
• FP32 Performance: 7.181 TFLOPS vs 2.176 TFLOPS
• Memory Size: 8 GB vs 2 GB
• Memory Type: GDDR6 vs GDDR5
• Memory Bandwidth: 448.0 GB/s vs 153.6 GB/s
• TDP: 175 W vs 100 W
• DirectX Support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) vs 12 (11_1)
• Vulkan Support: 1.4 vs 1.2.170
• Power Connectors: 1x 8-pin vs None
• Bus Interface: PCIe 3.0 x16 vs MXM-B (3.0)
• Dimensions: 229 mm length vs Not specified

Where Each One Wins

Based on the benchmark data, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER wins in every performance category. It is the clear choice for high-end gaming, content creation, and any GPU-accelerated compute workload. Its 8 GB of VRAM and high bandwidth make it suitable for modern games at high resolutions and detail settings. The inclusion of RT and Tensor cores also positions it for future titles that utilize ray tracing and DLSS-style features.

The AMD Radeon HD 7970M has no performance wins in the data. Its only potential advantage is its lower TDP of 100 W compared to the RTX 2060 SUPER's 175 W. This could make it a better fit for a system with a very small power supply or severe thermal constraints, but this is a niche scenario given its performance limitations. Its mobile-oriented MXM form factor could also be a factor in specific laptop upgrades, but the performance gap is too large to recommend it for any modern purpose. In summary, the RTX 2060 SUPER is the winner for all practical use cases.