AMD Radeon HD 7970M vs NVIDIA Tesla M4 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only head-to-head benchmark in the database is Geekbench OpenCL, and the margin is razor-thin. The AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17,019 points against the NVIDIA Tesla M4’s 16,932 points, a delta of just 0.5% in AMD’s favor. For practical purposes, this is a statistical tie — the sort of result that would vanish in run-to-run variance. The data shows the AMD card wins the single recorded test, but the difference is so small that it carries almost no real-world weight.

Context from the rival lists reinforces how close these two are. The Tesla M4 sits just 0.6% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (16,937 vs. 17,037) and 0.8% ahead of the NVIDIA T400 4 GB. The HD 7970M, meanwhile, is 0.1% behind the GTX 690 and 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT. Both GPUs land at the 60th percentile among all GPUs, meaning they occupy essentially the same performance tier. Neither card is a barn-burner by modern standards, but both are respectable compute performers for their respective roles.

What is more interesting than the raw score is how each card achieves it. The HD 7970M gets its 17,019 points from 1,280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, paired with 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus delivering 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The Tesla M4 counters with fewer shading units (1,024), fewer TMUs (64), and the same 32 ROPs, but doubles the memory to 4 GB on a narrower 128-bit bus, cutting bandwidth to 88.00 GB/s. A 128-bit bus with 4 GB is an unusual combination — it suggests the Tesla M4 prioritizes capacity for compute workloads over raw memory throughput. Yet the benchmark results indicate the bandwidth deficit does not meaningfully hurt it in OpenCL, as the final score difference is only 87 points.

Pixel and texture rates tell a similar story of near-parity with different strengths. The Tesla M4 posts a higher pixel rate at 34.30 GPixel/s versus 27.20 GPixel/s for the HD 7970M, a 26% advantage that comes from its higher boost clock of 1072 MHz. The texture rates are almost identical: 68.61 GTexel/s for the Tesla M4 and 68.00 GTexel/s for the HD 7970M. FP32 compute is also a dead heat — 2.195 TFLOPS for NVIDIA versus 2.176 TFLOPS for AMD, a 0.9% edge for the Tesla. In every meaningful compute metric except pixel fill, these two are within a rounding error of each other.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the head-to-head benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7970M wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 17,019 versus 16,932 for the NVIDIA Tesla M4, a 0.5% lead.

Q: How do these cards compare in memory capacity and bandwidth?

A: The Tesla M4 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 88.00 GB/s bandwidth, while the HD 7970M has 2 GB on a 256-bit bus with 153.6 GB/s. AMD has 75% more bandwidth; NVIDIA has double the capacity.

Q: What are the clock speeds of each card?

A: The Tesla M4 has a base clock of 872 MHz and a boost clock of 1072 MHz, with memory at 1375 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective). The HD 7970M has no listed base or boost clocks, but its memory runs at 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective).

Q: Which card has higher pixel fill rate?

A: The Tesla M4 achieves 34.30 GPixel/s, which is 26% higher than the HD 7970M’s 27.20 GPixel/s.

Q: Are these cards comparable in raw FP32 compute?

A: Yes. The Tesla M4 produces 2.195 TFLOPS, while the HD 7970M produces 2.176 TFLOPS — a difference of less than 1%.

Q: Do both cards support the same API levels?

A: No. The HD 7970M supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Tesla M4 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 — a more modern feature set, especially for Vulkan.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two is a study in generational progression. The AMD Radeon HD 7970M is built on GCN 1.0, codenamed Wimbledon, and belongs to the London family (HD 7900M). It uses a 28 nm process at TSMC with 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die. The NVIDIA Tesla M4 is Maxwell 2.0, based on the GM206 chip, also fabbed at 28 nm by TSMC, but with slightly more transistors (2,940 million) on a larger 228 mm² die. Transistor density is marginally higher on the AMD side at 13.2M per mm² versus 12.9M per mm² for NVIDIA — a negligible difference that reflects the similar process generation.

The compute architecture diverges significantly. GCN 1.0 uses a wide, scalar-oriented design with 1,280 shading units organized in a way that favors throughput per clock. Maxwell 2.0, by contrast, is a more power-efficient architecture that achieves comparable FP32 output with 25% fewer shading units (1,024) — proof of NVIDIA’s improved instruction efficiency in that generation. The HD 7970M counters with more TMUs (80 vs. 64), while both share 32 ROPs. Neither card has ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as those features did not exist in either architecture.

Memory architecture is another stark differentiator. AMD pairs 2 GB of GDDR5 with a 256-bit bus and 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth. NVIDIA goes with 4 GB on a 128-bit bus, yielding 88.00 GB/s. This is a classic trade-off: the HD 7970M is built for framebuffer throughput, while the Tesla M4 is designed for compute workloads that need more resident data. The Tesla’s lower bandwidth is partially offset by its higher memory clock (1375 MHz vs. 1200 MHz), but the bus width disadvantage dominates.

Power and physical design tell the most dramatic story. The Tesla M4 is rated at 50 W TDP and comes as a single-slot card with a suggested PSU of 250 W. The HD 7970M draws 100 W and is an MXM module — a laptop form factor — with no power connectors and portable-device-dependent display outputs. The Tesla M4 has no display outputs at all, making it a pure compute accelerator. The HD 7970M is a mobile GPU that can drive displays. This difference in TDP — a 50% reduction for the Tesla — is the single biggest architectural differentiator, and it explains why NVIDIA could afford a larger die and more memory while staying within a low-power envelope.

The API support also reflects their respective eras. The HD 7970M, released in 2012, tops out at DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Tesla M4, from 2015, supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4. For modern compute workloads that leverage Vulkan’s newer features, the Tesla M4 has a clear advantage. OpenGL support is identical at 4.6.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear verdict based on workload and platform. For anyone constrained by power or physical space, the NVIDIA Tesla M4 is the obvious choice — it delivers virtually identical compute performance (16,932 vs. 17,019 in OpenCL) at half the TDP (50 W vs. 100 W) and in a single-slot form factor. The 4 GB of memory doubles the HD 7970M’s capacity, making it better suited for datasets that exceed 2 GB. The Tesla M4 is also the newer card, releasing in November 2015 versus April 2012, with more modern API support (DirectX 12_1 and Vulkan 1.4). For a server or workstation compute node where power efficiency and memory capacity matter, the Tesla M4 wins decisively.

The AMD Radeon HD 7970M makes sense only in a specific context: an MXM-based laptop where the GPU must drive a display. It offers a 0.5% benchmark lead and 75% more memory bandwidth (153.6 GB/s vs. 88.00 GB/s), which could help in bandwidth-sensitive tasks. Its 100 W TDP is high for a mobile part, but it is an integrated module with no external power connectors. For anyone building a desktop compute box or a headless server, the HD 7970M’s portable-device-dependent outputs and lack of a PCIe interface make it unsuitable. The Tesla M4, with its PCIe 3.0 x16 bus and no display outputs, is purpose-built for exactly that role.

In terms of raw performance per watt, the Tesla M4 is the clear winner: it produces 2.195 TFLOPS at 50 W, versus 2.176 TFLOPS at 100 W for the HD 7970M. That is roughly double the FP32 efficiency. The AMD card’s only meaningful wins are bandwidth and a hair of OpenCL score. Neither GPU is competitive with modern parts — both sit at the 60th percentile — but as a drop-in accelerator for legacy systems, the Tesla M4 offers more capability per watt and more memory headroom. The HD 7970M is a capable mobile GPU, but its strengths are tied to a form factor that is now obsolete.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD Radeon HD 7970M | NVIDIA Tesla M4 |

|-------|---------------------|-----------------|

| Chip | Wimbledon | GM206 |

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Maxwell 2.0 |

| Generation | London (HD 7900M) | Tesla Maxwell (Mxx) |

| Transistors | 2,800 million | 2,940 million |

| Die Size | 212 mm² | 228 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 13.2M / mm² | 12.9M / mm² |

| Base Clock | Not listed | 872 MHz |

| Boost Clock | Not listed | 1072 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective) | 1375 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 2 GB | 4 GB |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 153.6 GB/s | 88.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1,280 | 1,024 |

| TMUs | 80 | 64 |

| ROPs | 32 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 27.20 GPixel/s | 34.30 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 68.00 GTexel/s | 68.61 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 2.176 TFLOPS | 2.195 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 100 W | 50 W |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | Single-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | Not listed |

| Suggested PSU | Not listed | 250 W |

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

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | No outputs |

| DirectX | 12 (11_1) | 12 (12_1) |

| Vulkan | 1.2.170 | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2012-04-23 | 2015-11-09 |

| Predecessor | Vancouver | Tesla Kepler |

| Successor | Solar System | Tesla Pascal |