AMD Radeon HD 8970M vs NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Comparison

The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 and AMD Radeon HD 8970M represent two vastly different eras of GPU design, with the former being a modern workstation-class part and the latter a mobile chip from 2013. The data available for direct comparison is limited to a single shared benchmark, but that one result is decisive. The Quadro RTX 5000 achieves a Geekbench OpenCL score of 78999, while the Radeon HD 8970M scores 21237, giving the NVIDIA part a 272% advantage in that specific test. This single data point, combined with the architectural chasm between the two, paints a clear picture of generational progress and performance stratification.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct head-to-head benchmark available in the data is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the results are not close. The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 delivers a score of 78999, which is a staggering 272% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 8970M’s 21237. This is not a marginal victory; it is a nearly fourfold increase in raw compute performance as measured by this workload. The delta is so large that it overshadows any other considerations for general-purpose GPU compute tasks.

Looking at the broader benchmark landscape, the average benchmark score for the Quadro RTX 5000 is 21629, based on a suite of tests including PassMark DirectX 9/10/11/12, G2D, G3D, and GPU compute. Its best individual result is the Geekbench Vulkan score of 92309, followed by the OpenCL score of 78999. In contrast, the Radeon HD 8970M’s only recorded benchmark is that same OpenCL test, with a score of 21237, which also serves as its average benchmark score. The Quadro RTX 5000’s PassMark G3D score of 15616 and GPU compute score of 6525 further illustrate its strength in traditional graphics and compute workloads, while the HD 8970M has no comparable data points in this pack.

When placed against their respective nearest rivals, the positioning becomes clearer. The Quadro RTX 5000’s average score of 21629 is 1.8% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 8970M’s 21237, according to the nearestRivals data. Interestingly, the Quadro RTX 5000 is also within 1% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB (21856) and 1.2% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379). This suggests that while the Quadro is a professional card, its raw average performance is comparable to mainstream gaming GPUs of its era. The Radeon HD 8970M, with an average score of 21237, sits 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153) and 1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 (21035). This indicates that the mobile AMD part, despite its age, holds its own against much newer integrated and low-power discrete solutions in average terms, though it is clearly outclassed by the high-end NVIDIA part in the single shared test.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 is the superior performer in the one benchmark where both are measured. The 272% lead in Geekbench OpenCL confirms the massive architectural and generational gap. The Quadro RTX 5000 is built on a 12 nm process with 13,600 million transistors, while the HD 8970M uses a 28 nm process with only 2,800 million transistors. This alone explains a significant portion of the performance difference.

For any user whose priority is compute performance, OpenCL acceleration, or modern graphics API support, the Quadro RTX 5000 is the only logical choice from this data. Its DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 support mean it is ready for contemporary workloads, whereas the HD 8970M’s DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170 support are dated. The Quadro also offers 16 GB of GDDR6 memory compared to the HD 8970M’s 4 GB of GDDR5, which is a decisive factor for large datasets or high-resolution textures. The verdict is simple: the Quadro RTX 5000 wins outright on every measurable metric in this comparison.

However, the Radeon HD 8970M is not without context. Its average score of 21237 places it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, while the Quadro RTX 5000 sits in the 67th percentile. This means that in the broader spectrum of GPU performance, the HD 8970M is not a weak performer for its class. It is, after all, a mobile part with a 100 W TDP, while the Quadro is a dual-slot desktop card with a 230 W TDP. The HD 8970M’s 0.4% lead over the RX Vega M GL and its 1% deficit to the RTX 5050 show that it remains competitive with much newer low-power options. But against the Quadro, it is simply out of its league.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 wins in every scenario where raw performance is required. Its fp32 compute of 11.15 TFLOPS dwarfs the HD 8970M’s 2.304 TFLOPS, making it suitable for scientific simulation, AI inference (with 384 tensor cores), and real-time ray tracing (with 48 RT cores). The 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth versus 153.6 GB/s is another clear win, enabling faster data movement for large textures or compute buffers. In any OpenCL or Vulkan workload, the Quadro’s 78999 and 92309 scores, respectively, indicate it is the clear choice.

The AMD Radeon HD 8970M’s wins are not in performance but in efficiency and form factor. It is a 100 W MXM module, meaning it is designed for laptops and compact systems, whereas the Quadro is a 230 W dual-slot card requiring a 550 W power supply. The HD 8970M has no power connector requirements listed, as it is portable-device dependent, making it a drop-in solution for mobile workstations of its era. In terms of raw benchmark wins, the data shows the Quadro RTX 5000 takes the sole head-to-head victory, but the HD 8970M wins on power consumption and physical size, making it the only practical option for a mobile chassis.

For users with legacy software that relies on older DirectX versions, the HD 8970M’s support for DirectX 12 (11_1) might be sufficient, but the Quadro RTX 5000’s PassMark DirectX 9 score of 195 and DirectX 11 score of 140 suggest it can handle older APIs as well. The Quadro also has a higher PassMark G2D score of 709, indicating better 2D desktop performance. Ultimately, the HD 8970M’s only advantage is its mobile form factor and lower power draw, which are not covered by benchmark scores but are critical for specific use cases.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 scores 78999, which is 272% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 8970M’s 21237.

Q: How does the average benchmark score of the Quadro RTX 5000 compare to the HD 8970M?

A: The Quadro RTX 5000 has an average benchmark score of 21629, while the HD 8970M has an average of 21237, making the Quadro 1.8% faster on average.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference between the two cards?

A: The Quadro RTX 5000 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the HD 8970M has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory.

Q: Which GPU supports newer graphics APIs?

A: The Quadro RTX 5000 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the HD 8970M supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: What is the TDP of each card?

A: The Quadro RTX 5000 has a TDP of 230 W, while the HD 8970M has a TDP of 100 W.

Q: How do the two compare in terms of their percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The Quadro RTX 5000 is in the 67th percentile, while the HD 8970M is in the 66th percentile.

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 is built on the TU104 chip using the Turing architecture, fabricated on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It contains 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 25.0M per mm². The architecture includes 3072 shading units, 192 texture mapping units (TMUs), 64 raster operations pipelines (ROPs), 48 RT cores for ray tracing, and 384 tensor cores for AI acceleration. Its clock speeds range from a base of 1620 MHz to a boost of 1815 MHz. The memory subsystem uses GDDR6 with a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s bandwidth.

The AMD Radeon HD 8970M is based on the Neptune chip using the older GCN 1.0 architecture, also fabricated at TSMC but on a 28 nm process. It has 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die, with a transistor density of 13.2M per mm². This chip features 1280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with no dedicated RT or tensor cores. Its base clock is 850 MHz, boosting to 900 MHz. The memory is GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, providing 153.6 GB/s bandwidth. The architectural differences are stark: the Quadro has 2.4 times the shading units, 2.4 times the TMUs, 2 times the ROPs, and nearly 3 times the memory bandwidth, all on a much newer process node.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every specification field. The Quadro RTX 5000 uses a 12 nm process and has 13,600 million transistors, while the HD 8970M uses a 28 nm process and has 2,800 million transistors. The die sizes are 545 mm² versus 212 mm², respectively. Clock speeds differ significantly: the Quadro has a base clock of 1620 MHz and boost of 1815 MHz, while the HD 8970M has 850 MHz base and 900 MHz boost. Memory capacity is 16 GB GDDR6 for the Quadro versus 4 GB GDDR5 for the AMD part, with bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s versus 153.6 GB/s.

The Quadro has 3072 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, while the HD 8970M has 1280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The Quadro includes 48 RT cores and 384 tensor cores, which the HD 8970M lacks entirely. Pixel rate is 116.2 GPixel/s versus 28.80 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 348.5 GTexel/s versus 72.00 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 11.15 TFLOPS versus 2.304 TFLOPS, and the Quadro adds FP16 support at 22.30 TFLOPS (2:1), which the HD 8970M does not have. The TDP is 230 W for the Quadro versus 100 W for the HD 8970M. The Quadro is dual-slot with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors, while the HD 8970M is an MXM module with no listed connectors. Display outputs differ: the Quadro has 4x DisplayPort 1.4a and 1x USB Type-C, while the HD 8970M’s outputs are portable-device dependent. The Quadro’s release date is 2018-08-12, while the HD 8970M’s is 2013-05-13.