AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 Comparison

The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 occupy the same percentile rank (39th) among all GPUs, yet their average benchmark scores tell a story of near-equivalence in aggregate—7203 for the Vega 8 Mobile versus 7157 for the GTX 970. However, the head-to-head benchmark data reveals a stark divergence in raw compute performance, with the GTX 970 dominating the two shared tests by wide margins. This analysis walks through the specific numbers, interprets what they mean for real-world workloads, and breaks down where each part's architectural choices lead to distinct strengths.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two available head-to-head comparisons are both Geekbench compute tests, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 wins both decisively. In Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 970 scores 29,982 against the Vega 8 Mobile's 7,435, a delta of -75.2% from the AMD part's perspective. That means the GTX 970 delivers roughly four times the raw OpenCL throughput. The gap narrows somewhat in Geekbench Vulkan, where the GTX 970 posts 20,005 versus 6,970 for the Vega 8 Mobile, a -65.2% deficit. Even in the closer test, the NVIDIA part still achieves nearly three times the score.

These deltas are massive, but the context matters. The Vega 8 Mobile is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 25 W TDP, while the GTX 970 is a dual-slot discrete card with a 148 W TDP and two 6-pin power connectors. The GTX 970's advantage in shading units (1664 versus 512), texture mapping units (104 versus 32), and raster output pipelines (56 versus 8) directly explains the compute gap. Its pixel rate of 65.97 GPixel/s and texture rate of 122.5 GTexel/s dwarf the Vega 8 Mobile's 8.808 GPixel/s and 35.23 GTexel/s.

Interestingly, the average benchmark scores nearly cancel out: the Vega 8 Mobile's average is 7203, while the GTX 970's is 7157. The nearestRivals data shows the GTX 970 is actually 0.6% behind the Vega 8 Mobile in average score, and 0.9% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750. This suggests that in a broader benchmark suite—covering DirectX, PassMark, and Metal tests—the GTX 970's lead in compute-heavy workloads is offset by other factors. The GTX 970 has 11 separate benchmark entries, including PassMark DirectX 9 (143), DirectX 11 (71), and DirectX 12 (41) scores, plus a PassMark G3D score of 9638. The Vega 8 Mobile only has two Geekbench entries, so its average is computed from a narrower set.

The head-to-head wins stand at 2 for the GTX 970 and 0 for the Vega 8 Mobile. No single test in the head-to-head set favors the AMD part. However, the deltaPct values from the nearestRivals lists indicate that the Vega 8 Mobile edges out the GTX 970 in overall average, which implies the GTX 970's dominance is specific to Geekbench's OpenCL and Vulkan workloads rather than universal.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the data, the GTX 970 wins every head-to-head benchmark category. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 29,982 is over four times higher than the Vega 8 Mobile's 7,435, making it the clear choice for OpenCL compute tasks. Similarly, its Geekbench Vulkan score of 20,005 is nearly three times the Vega 8 Mobile's 6,970, indicating strong Vulkan API performance. The GTX 970 also has a much wider benchmark portfolio, covering DirectX 9 through 12, PassMark G2D and G3D, and GPU compute tests. Its PassMark G3D score of 9638 and PassMark GPU compute score of 4073 provide evidence of solid general-purpose 3D rendering and compute performance. The GTX 970's Geekbench Metal score of 13,595 is notable, though the Vega 8 Mobile has no Metal benchmark listed, so direct comparison is impossible.

The Vega 8 Mobile, despite losing both head-to-head tests, has its own qualitative wins. As an IGP with "System Shared" memory and "System Dependent" bandwidth, it requires no power connectors and fits in a portable device form factor. Its TDP of 25 W is dramatically lower than the GTX 970's 148 W, making it suited for thin-and-light systems where power draw and heat are constrained. The Vega 8 Mobile's transistor density of 23.5M / mm² on a 14 nm process (from GlobalFoundries) is notably higher than the GTX 970's 13.1M / mm² on a 28 nm process (from TSMC), indicating a more modern manufacturing node. Its FP16 throughput of 2.255 TFLOPS (2:1) is listed, while the GTX 970 has no FP16 figure, giving the AMD part a theoretical advantage in half-precision workloads—though no benchmark in the pack confirms this.

The nearestRivals data adds nuance. The Vega 8 Mobile's closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750, has an average score of 7222, just 0.3% higher. The GTX 970's closest rival, the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580, scores 7170, which is 0.2% higher. Both parts sit in a tight cluster where a few points separate them from their peers, so neither has a dominant aggregate advantage.

The Verdict

From the data, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 is the superior performer in every head-to-head benchmark. If the workload is OpenCL or Vulkan compute, the GTX 970 wins by margins of 75.2% and 65.2% respectively. Its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 224.4 GB/s bandwidth (versus the Vega 8 Mobile's system-shared memory) provides a massive memory bandwidth advantage that explains much of the compute gap. The GTX 970 also offers a broader feature set in terms of display outputs (1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2) and a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, whereas the Vega 8 Mobile's display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent" and its bus interface is IGP.

However, the verdict is not one-sided. The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile wins on efficiency and integration. Its 25 W TDP is 123 W lower than the GTX 970's 148 W, and it requires no power connectors or suggested PSU (the GTX 970 lists a suggested PSU of 300 W). The Vega 8 Mobile is an end-of-life part released in 2019, while the GTX 970 is also end-of-life but released in 2014—a five-year gap that shows in the process node (14 nm versus 28 nm) and transistor density. For a system builder prioritizing low power draw and compactness, the Vega 8 Mobile is the only viable choice from the data. For anyone needing raw compute throughput, the GTX 970 is the clear pick, despite its higher power and physical footprint (267 mm length, 111 mm height, 40 mm width versus the IGP's slot-less design).

The average benchmark scores are nearly identical (7203 versus 7157), so in a broad mix of workloads the two parts are statistically comparable. But the head-to-head tests are unambiguous: the GTX 970 dominates compute. The Vega 8 Mobile's only wins are qualitative—power, size, and manufacturing efficiency—not numerical performance.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 scores 29,982 in Geekbench OpenCL, compared to 7,435 for the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile, a difference of -75.2% from the AMD part's perspective.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare between the two?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 7203, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 averages 7157. The GTX 970 is 0.6% behind the Vega 8 Mobile in this metric.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile has a TDP of 25 W, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 has a TDP of 148 W, making the GTX 970 significantly more power-hungry.

Q: Does the GTX 970 support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 lists Vulkan 1.4 support and scores 20,005 in Geekbench Vulkan. The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile lists Vulkan 1.3 support and scores 6,970.

Q: What memory configuration does each GPU use?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 uses 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 224.4 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 has 1664 shading units, compared to 512 for the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile. The GTX 970 also has 104 texture mapping units and 56 ROPs, versus 32 and 8 respectively.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile uses the GCN 5.0 architecture on a chip called Raven-M, part of the Vega IGP generation (Raven Ridge-M). It is built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries with 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 23.5M / mm². The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 uses the Maxwell 2.0 architecture on the GM204 chip, part of the GeForce 900 generation. It is built on a 28 nm process at TSMC with 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die, yielding a lower transistor density of 13.1M / mm². The Vega 8 Mobile's FP32 throughput is 1,127.4 GFLOPS, while the GTX 970's FP32 throughput is 3.920 TFLOPS. The Vega 8 Mobile has an FP16 rate of 2.255 TFLOPS (2:1), but the GTX 970 lists no FP16 figure.

Both support DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6. The Vega 8 Mobile lists Vulkan 1.3, while the GTX 970 lists Vulkan 1.4. Neither has ray tracing cores or tensor cores. The Vega 8 Mobile's predecessor is GCN 3.0 IGP and its successor is Navi II IGP; the GTX 970's predecessor is GeForce 700 and its successor is GeForce 10. The GTX 970's memory clock is listed as 1753 MHz with 7 Gbps effective, while the Vega 8 Mobile's memory clock is "System Shared." The GTX 970 has a pixel rate of 65.97 GPixel/s and texture rate of 122.5 GTexel/s, compared to 8.808 GPixel/s and 35.23 GTexel/s for the Vega 8 Mobile.

Specification Differences

The key specification differences are stark. The Vega 8 Mobile has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 8 ROPs; the GTX 970 has 1664 shading units, 104 TMUs, and 56 ROPs. The Vega 8 Mobile's base clock is 300 MHz with a boost of 1101 MHz; the GTX 970's base clock is 1050 MHz with a boost of 1178 MHz. Memory differs fundamentally: the Vega 8 Mobile uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth, while the GTX 970 uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 224.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 8 Mobile has a TDP of 25 W and no power connectors; the GTX 970 has a TDP of 148 W and requires 2x 6-pin power connectors plus a suggested PSU of 300 W. The Vega 8 Mobile is an IGP with a bus interface of IGP; the GTX 970 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs differ: the Vega 8 Mobile's are Portable Device Dependent, while the GTX 970 offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.2. The GTX 970 has physical dimensions of 267 mm length, 111 mm height, and 40 mm width, while the Vega 8 Mobile has no listed dimensions. The launch MSRP for the GTX 970 is 329 USD; the Vega 8 Mobile has no launch MSRP listed.