Iris Xe Graphics MAX vs Radeon HD 8970M
Aggregate performance score
We've compared Radeon HD 8970M with Iris Xe Graphics MAX, including specs and performance data.
HD 8970M outperforms Graphics MAX by a whopping 116% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Contents
Primary details
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
| Place in the ranking | 523 | 726 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Power efficiency | 7.19 | 13.34 |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) | Generation 12.1 (2020−2021) |
| GPU code name | Neptune | DG1 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Desktop |
| Release date | 14 May 2013 (13 years ago) | 31 October 2020 (5 years ago) |
Detailed specifications
General parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. Real power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially if overclocked.
| Pipelines / CUDA cores | 1280 | 768 |
| Core clock speed | 850 MHz | no data |
| Boost clock speed | 900 MHz | 1650 MHz |
| Number of transistors | 2,800 million | no data |
| Manufacturing process technology | 28 nm | 10 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 100 Watt | 25 Watt |
| Texture fill rate | 72.00 | 79.20 |
| Floating-point processing power | 2.304 TFLOPS | 2.534 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 32 | 24 |
| TMUs | 80 | 48 |
| L1 Cache | 320 KB | no data |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB | no data |
Form factor & compatibility
Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).
| Laptop size | large | no data |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x4 |
| Width | no data | IGP |
VRAM capacity and type
Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated video RAM and use a shared part of system RAM.
| Memory type | GDDR5 | LPDDR4X |
| Maximum RAM amount | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Memory bus width | 256 Bit | 128 Bit |
| Memory clock speed | 1200 MHz | 4.3 GB/s |
| Memory bandwidth | 153.6 GB/s | 68.26 GB/s |
| Shared memory | - | no data |
Connectivity and outputs
This section shows the types and number of video connectors on each GPU. The data applies specifically to desktop reference models (for example, NVIDIA’s Founders Edition). OEM partners often modify both the number and types of ports. On notebook GPUs, video‐output options are determined by the laptop’s design rather than the graphics chip itself.
| Display Connectors | No outputs | No outputs |
API and SDK support
List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
| DirectX | 12 (11_1) | 12 (12_1) |
| Shader Model | 5.1 | 6.4 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| OpenCL | 1.2 | 3.0 |
| Vulkan | 1.2.131 | 1.2 |
Synthetic benchmarks
Non-gaming benchmark results comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark score.
Passmark
This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.
Gaming performance
Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.
Average FPS across all PC games
Here are the average frames per second in a large set of popular games across different resolutions:
| Full HD | 53
+121%
| 24−27
−121%
|
FPS performance in popular games
Full HD
Low
| Counter-Strike 2 | 50−55
+138%
|
21−24
−138%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 18−20
+138%
|
8−9
−138%
|
| Palworld | 21−24
+120%
|
10−11
−120%
|
| Resident Evil 4 Remake | 18−20
+125%
|
8−9
−125%
|
Full HD
Medium
| Battlefield 5 | 40−45
+128%
|
18−20
−128%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 50−55
+138%
|
21−24
−138%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 18−20
+138%
|
8−9
−138%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 30−33
+150%
|
12−14
−150%
|
| Fortnite | 55−60
+133%
|
24−27
−133%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 40−45
+128%
|
18−20
−128%
|
| Palworld | 21−24
+120%
|
10−11
−120%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 30−35
+143%
|
14−16
−143%
|
| Valorant | 90−95
+125%
|
40−45
−125%
|
Full HD
High
| Battlefield 5 | 40−45
+128%
|
18−20
−128%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 50−55
+138%
|
21−24
−138%
|
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | 148
+128%
|
65−70
−128%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 18−20
+138%
|
8−9
−138%
|
| Dota 2 | 65−70
+127%
|
30−33
−127%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 30−33
+150%
|
12−14
−150%
|
| Fortnite | 55−60
+133%
|
24−27
−133%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 40−45
+128%
|
18−20
−128%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 39
+117%
|
18−20
−117%
|
| Metro Exodus | 18−20
+138%
|
8−9
−138%
|
| Palworld | 21−24
+120%
|
10−11
−120%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 30−35
+143%
|
14−16
−143%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 31
+121%
|
14−16
−121%
|
| Valorant | 90−95
+125%
|
40−45
−125%
|
Full HD
Ultra
| Battlefield 5 | 40−45
+128%
|
18−20
−128%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 18−20
+138%
|
8−9
−138%
|
| Dota 2 | 65−70
+127%
|
30−33
−127%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 30−33
+150%
|
12−14
−150%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 40−45
+128%
|
18−20
−128%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 30−35
+143%
|
14−16
−143%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 18
+125%
|
8−9
−125%
|
| Valorant | 90−95
+125%
|
40−45
−125%
|
Full HD
Epic
| Fortnite | 55−60
+133%
|
24−27
−133%
|
| Palworld | 21−24
+120%
|
10−11
−120%
|
1440p
High
| Counter-Strike 2 | 16−18
+143%
|
7−8
−143%
|
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | 70−75
+137%
|
30−33
−137%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 12−14
+140%
|
5−6
−140%
|
| Metro Exodus | 10−11
+150%
|
4−5
−150%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 45−50
+133%
|
21−24
−133%
|
| Valorant | 95−100
+138%
|
40−45
−138%
|
1440p
Ultra
| Battlefield 5 | 21−24
+130%
|
10−11
−130%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 8−9
+167%
|
3−4
−167%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 20−22
+122%
|
9−10
−122%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 21−24
+120%
|
10−11
−120%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 12−14
+117%
|
6−7
−117%
|
1440p
Epic
| Fortnite | 20−22
+122%
|
9−10
−122%
|
| Palworld | 12−14
+117%
|
6−7
−117%
|
4K
High
| Counter-Strike 2 | 4−5
+300%
|
1−2
−300%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 20−22
+122%
|
9−10
−122%
|
| Metro Exodus | 5−6
+150%
|
2−3
−150%
|
| Palworld | 6−7
+200%
|
2−3
−200%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 10−11
+150%
|
4−5
−150%
|
| Valorant | 40−45
+133%
|
18−20
−133%
|
4K
Ultra
| Battlefield 5 | 10−12
+120%
|
5−6
−120%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 4−5
+300%
|
1−2
−300%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 3−4
+200%
|
1−2
−200%
|
| Dota 2 | 35−40
+119%
|
16−18
−119%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 9−10
+125%
|
4−5
−125%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 16−18
+129%
|
7−8
−129%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 9−10
+125%
|
4−5
−125%
|
4K
Epic
| Fortnite | 9−10
+125%
|
4−5
−125%
|
| Palworld | 6−7
+200%
|
2−3
−200%
|
This is how HD 8970M and Iris Xe Graphics MAX compete in popular games:
- HD 8970M is 121% faster in 1080p
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 9.30 | 4.31 |
| Recency | 14 May 2013 | 31 October 2020 |
| Chip lithography | 28 nm | 10 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 100 Watt | 25 Watt |
HD 8970M has a 116% higher aggregate performance score.
Iris Xe Graphics MAX, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 7 years, a 180% more advanced lithography process, and 300% lower power consumption.
The Radeon HD 8970M is our recommended choice as it beats the Iris Xe Graphics MAX in performance tests.
Be aware that Radeon HD 8970M is a notebook graphics card while Iris Xe Graphics MAX is a desktop one.
Other comparisons
We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.
