The AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition stands as a powerful graphics card that pushed boundaries in its time. Released in 2012, this high-end GPU aimed to reclaim AMD’s top spot in the graphics market. It featured a boosted core clock of 1000 MHz and faster 6 GHz memory, offering improved performance over its predecessor.
Built on the Tahiti architecture, this card brought significant enhancements to gaming and compute capabilities. You could expect better frame rates in demanding titles and improved performance in tasks utilizing DirectCompute. The 7970 GHz Edition also supported advanced features like Global Illumination, elevating visual quality in supported games.
When choosing a graphics card, consider how the 7970 GHz Edition compares to its rivals. While newer models have since surpassed it, this GPU marked an important milestone in AMD’s lineup. Let’s look at some key specs:
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Core Clock | 1000 MHz |
| Memory | 3 GB GDDR5 |
| Memory Clock | 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) |
| Stream Processors | 2048 |
| TDP | 250 W |
Technical Specifications
The AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition boasts impressive hardware capabilities. Its advanced architecture delivers high performance for gaming and graphics-intensive tasks. The card’s memory configuration and power management features further enhance its capabilities.
GPU Architecture and Processing Power
The AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition uses the Tahiti XT2 graphics processor based on the GCN 1.0 architecture. It’s built on a 28 nm process, allowing for improved efficiency and performance.
This GPU features:
- 2048 shading units
- 128 texture mapping units
- 32 ROPs (Render Output Units)
The core clock speed is 1000 MHz, with a boost clock of 1050 MHz. This provides ample processing power for demanding games and applications.
For compute tasks, the card supports DirectX 12, though at feature level 11_1. It also offers strong FP64 (double precision) performance, making it suitable for certain professional applications.
Memory Configuration
The Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition comes equipped with 3,072 MB of GDDR5 memory. This generous amount of VRAM is crucial for handling high-resolution textures and complex 3D scenes.
Key memory specs include:
- Memory clock: 1500 MHz (6000 MHz effective)
- Memory interface: 384-bit
- Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s
This configuration allows for smooth performance at high resolutions, including 1440p gaming. The wide memory interface and high bandwidth ensure quick data access for the GPU.
Power Management and Output
The HD 7970 GHz Edition incorporates AMD’s PowerTune technology for efficient power management. This helps optimize performance while keeping power consumption in check.
Power-related specifications:
- TDP (Thermal Design Power): 250W
- Recommended power supply: 500W
- Power connectors: 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin
For display outputs, you get:
- 1x HDMI 1.4a
- 2x Mini-DisplayPort 1.2
- 1x DVI
The card supports PCI-Express 3.0 x16 for maximum bandwidth. Its dual-slot design requires adequate space in your PC case.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| GPU | Tahiti XT2 (GCN 1.0) |
| Process | 28 nm |
| Shaders | 2048 |
| Base Clock | 1000 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1050 MHz |
| Memory | 3 GB GDDR5 |
| Memory Clock | 1500 MHz (6000 MHz effective) |
| Memory Interface | 384-bit |
| TDP | 250W |
These specs make the Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition a powerful choice for gaming and graphics work, offering strong performance at its time of release.
Performance and Benchmarks
The AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition offers impressive performance improvements over its predecessor. It competes fiercely with NVIDIA’s high-end offerings in both gaming and compute tasks.
Comparison with Competitors
The Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition battles for the single-GPU performance crown against NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 680. It boasts higher theoretical performance numbers in several areas. The card’s memory clock speeds reach 1500 MHz, a significant boost from the original HD 7970.
In pixel and texture fill rates, the 7970 GHz Edition excels. It delivers up to 4.3 TFLOPS of compute power, outpacing many competitors. Benchmark results show it trading blows with the GTX 680 in popular games like Crysis 2.
Gaming and Compute Potential
The 7970 GHz Edition shines in both gaming and compute tasks. It supports DirectX 12 feature level 11_1, ensuring compatibility with modern games. The card also performs well in 3DMark benchmarks, often surpassing the GTX 680.
For compute workloads, it offers strong OpenCL performance. This makes it suitable for tasks beyond gaming. The card supports Vulkan 1.2.170 and Shader Model 6.5, future-proofing it for upcoming applications.
Overclocking potential adds to its appeal. Many users report achieving stable overclocks, further boosting performance in demanding scenarios.
| Feature | Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition | GeForce GTX 680 |
|---|---|---|
| Core Clock | 1000 MHz | 1006 MHz |
| Memory Clock | 1500 MHz | 1502 MHz |
| Texture Rate | 182.4 GTexel/s | 128.8 GTexel/s |
| TFLOPS | 4.3 | 3.1 |
Software and Technologies
The AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition comes with powerful software and technologies. These enhance performance and offer advanced features for gamers and content creators.
Driver Support and Software Features
AMD provides regular driver updates for the Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition. The Radeon Software suite offers a range of features to optimize your gaming experience. You can use Radeon Capture to record and stream gameplay. The software also includes tools for overclocking and fan control.
The GPU supports DirectCompute and OpenCL 2.1 for improved parallel processing. This enables better performance in tasks like global illumination and video encoding. OpenGL 4.6 support ensures compatibility with a wide range of graphics applications.
PCI-Express 3.0 interface allows for faster data transfer between the GPU and other components. This reduces bottlenecks and improves overall system performance.
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Radeon Capture | Record and stream gameplay |
| Overclocking Tools | Fine-tune GPU performance |
| DirectCompute/OpenCL | Enhanced parallel processing |
| OpenGL 4.6 | Wide software compatibility |
| PCI-Express 3.0 | Faster data transfer |
These software features and technologies make the Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition a versatile choice for gaming and content creation tasks.
Frequently Asked Questions
The AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition offers high-end graphics performance for its time. It features improved clock speeds and memory bandwidth over the standard 7970 model.
What are the specifications of the AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition?
The AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition has a core clock speed of 1000 MHz with a boost frequency of 1050 MHz. It uses GDDR5 memory clocked at 1500 MHz (6000 MHz effective).
The card has 3 GB of memory on a 384-bit bus. This provides a memory bandwidth of 288 GB/s.
How does the AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition perform in benchmarks?
Benchmark results show the 7970 GHz Edition outperforming its predecessor in many tests. It nearly doubles the performance of the standard 7970 in LuxMark 2.0, which uses the LuxRender ray tracing engine.
The card also competes well against NVIDIA’s high-end offerings from the same time period. Its improved clock speeds help it regain ground in gaming benchmarks.
What is the price range for the AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition?
At launch, the AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition was priced as a premium graphics card. Exact pricing varied by manufacturer and region.
Today, you can find used models for much less on the secondary market. Prices fluctuate based on availability and demand for older cards.
Can the AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition be used for modern gaming?
While capable for its time, the 7970 GHz Edition struggles with newer, demanding games at high settings. It lacks support for newer graphics APIs and features.
You can still use it for older titles or less intensive modern games at lower settings. For the latest AAA releases, a more current GPU is recommended.
What is the release date of the AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition?
AMD launched the Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition on June 22, 2012. This was about six months after the release of the original HD 7970.
The GHz Edition was AMD’s response to NVIDIA’s competing high-end graphics cards of that generation.
What is the maximum display resolution supported by the Radeon HD 7970?
The AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition supports a maximum resolution of 2560×1600 pixels. This allows for high-resolution gaming on monitors of that era.
It can also handle multi-monitor setups for an expanded desktop workspace or surround gaming experiences.
