GeForce MX450 vs Radeon HD 7970M

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce MX450

2020

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 14.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon HD 7970M: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon HD 7970M is already obsolete for modern gaming.
✅Draws 25W instead of 100W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 2 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Radeon HD 7970M

2012

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 14.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
❌300% higher power demand at 100W vs 25W.

GeForce MX450

2020

Radeon HD 7970M

2012

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 14.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon HD 7970M: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon HD 7970M is already obsolete for modern gaming.
✅Draws 25W instead of 100W, a 75W reduction.

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 2 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 14.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
❌300% higher power demand at 100W vs 25W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce MX450 better than Radeon HD 7970M?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 3,720 vs 3,663 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce MX450 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack, plus much lower power draw (25W vs 100W).

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce MX450 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2012, the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling, and a 12nm process instead of 28nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce MX450 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $250 MSRP. GeForce MX450 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce MX450 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $250 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 1.6% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $250 MSRP gets you newer hardware, lower power draw (25W vs 100W), and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Is Radeon HD 7970M still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon HD 7970M is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below an unclear MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. GeForce MX450 is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with newer hardware and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce MX450 Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 7970M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce MX450	Radeon HD 7970M
1080p
low	90 FPS	81 FPS
medium	80 FPS	69 FPS
high	63 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	36 FPS
1440p
low	80 FPS	71 FPS
medium	68 FPS	61 FPS
high	52 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	39 FPS	25 FPS
medium	37 FPS	24 FPS
high	25 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	22 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce MX450 Open Radeon HD 7970M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce MX450	Radeon HD 7970M
1080p
low	125 FPS	150 FPS
medium	92 FPS	112 FPS
high	65 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	54 FPS
1440p
low	82 FPS	102 FPS
medium	56 FPS	71 FPS
high	41 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	39 FPS
4K
low	36 FPS	51 FPS
medium	27 FPS	37 FPS
high	21 FPS	29 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	20 FPS

Open GeForce MX450 Open Radeon HD 7970M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce MX450	Radeon HD 7970M
1080p
low	167 FPS	165 FPS
medium	134 FPS	132 FPS
high	112 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	82 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	124 FPS
medium	100 FPS	99 FPS
high	84 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	63 FPS	62 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	82 FPS
medium	67 FPS	66 FPS
high	56 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	41 FPS

Open GeForce MX450 Open Radeon HD 7970M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce MX450	Radeon HD 7970M
1080p
low	167 FPS	144 FPS
medium	134 FPS	114 FPS
high	112 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	80 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	104 FPS
medium	100 FPS	85 FPS
high	84 FPS	73 FPS
ultra	63 FPS	56 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	61 FPS
medium	67 FPS	46 FPS
high	56 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	25 FPS

Open GeForce MX450 Open Radeon HD 7970M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce MX450 and Radeon HD 7970M

GeForce MX450

The GeForce MX450 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 1 2020. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1395 MHz to 1575 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,720 points.

Radeon HD 7970M

The Radeon HD 7970M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,663 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce MX450 scores 3,720 and the Radeon HD 7970M reaches 3,663 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce MX450 is built on Turing while the Radeon HD 7970M uses GCN 1.0, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 896 (GeForce MX450) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 7970M). Raw compute: 3.226 TFLOPS (GeForce MX450) vs 2.176 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970M).

Feature	GeForce MX450	Radeon HD 7970M
G3D Mark Score	3,720+2%	3,663
Architecture	Turing	GCN 1.0
Process Node	12 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	896	1280+43%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.226 TFLOPS+48%	2.176 TFLOPS
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	64	80+25%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce MX450 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon HD 7970M relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce MX450	Radeon HD 7970M
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce MX450 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7970M has 4 GB. The Radeon HD 7970M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs System.

Feature	GeForce MX450	Radeon HD 7970M
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR6	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	80 GB/s	System
Bus Width	64-bit	System

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce MX450 draws 25W versus the Radeon HD 7970M's 100W — a 120% difference. The GeForce MX450 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce MX450) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7970M). Power connectors: Mobile vs 1x 6-pin.