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.

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

2011

Why buy it

✅Costs $849 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 574.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 37.6 vs 5.6 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Draws 50W instead of 375W, a 325W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 305mm, a 304mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7990 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2011-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Radeon HD 7990

2013

Why buy it

✅53.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
566% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.6 vs 37.6 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌650% higher power demand at 375W vs 50W.

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

2011

Radeon HD 7990

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $849 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 574.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 37.6 vs 5.6 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Draws 50W instead of 375W, a 325W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 305mm, a 304mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅53.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7990 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2011-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
566% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.6 vs 37.6 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌650% higher power demand at 375W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon HD 7990 better than Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire?

Yes. Radeon HD 7990 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 53.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 1.3% higher PassMark G3D performance. It also comes from 2013 instead of 2011, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

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

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more VRAM at 4 GB instead of 3 GB. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

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

Radeon HD 7990 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon HD 7990 is about 566.0% more expensive on MSRP at $999 MSRP versus $150 MSRP, and you are getting 53.9% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and a lower G3D Mark (5,566 vs 5,637). Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire make more sense than Radeon HD 7990?

Yes. Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is lower power draw (50W vs 375W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $150 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon HD 7990. The trade-off is that Radeon HD 7990 currently gives you a lower G3D Mark (5,566 vs 5,637) and 53.9% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

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.

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 7990 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire	Radeon HD 7990
1080p
low	39 FPS	77 FPS
medium	33 FPS	63 FPS
high	23 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	33 FPS
1440p
low	32 FPS	65 FPS
medium	24 FPS	54 FPS
high	15 FPS	38 FPS
ultra	10 FPS	24 FPS
4K
low	11 FPS	24 FPS
medium	10 FPS	23 FPS
high	6 FPS	14 FPS
ultra	5 FPS	12 FPS

Open Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire Open Radeon HD 7990

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire	Radeon HD 7990
1080p
low	61 FPS	143 FPS
medium	40 FPS	118 FPS
high	30 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	19 FPS	71 FPS
1440p
low	35 FPS	88 FPS
medium	20 FPS	66 FPS
high	14 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	10 FPS	37 FPS
4K
low	12 FPS	37 FPS
medium	7 FPS	28 FPS
high	6 FPS	21 FPS
ultra	4 FPS	16 FPS

Open Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire Open Radeon HD 7990

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire	Radeon HD 7990
1080p
low	254 FPS	250 FPS
medium	203 FPS	200 FPS
high	169 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	127 FPS	125 FPS
1440p
low	190 FPS	188 FPS
medium	152 FPS	150 FPS
high	127 FPS	125 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	94 FPS
4K
low	127 FPS	125 FPS
medium	101 FPS	100 FPS
high	85 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	61 FPS	63 FPS

Open Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire Open Radeon HD 7990

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire	Radeon HD 7990
1080p
low	109 FPS	145 FPS
medium	85 FPS	116 FPS
high	58 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	83 FPS
1440p
low	67 FPS	107 FPS
medium	49 FPS	87 FPS
high	36 FPS	75 FPS
ultra	25 FPS	58 FPS
4K
low	35 FPS	63 FPS
medium	25 FPS	48 FPS
high	19 FPS	38 FPS
ultra	13 FPS	26 FPS

Open Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire Open Radeon HD 7990

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire and Radeon HD 7990

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 6 2011. It features the Terascale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 680 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,637 points.

Radeon HD 7990

The Radeon HD 7990 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 950 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 2048 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,566 points. Launch price was $999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire scores 5,637 and the Radeon HD 7990 reaches 5,566 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is built on Terascale 2 while the Radeon HD 7990 uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,920 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7990).

Feature	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire	Radeon HD 7990
G3D Mark Score	5,637+1%	5,566
Architecture	Terascale 2	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1920	2048 ×2+7%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire	Radeon HD 7990
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7990 has 3 GB. The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 115.2 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire) vs 288 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 7990) — a 2401.3% advantage for the Radeon HD 7990. Bus width: 256-bit x2 vs 384-bit x2.

Feature	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire	Radeon HD 7990
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+33%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	115.2 GB/s x2	288 GB/s x2+150%
Bus Width	256-bit x2	384-bit x2+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11_0 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7990). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 5.

Feature	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire	Radeon HD 7990
DirectX	11_0	12 (11_1)+9%
Max Displays	0	5

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: UVD 3 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7990). Decoder: UVD 3 vs UVD 3.2.

Feature	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire	Radeon HD 7990
Encoder	UVD 3	VCE 1.0
Decoder	UVD 3	UVD 3.2
Codecs	—	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire draws 50W versus the Radeon HD 7990's 375W — a 152.9% difference. The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire) vs 750W (Radeon HD 7990). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 1mm vs 305mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.

Feature	Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire	Radeon HD 7990
TDP	50W-87%	375W
Recommended PSU	350W-53%	750W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	1mm	305mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	—	85
Perf/Watt	112.7+661%	14.8

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire launched at $150 MSRP, while the Radeon HD 7990 launched at $999. The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire costs 85% less ($849 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 37.6 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire) vs 5.6 (Radeon HD 7990) — the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire offers 571.4% better value. The Radeon HD 7990 is the newer GPU (2013 vs 2011).