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AMD Instinct MI210 vs AMD Radeon HD 7970: Comparison
What is the difference between Instinct MI210 and Radeon HD 7970?
Memory bandwidth is where these two genuinely part company, Instinct MI210 1600 GB/s against Radeon HD 7970 264 GB/s, a 84% lead for Instinct MI210. Add boost clock to that, 1700 MHz on the Instinct MI210 versus 925 MHz on the Radeon HD 7970, and the pattern holds. Instinct MI210 also leads on memory bus width, 4096 bit on the Instinct MI210 versus 384 bit on the Radeon HD 7970. Tdp runs the same way, 300 W on the Instinct MI210 versus 250 W on the Radeon HD 7970, another win for Radeon HD 7970.
Who each one is for
The Instinct MI210 is the one to take for double-precision workloads that don't need MI250X-level throughput, though it is not the pick for any desktop or workstation build - compute-only, no display output and maximum-throughput HPC nodes (use MI250X instead). It is equally the pick for HPC and AI deployments in standard PCIe-slot servers without OAM sled support. Buy the Radeon HD 7970 for buyers comparing AMD's official reference specifications and researching a chip before choosing a board-partner card, though it is not built for overclocking-focused enthusiasts (reference clocks only). It is not the one for buyers wanting a specific retail card with cooler and warranty details. Our rating of the Instinct MI210 (7.3/10): A practical, PCIe-slot-friendly way to get CDNA 2 compute into a standard server, useful for smaller HPC and AI deployments, but clearly the entry point of its generation next to the dual-die MI250X and now well behind the MI300 series.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Instinct MI210 and Radeon HD 7970 differ on board partner?
Yes. Board Partner reads AMD Reference on the Instinct MI210 versus AMD on the Radeon HD 7970.
Is the GPU Brand the same on the Instinct MI210 and Radeon HD 7970?
It is. Both are listed at AMD, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
GPU Brand
- AMD Instinct MI210
- AMD
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- AMD
Series
- AMD Instinct MI210
- Instinct MI200
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- Radeon HD 7000 Series
Board Partner
- AMD Instinct MI210
- AMD Reference (PCIe dual-slot card, data center/OEM only)
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- AMD (Reference)
Memory Type
- AMD Instinct MI210
- HBM2E
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- GDDR5Best
Boost Clock
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 1700 MHzBest
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- 925 MHz-46%
TDP
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 300 W-20%
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- 250 WBest
Architecture
- AMD Instinct MI210
- CDNA 2 (single Graphics Compute Die)
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- GCN
Process Node
- AMD Instinct MI210
- TSMC 6nm
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- Other
Memory Bus Width
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 4096 bitBest
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- 384 bit-91%
Memory Bandwidth
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 1600 GB/sBest
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- 264 GB/s-83%
Launch Date
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 2022-03
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- December 2011
Which one should you pick?
Choose AMD Instinct MI210 if you want the higher boost clock (1700 MHz vs 925 MHz), the higher memory bus width (4096 bit vs 384 bit) and the higher memory bandwidth (1600 GB/s vs 264 GB/s).
Choose AMD Radeon HD 7970 if you want the lower TDP (250 W vs 300 W).
Price comparison
| Retailer | AMD Instinct MI210 | AMD Radeon HD 7970 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | |
| Newegg | View on Newegg |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
AMD Instinct MI210
7.3 / 10 Expert Rating
A practical, PCIe-slot-friendly way to get CDNA 2 compute into a standard server, useful for smaller HPC and AI deployments, but clearly the entry point of its generation next to the dual-die MI250X and now well behind the MI300 series.