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AMD Instinct MI250 vs AMD Radeon HD 7970: Comparison
What is the difference between Instinct MI250 and Radeon HD 7970?
Memory bandwidth is where these two genuinely part company, Instinct MI250 3200 GB/s against Radeon HD 7970 264 GB/s, a 92% lead for Instinct MI250. Tdp runs the same way, 500 W on the Instinct MI250 versus 250 W on the Radeon HD 7970, another win for Radeon HD 7970. Add boost clock to that, 1700 MHz on the Instinct MI250 versus 925 MHz on the Radeon HD 7970, and the pattern holds. Instinct MI250 also leads on memory bus width, 8192 bit on the Instinct MI250 versus 384 bit on the Radeon HD 7970. They differ on product type too, Datacenter Accelerator on the Instinct MI250 versus Desktop Add-In Card on the Radeon HD 7970. They differ on board partner too, Reference on the Instinct MI250 versus AMD on the Radeon HD 7970. They differ on architecture too, CDNA2 on the Instinct MI250 versus GCN on the Radeon HD 7970.
Instinct MI250 vs Radeon HD 7970: which one fits your build
The Instinct MI250 is the one to take 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). Avoid it for buyers wanting a specific retail card with cooler and warranty details. 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 the wrong buy for overclocking-focused enthusiasts (reference clocks only). It is the wrong buy for buyers wanting a specific retail card with cooler and warranty details.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Instinct MI250 and Radeon HD 7970 differ on vram capacity?
Yes. VRAM Capacity reads 128 GB on the Instinct MI250 versus 3 GB on the Radeon HD 7970.
Is the GPU Brand the same on the Instinct MI250 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 MI250
- AMD
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- AMD
Product Type
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Datacenter Accelerator
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- Desktop Add-In Card
Series
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Instinct
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- Radeon HD 7000 Series
Board Partner
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Reference
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- AMD (Reference)
Memory Type
- AMD Instinct MI250
- HBM2E
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- GDDR5Best
Boost Clock
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 1700 MHzBest
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- 925 MHz-46%
TDP
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 500 W-100%
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- 250 WBest
Architecture
- AMD Instinct MI250
- CDNA2
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- GCN
Process Node
- AMD Instinct MI250
- TSMC 6nm FinFET
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- Other
Shader Units
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 13312
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- 2048
VRAM Capacity
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 128 GBBest
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- 3 GB
Memory Bus Width
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 8192 bitBest
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- 384 bit-95%
Memory Bandwidth
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 3200 GB/sBest
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- 264 GB/s-92%
Launch Date
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 11/08/2021
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- December 2011
Form Factor
- AMD Instinct MI250
- OAM Module
- AMD Radeon HD 7970
- Component
Which one should you pick?
Choose AMD Instinct MI250 if you want the higher boost clock (1700 MHz vs 925 MHz), the higher memory bus width (8192 bit vs 384 bit) and the higher memory bandwidth (3200 GB/s vs 264 GB/s).
Choose AMD Radeon HD 7970 if you want the lower TDP (250 W vs 500 W).
Price comparison
| Retailer | AMD Instinct MI250 | 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.