GTX 680 Max-Q vs HD 7870
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | GTX 680 Max-Q | HD 7870 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 794 | 896 | -11.4% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 25 | 25 | — |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 13 | 13 | — |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 6 | 7 | -14.3% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 2.3 | 2.6 | -11.3% |
| VRAM | 2 GB GDDR5 | 2 GB GDDR5 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 224 | 224 | — |
| TDP (W) | 87 | 175 | — |
- GTX 680 Max-Q averages 13 fps at 1440p versus 13 fps — about 0% faster.
- GTX 680 Max-Q draws less power (87W vs 175W).
Verdict: GTX 680 Max-Q or HD 7870?
GTX 680 Max-Q advantages
- Power efficiency (+50%)
HD 7870 advantages
- 4K gaming (+14%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+11%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the GTX 680 Max-Q if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
- Choose the HD 7870 if you game at 4K or drive a high-resolution display.
GTX 680 Max-Q vs HD 7870: which should you choose?
GTX 680 Max-Q — NVIDIA laptop graphics card (2012, Kepler) with 2 GB of GDDR5, averaging 13 fps at 1440p.
HD 7870 — AMD desktop graphics card (2012, GCN 1.0) with 2 GB of GDDR5, averaging 13 fps at 1440p; launched at $349.
GTX 680 Max-Q vs HD 7870: GTX 680 Max-Q is faster for gaming. GTX 680 Max-Q averages 13 fps at 1440p versus 13 fps — about 0% faster. GTX 680 Max-Q draws less power (87W vs 175W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the GTX 680 Max-Q averages 13 fps against 13. At 4K (6 vs 7 fps) VRAM (2GB vs 2GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 87 W versus 175 W, which affects PSU headroom, case cooling and noise.
The verdict
Both are credible choices in the graphics card comparison space; the specification table above lays out every metric so you can weigh the trade-offs that matter to you. Pick the one whose strengths line up with how you will actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GTX 680 Max-Q better than the HD 7870?
HD 7870 takes the overall edge, though GTX 680 Max-Q wins in specific areas worth weighing. GTX 680 Max-Q averages 13 fps at 1440p versus 13 fps — about 0% faster.
What is the main difference between the GTX 680 Max-Q and the HD 7870?
GTX 680 Max-Q averages 13 fps at 1440p versus 13 fps — about 0% faster. GTX 680 Max-Q draws less power (87W vs 175W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the GTX 680 Max-Q if you want lower power draw, heat and noise. Choose the HD 7870 if you game at 4K or drive a high-resolution display.
Methodology
Graphics cards are compared on 3DMark Time Spy scores, average gaming frame rates at 1080p/1440p/4K, FP32 compute throughput, VRAM capacity and type, memory bandwidth, board power (TDP) and launch MSRP — plus AI workload throughput (Stable Diffusion iterations/s and local LLM tokens/s) where measured. Vintage and server GPUs without modern benchmark results are compared on specifications only, clearly labelled. Frame rates are averages across a game suite at high settings; specific titles vary.