AMD Radeon RX 470
Also called amd radeon rx 470, radeon rx 470
AMD Radeon RX 400 Series desktop graphics card on GCN, with 4 GB GDDR5 at 120 W board power.
What you need to know
AMD Radeon RX 470 is a desktop gpu with a thin public spec record.
AMD Radeon RX 470 launched in August 4, 2016. 4 GB GDDR5 is the frame buffer on the reference sheet. Treat the spec table as the facts. Missing fields stay Unknown.
- Still good?
- Only if the workload is light
- Product age
- 10 years old
- Upgrade pressure
- Moderate
What this hardware means today
Age and usefulness are not the same number. This page keeps them separate.
- Performance today
- Average. Average for the class. Resolution and settings still win.
- Product age 10 years old
- Legacy. Launched August 4, 2016. Newer series exist. That does not make this card unusable by itself.
- Support status
- Supported. Current AMD Software packages still cover this generation unless the vendor has retired it.
- Upgrade pressure
- Moderate. Upgrade pressure comes from VRAM-heavy games first, not from the card being unusable.
Where does it sit?
GCN sits on the recent Radeon RX timeline. Partner cards can change coolers, connectors, and clocks.
Performance context
These are qualitative readings, not a fake 8.7 out of 10. Resolution, settings, and the CPU still win.
1080p gaming: Average
More GPU than most 1080p setups need if this card is in the current or previous generation.
1440p gaming: Average
Settings may need to drop before 1440p feels smooth.
4K gaming: Limited
Native 4K is where memory size and the memory bus show up. Upscaling changes the picture.
Creator work: Good
Light GPU acceleration is fine. Large video timelines will ask for more memory.
Efficiency: Excellent
The sheet lists 120 W board power. Partner cards can differ.
Should you upgrade?
Probably not if the card is not the bottleneck.
Upgrade makes more sense if
- You play at native 4K and the frame buffer is the limit
- Current games are GPU-bound at your resolution and settings
- You need current-generation features this card does not have
- Your present GPU is a much older generation and this would be a real step up
Upgrade makes less sense if
- You already play at a resolution this card can feed
- The CPU, RAM, or storage is what actually stalls the machine
- You are shopping for a newer card in the same class to fix a software or driver problem
Specifications
Figures below follow AMD's public reference sheet. Partner cards can raise clocks and change coolers, connectors, and outputs. The Feex Hardware Database fills fields the vendor page does not publish. Fields without a recorded value are omitted.
Graphics processor
AMD Radeon RX 470 is built on GCN.
| Manufacturer | AMD |
|---|---|
| Family | Radeon RX 400 Series |
| Architecture | GCN |
| Integrated | No |
| Mobile | No |
| Workstation | No |
| Segment | Desktop |
Shader configuration
AMD Radeon RX 470 lists 2048 shading units on this sheet.
| Shading units | 2048 |
|---|---|
| Compute units | 32 |
Clock speeds
Base clock is 0.93 GHz. Boost reaches 1.21 GHz.
| Base clock | 0.93 GHz |
|---|---|
| Boost clock | 1.21 GHz |
Memory
AMD Radeon RX 470 addresses 4 GB.
| Memory type | GDDR5 |
|---|---|
| Memory size | 4 GB |
| Memory interface | 256-bit |
| Memory bandwidth | 211 GB/s |
Power and board
AMD Radeon RX 470 lists 120 W board power.
| Board power | 120 W |
|---|---|
| Recommended system power | 450 W (vendor system guidance) |
Market
AMD Radeon RX 470 launched August 4, 2016.
| Launch date | August 4, 2016 |
|---|
Compatibility
| Slot | PCI Express x16. Check the exact link rate on the board. |
|---|---|
| Power | 120 W on the sheet. The power plug is a partner-card detail. |
| Case | Length, thickness, and slot count vary by partner cooler. Measure the case, not the SKU name. |
| PSU | 450 W (vendor system guidance) |
The SKU name is not a cooler, a length, or a power plug. Read the exact partner card before you buy or install.
Seat power connectors fully. A loose high-power plug can overheat. That is a connector problem, not a reason to assume the GPU is dead.
Driver packages from a previous GPU are a common crash source. Clean-install the current vendor package before you replace hardware.
No display after install
Plug the monitor into the GPU outputs, not the motherboard, unless this is an integrated part. A black screen with fans spinning is often a power plug, a seated PCIe card, or the display cable.
Driver installs, then games crash
Use the vendor package that matches this generation. A leftover driver from a previous GPU is a common cause.
Sources and verification
Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Partially Verified. How we research.
- AMD specifications · Primary specification source
- Feex Hardware Database · Secondary specification source. CC BY 4.0.
- Photo: Fritzchens Fritz from Berlin · CC0
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