AMD Radeon 540 vs AMD Radeon HD 7730M Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits cleanly between these two AMD parts, and the winner depends entirely on the workload. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M takes the only direct head-to-head benchmark in the database, winning the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 6581 against the AMD Radeon 540's 6184, a 6% advantage. That makes the older mobile part the better choice for OpenCL compute tasks, which often leverage the GPU for general-purpose parallel processing rather than pure graphics rendering.

However, the AMD Radeon 540 has a broader benchmark profile. The database records two results for it: 6184 in Geekbench OpenCL and 9162 in Geekbench Vulkan. The Vulkan result is substantially higher than its own OpenCL score, which suggests the Polaris-generation part is better suited to modern graphics APIs. The HD 7730M has no Vulkan benchmark recorded in the database, so its performance in that API remains unmeasured. For anyone targeting Vulkan-based workloads or modern game engines that rely on it, the Radeon 540 is the only one of these two with demonstrated capability.

The Radeon 540 also sits higher in the overall percentile ranking. It lands at the 41st percentile among all GPUs, while the HD 7730M sits at the 38th percentile. Its average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 7673, compared to 6581 for the HD 7730M, which only has the single OpenCL result. That average is pulled up by the strong Vulkan showing. The picture that emerges is one of specialization: the HD 7730M wins the compute-oriented OpenCL matchup, while the Radeon 540 offers the more modern feature set and a higher overall standing in the database.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different generations of AMD's Graphics Core Next architecture. The Radeon 540 uses GCN 4.0 with the Lexa chip, belonging to the Polaris (RX 500) generation. The HD 7730M uses GCN 1.0 with the Chelsea chip, from the London (HD 7700M) generation. That generational gap is significant: GCN 4.0 is a much later refinement of the same fundamental design philosophy.

The manufacturing process differs as well. The Radeon 540 is built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the HD 7730M uses a 28 nm process at TSMC. The smaller node allows the Radeon 540 to pack 2,200 million transistors into a 103 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 21.4 million transistors per square millimeter. The HD 7730M has 1,500 million transistors on a larger 123 mm² die, for a density of 12.2 million per square millimeter. The Radeon 540 achieves nearly double the density, a direct consequence of the more advanced fabrication process.

Core counts tell an interesting story. The HD 7730M actually has more shading units: 512 versus 384 for the Radeon 540. It also has more texture mapping units, 32 versus 24. Both have 16 ROPs. Despite having fewer cores, the Radeon 540 achieves higher pixel and texture rates: 18.93 GPixel/s versus 10.80 GPixel/s, and 28.39 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s. This is a case where clock speeds and architectural efficiency overcome a raw core deficit. The Radeon 540 also leads in FP32 compute at 908.5 GFLOPS versus 691.2 GFLOPS for the HD 7730M, and it supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio, a feature the HD 7730M does not list.

Memory configurations differ substantially. The Radeon 540 uses 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 32-bit bus, with memory clocked at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) and 24.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The HD 7730M uses 2 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus, with memory at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) and 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth. The HD 7730M has more memory and a wider bus, giving it higher total bandwidth despite the slower memory type. The Radeon 540's base and boost clocks are not listed, while the HD 7730M runs at a 575 MHz base and 675 MHz boost.

Power and interface specs also separate them. The Radeon 540 has a 50 W TDP, requires a 250 W suggested power supply, uses a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, and is a single-slot card with no power connectors and two DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. The HD 7730M has a 25 W TDP, uses PCIe 2.0 x16, and has display outputs described as "Portable Device Dependent," reflecting its mobile origins. The Radeon 540 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The HD 7730M supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both are end-of-life products, with the Radeon 540 released in April 2017 and the HD 7730M in April 2012.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Only one benchmark in the database pits these two directly against each other: Geekbench OpenCL. The HD 7730M wins with 6581 points against 6184 for the Radeon 540, a delta of 6% in favor of the older card. That result is notable because the Radeon 540 has the architectural advantages: a newer process node, higher FP32 compute, and faster pixel and texture rates. Yet in this particular OpenCL workload, the HD 7730M's larger core count, wider memory bus, and higher memory bandwidth appear to matter more. Its 512 shading units and 128-bit bus give it a structural edge that clock speed and architecture efficiency do not fully overcome in this test.

The Radeon 540's Vulkan score of 9162 is its best recorded result and far exceeds the HD 7730M's OpenCL score. Comparing across APIs is not a direct apples-to-apples measurement, but it does indicate that the Radeon 540 is capable of much higher throughput in the right workload. The 9162 Vulkan result is roughly 39% higher than its own OpenCL score, which is a large gap and suggests the Radeon 540's GCN 4.0 architecture is significantly better optimized for modern graphics APIs.

Looking at the broader competitive landscape in the database, the Radeon 540's average score of 7673 places it within 1% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (7723, a 0.6% deficit), 1.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 (7580), 1.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 250 (7557), and 1.6% ahead of the Intel Arc A310 (7550). These are tight margins, meaning the Radeon 540 sits in a dense cluster of comparable GPUs. The HD 7730M, with its average of 6581, sits near the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (6554, 0.4% behind), the AMD Radeon R7 M460 (6612, 0.5% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (6513, 1% ahead), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M (6493, 1.4% ahead). The HD 7730M is competitive within its own tier but that tier is roughly 14% below the Radeon 540's average.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the only direct benchmark comparison in the database?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7730M wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 6581 against the AMD Radeon 540's 6184, a 6% advantage.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon 540 have any benchmark results beyond OpenCL?

A: Yes, the database records a Geekbench Vulkan score of 9162 for the Radeon 540. No Vulkan result is recorded for the HD 7730M.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in overall percentile ranking?

A: The Radeon 540 sits at the 41st percentile among all GPUs, while the HD 7730M sits at the 38th percentile.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The HD 7730M has 512 shading units, while the Radeon 540 has 384. Despite fewer cores, the Radeon 540 achieves higher FP32 compute at 908.5 GFLOPS versus 691.2 GFLOPS.

Q: How do their memory subsystems differ?

A: The Radeon 540 uses 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 32-bit bus with 24.00 GB/s bandwidth. The HD 7730M uses 2 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The Radeon 540 has a 50 W TDP and a suggested power supply of 250 W. The HD 7730M has a 25 W TDP, with no power supply recommendation listed.

The Verdict

The data supports a nuanced conclusion. For pure OpenCL compute performance, the AMD Radeon HD 7730M is the better part, as its 6581 score beats the Radeon 540's 6184 by 6%. Its higher shading unit count, wider 128-bit memory bus, and greater memory bandwidth make it a legitimate choice for OpenCL-centric workloads despite its older GCN 1.0 architecture and 28 nm process.

For modern graphics workloads, the AMD Radeon 540 is the stronger option. Its Vulkan score of 9162 demonstrates a level of performance that the HD 7730M has no recorded equivalent for. Its newer GCN 4.0 architecture, 14 nm process, higher FP32 and FP16 compute, and support for Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_0) make it the more future-proof part. Its 41st percentile ranking and average score of 7673 also place it in a higher overall tier than the HD 7730M's 38th percentile and 6581 average.

The HD 7730M's competitive set in the database includes the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M and GeForce GT 555M, both within 1.4% of its score. The Radeon 540's rivals include much more recent parts like the Intel Arc A310 and the GTX 1660 Ti, and it holds its own within 1.6% of all of them. That contrast in rival quality underscores the generational gap between these two AMD cards.

Choose the HD 7730M if your work is dominated by OpenCL compute and you value the extra memory and bandwidth. Choose the Radeon 540 if you need Vulkan support, higher overall throughput, and a GPU that sits in a more modern performance tier. The benchmark record makes it clear that these are two different tools for two different jobs, and the numbers will guide you to the right one.