AMD Radeon HD 6770 vs AMD Radeon R5 Graphics Comparison

AMD Radeon R5 Graphics is an integrated processor graphics solution from the GCN 2.0 era, built on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the AMD Radeon HD 6770 is a discrete card from the TeraScale 2 architecture on TSMC's 40 nm node. The data shows a single head-to-head benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, where the R5 Graphics scores 5183 against the HD 6770's 3649, a 42% advantage for the integrated part. Despite this result, the HD 6770 holds a higher percentile rank among all GPUs at 22, compared to the R5's 23, indicating that the percentile metric and raw benchmark scores do not align perfectly. The R5 Graphics is an end-of-life IGP with system-shared memory, while the HD 6770 is an end-of-life dual-slot card with dedicated GDDR5, suggesting different use cases and system integration goals.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics has a higher average benchmark score of 3883, compared to the AMD Radeon HD 6770's average of 3649.

Q: What is the performance difference in the head-to-head Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD Radeon R5 Graphics scores 5183, while the AMD Radeon HD 6770 scores 3649, giving the R5 Graphics a 42% lead.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in terms of memory configuration?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics uses system-shared memory with a system-dependent bandwidth, while the AMD Radeon HD 6770 has 1024 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with a bandwidth of 76.80 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU supports the Vulkan API?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics supports Vulkan version 1.2.170, while the AMD Radeon HD 6770 has no Vulkan support listed.

Q: What are the transistor counts for each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics has 2,410 million transistors on a 245 mm² die, while the AMD Radeon HD 6770 has 1,040 million transistors on a 166 mm² die.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6770 has a significantly higher pixel rate of 13.60 GPixel/s, compared to the AMD Radeon R5 Graphics' 3.032 GPixel/s.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent distinct architectural generations from AMD. The Radeon R5 Graphics is built on the GCN 2.0 architecture with the chip codename "Spectre SL," manufactured on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries. This is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) designed for the Kaveri generation of APUs. In contrast, the Radeon HD 6770 uses the older TeraScale 2 architecture, featuring the Juniper chip, and is fabricated on TSMC's 40 nm process. The manufacturing differences are stark: the R5 Graphics packs 2,410 million transistors into a 245 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 9.8M per mm², while the HD 6770 contains 1,040 million transistors on a 166 mm² die, with a lower density of 6.3M per mm².

The fundamental compute resources differ substantially. The R5 Graphics has 256 shading units, 16 texture mapping units (TMUs), and only 4 raster operation units (ROPs). The HD 6770, on the other hand, is equipped with 800 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This means the discrete card has more than three times the shading units and ten times the ROPs. The memory architecture also reflects their different natures: the R5 Graphics relies on system-shared memory with a bandwidth that is system-dependent, whereas the HD 6770 uses 1024 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering a fixed bandwidth of 76.80 GB/s. The HD 6770's memory clock is specified at 1200 MHz, translating to 4.8 Gbps effective.

Feature support also diverges. The R5 Graphics supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170, making it more modern in API compatibility. The HD 6770 supports DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4, but has no Vulkan support listed. The power profiles are wildly different: the R5 Graphics has a TDP of 15 W and is an IGP with no power connectors or slot width, while the HD 6770 has a TDP of 108 W, requires a dual-slot cooler, a single 6-pin power connector, and a suggested power supply of 300 W. The HD 6770 is a PCIe 2.0 x16 card measuring 198 mm (7.8 inches) in length, while the R5 Graphics uses the IGP bus interface.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the AMD Radeon R5 Graphics is the clear winner in raw compute performance. In the only head-to-head benchmark available, Geekbench OpenCL, the R5 Graphics scores 5183, which is 42% higher than the HD 6770's 3649. This is a decisive margin, and the R5 also holds a higher average benchmark score of 3883 versus 3649. However, the HD 6770's percentile rank of 22 is only one point lower than the R5's 23, suggesting that the HD 6770 is not dramatically worse in the broader GPU landscape. The R5 Graphics wins 1 benchmark and the HD 6770 wins 0 in the head-to-head comparison.

The choice between these two depends entirely on system context. The R5 Graphics is an integrated solution with a 15 W TDP, suitable for compact, low-power systems where dedicated graphics are not an option. The HD 6770 is a 108 W discrete card that requires a 300 W power supply and a dual-slot cooler, making it suited for older desktop builds with available expansion slots. For users who prioritize raw OpenCL compute performance, the R5 Graphics is the superior part. For users who need a dedicated card with its own memory, the HD 6770 offers the advantage of a fixed 76.80 GB/s bandwidth and 1024 MB of GDDR5. The data indicates that the integrated R5 Graphics outperforms the older discrete card in compute, but the HD 6770's dedicated memory and higher pixel rate of 13.60 GPixel/s versus 3.032 GPixel/s suggest it may be better suited for traditional rasterization workloads.

Specification Differences

The specification table reveals fundamental differences in every major category. The process node is 28 nm for the R5 Graphics versus 40 nm for the HD 6770. Transistor count is 2,410 million for the R5 compared to 1,040 million for the HD 6770, with die sizes of 245 mm² and 166 mm², respectively. The R5 Graphics has a transistor density of 9.8M / mm², while the HD 6770 has 6.3M / mm². Memory configuration is entirely different: the R5 uses system-shared memory, while the HD 6770 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 76.80 GB/s bandwidth. The HD 6770's memory clock is 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective), whereas the R5's memory clock is listed as "System Shared."

Compute resource counts diverge sharply. The R5 Graphics has 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and 4 ROPs, while the HD 6770 has 800 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Pixel rates are 3.032 GPixel/s for the R5 and 13.60 GPixel/s for the HD 6770, a 4.5x difference. Texture rates are 12.13 GTexel/s versus 34.00 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 388.1 GFLOPS for the R5 and 1,360.0 GFLOPS for the HD 6770, meaning the HD 6770 has 3.5x the raw floating-point throughput. Power consumption is a major differentiator: 15 W TDP for the R5 versus 108 W for the HD 6770. The HD 6770 is a dual-slot card with a 1x 6-pin power connector and a suggested 300 W PSU, while the R5 is an IGP with no connectors. The HD 6770 uses PCIe 2.0 x16 and has display outputs of 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, and 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.1, while the R5's outputs are motherboard dependent.

API support differs: the R5 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170, while the HD 6770 supports DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4, with no Vulkan. The HD 6770 has a launch MSRP of 129 USD. Release dates show the HD 6770 came out on 2011-01-20 and the R5 Graphics on 2014-09-16. The HD 6770's predecessor is Evergreen and successor is Southern Islands, while the R5's predecessor is TeraScale 3 IGP and successor is GCN 3.0 IGP.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison in the data is the Geekbench OpenCL test. The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics achieves a score of 5183, while the AMD Radeon HD 6770 scores 3649. This results in a deltaPct of 42%, meaning the R5 Graphics is 42% ahead of the HD 6770 in this specific test. This is a substantial margin that suggests the GCN 2.0 architecture, despite having fewer shading units (256 versus 800), delivers significantly better compute performance in OpenCL workloads. The R5's higher transistor count (2,410 million versus 1,040 million) and newer 28 nm process likely contribute to this efficiency, even with a much lower TDP of 15 W versus 108 W.

Looking at the nearest rivals provides context. The R5 Graphics' average score of 3883 places it near the NVIDIA Quadro 2000 (3898, -0.4% delta), the Quadro K2000D (3919, -0.9%), and the Quadro 2000D (3930, -1.2%), while slightly ahead of the GeForce MX110 (3834, +1.3%). The HD 6770's average of 3649 is close to the GeForce GTX 1050 (3629, +0.6%), GeForce GT 735M (3616, +0.9%), and GeForce 825M (3694, -1.2%), with the RTX 5000 Mobile Ada Generation at 3596 (+1.5%). This shows that the R5 Graphics competes with mid-range Quadro parts, while the HD 6770 is in the range of entry-level GeForce parts.

The 42% delta in the head-to-head test is the single most important number in the comparison. It indicates that in a compute-heavy workload, the integrated R5 Graphics outperforms the discrete HD 6770 by a wide margin. This is counterintuitive given the HD 6770's higher pixel rate (13.60 GPixel/s) and texture rate (34.00 GTexel/s), which are typical of rasterization-focused GPUs. The data suggests that the R5's GCN 2.0 architecture is more efficient at compute tasks, even with fewer execution units and lower clock rates.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics wins decisively in compute performance, as evidenced by its 42% lead in Geekbench OpenCL. This makes it the better choice for applications that rely on OpenCL acceleration, such as certain video encoding, image processing, or scientific compute tasks. Its 15 W TDP also makes it the clear winner for power efficiency, as it consumes 93 W less than the HD 6770's 108 W. The R5's support for Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (12_0) gives it a modern API advantage, enabling compatibility with newer software that requires these interfaces. With 2,410 million transistors on a 28 nm node, the R5 is also more transistor-dense, suggesting a more advanced design.

The AMD Radeon HD 6770 wins in traditional graphics throughput metrics. Its pixel rate of 13.60 GPixel/s is 4.5x higher than the R5's 3.032 GPixel/s, and its texture rate of 34.00 GTexel/s is 2.8x higher than the R5's 12.13 GTexel/s. This indicates the HD 6770 is better suited for fill-rate-bound workloads, such as high-resolution rendering with heavy overdraw. Its FP32 performance of 1,360.0 GFLOPS is 3.5x the R5's 388.1 GFLOPS, which could benefit certain compute tasks that are not well-optimized for GCN. The HD 6770's dedicated 1024 MB GDDR5 memory with 76.80 GB/s bandwidth provides predictable memory performance, unlike the R5's system-dependent shared memory. The HD 6770 also has a higher shading unit count of 800 versus 256, which may help in workloads that scale with shader count.

The HD 6770's discrete nature means it has its own display outputs (2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.1) and does not depend on motherboard support. For users with existing PCIe 2.0 x16 slots and a 300 W PSU, the HD 6770 is a drop-in upgrade path for older systems. The R5 Graphics, being an IGP, requires a compatible Kaveri APU and motherboard, with display outputs that are motherboard dependent. In summary, the R5 Graphics wins for compute efficiency and modern API support, while the HD 6770 wins for raw throughput metrics and dedicated memory bandwidth.