AMD Radeon HD 6770 vs NVIDIA GeForce 825M Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce 825M and AMD Radeon HD 6770 are both end-of-life graphics solutions, but they represent fundamentally different approaches to mobile and desktop computing. The GeForce 825M is an integrated-class part built for notebooks, while the Radeon HD 6770 is a dual-slot desktop card. Benchmark data places them in a statistical tie, with the GeForce 825M holding a razor-thin lead in the single available test.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it is remarkably close. The NVIDIA GeForce 825M scores 3694 points, while the AMD Radeon HD 6770 scores 3649 points. This gives the NVIDIA part a 1.2% advantage, which is well within normal run-to-run variance for synthetic benchmarks. The delta is so small that it would be misleading to declare a decisive winner based on this single data point.

Context from the nearest rivals reinforces just how tight this pairing is. The GeForce 825M sits between the NVIDIA Quadro 3000M (3718 points, 0.6% higher) and the AMD Radeon HD 6770 itself (3649 points, 1.2% lower). Meanwhile, the Radeon HD 6770 is bracketed by the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (3629 points, 0.6% lower) and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M (3616 points, 0.9% lower). Both cards occupy the same performance tier, with a spread of less than 100 points across their immediate competitors.

In terms of wins, the head-to-head data shows NVIDIA ahead with 1 win and AMD with 0. However, this outcome is a function of the single test available rather than a demonstration of broad superiority. A 45-point difference on a scale of roughly 3600 points translates to a negligible real-world gap. The GeForce 825M edges ahead in raw compute throughput, but the margin is not large enough to influence application selection or gaming experience in a meaningful way.

Both cards share the same 22nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, which places them in the lower-middle tier of the performance spectrum. They are capable of basic acceleration and older workloads, but they are not competitive with modern discrete parts. The benchmark data suggests that users upgrading from one to the other would see no measurable improvement in OpenCL-based tasks.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 825M scores 3694 points versus 3649 for the AMD Radeon HD 6770, a 1.2% difference in favor of NVIDIA.

Q: How do these cards compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The GeForce 825M is 0.6% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M (3717) and 1.2% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M (3740). The Radeon HD 6770 is 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (3629) and 0.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M (3616).

Q: What is the percentile ranking of each card?

A: Both the NVIDIA GeForce 825M and the AMD Radeon HD 6770 are in the 22nd percentile among all GPUs, indicating they perform at roughly the same level.

Q: Does the Radeon HD 6770 support Vulkan?

A: No, the Radeon HD 6770 lists no Vulkan API support, while the GeForce 825M supports Vulkan 1.2.175.

Q: What are the DirectX and OpenGL versions supported by each card?

A: The GeForce 825M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The Radeon HD 6770 supports DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4.

Q: Which card has a higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6770 has a bandwidth of 76.80 GB/s, which is more than five times the 14.40 GB/s of the NVIDIA GeForce 825M.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 6770 wins decisively in memory throughput. Its GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus delivers 76.80 GB/s, compared to the GeForce 825M’s DDR3 on a 64-bit bus at 14.40 GB/s. This is a 5.3x advantage in raw bandwidth, which matters for texture-heavy loads and higher resolutions. The Radeon also has more shading units (800 versus 384), more texture mapping units (40 versus 32), and double the render output units (16 versus 8). Its pixel rate of 13.60 GPixel/s and texture rate of 34.00 GTexel/s both exceed the GeForce 825M’s 7.528 GPixel/s and 30.11 GTexel/s. The Radeon’s FP32 compute is 1,360.0 GFLOPS, nearly double the 722.7 GFLOPS of the NVIDIA part.

The NVIDIA GeForce 825M wins in architectural efficiency and interface modernity. It is built on a 28 nm process versus 40 nm for AMD, which contributes to a dramatically lower TDP of 33 W versus 108 W. It uses PCIe 3.0 x8, whereas the Radeon uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The GeForce also supports newer API versions, including Vulkan 1.2.175 and OpenGL 4.6, while the Radeon lacks Vulkan entirely and tops out at OpenGL 4.4. For portable devices, the GeForce 825M’s IGP form factor and lack of power connectors make it suitable for thin notebooks, whereas the Radeon HD 6770 requires a dual-slot chassis, a 6-pin power connector, and a 300 W power supply.

Specification Differences

The two cards diverge sharply on almost every hardware specification. The NVIDIA GeForce 825M uses a GK208 chip with 1,020 million transistors on an 87 mm² die, while the AMD Radeon HD 6770 uses a Juniper chip with 1,040 million transistors on a 166 mm² die. Transistor density reflects this: 11.7M per mm² for NVIDIA versus 6.3M per mm² for AMD.

Clock speeds differ in structure. The GeForce 825M has a base clock of 850 MHz and a boost clock of 941 MHz, while the Radeon HD 6770 lists no base or boost clocks in the data. Memory clocks are 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) for NVIDIA and 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective) for AMD.

Memory configuration is a major differentiator. The GeForce 825M has 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, yielding 14.40 GB/s. The Radeon HD 6770 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 76.80 GB/s. The Radeon’s bus width is double, and its memory type is faster.

Power requirements are starkly different. The GeForce 825M has a TDP of 33 W, an IGP slot width, and no power connectors. The Radeon HD 6770 has a TDP of 108 W, a dual-slot design, one 6-pin power connector, and a suggested PSU of 300 W. The Radeon is also a physical card measuring 198 mm (7.8 inches) in length.

Bus interfaces differ: PCIe 3.0 x8 for NVIDIA versus PCIe 2.0 x16 for AMD. Display outputs are portable-device dependent for the GeForce 825M, while the Radeon HD 6770 offers 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, and 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.1.

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA GeForce 825M is built on Kepler 2.0 architecture, part of the GeForce 800M generation. It uses a 28 nm process at TSMC. The AMD Radeon HD 6770 is built on TeraScale 2 architecture, part of the Northern Islands (HD 6700) generation, using a 40 nm process at the same foundry. The node difference is significant: 28 nm versus 40 nm, which explains the GeForce 825M’s far superior transistor density.

Compute resources favor AMD in raw counts. The Radeon HD 6770 has 800 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The GeForce 825M has 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. Neither card has ray tracing or tensor cores. The Radeon’s 16 ROPs and 40 TMUs give it a structural advantage in fill-rate-bound scenarios, while the GeForce 825M relies on its smaller die and higher density to deliver comparable OpenCL scores.

API support is another architectural divergence. The GeForce 825M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The Radeon HD 6770 supports DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4, with no Vulkan support at all. This means the NVIDIA part is better positioned for modern software stacks that leverage Vulkan, while the AMD part is locked to older API paths.

The release timeline also separates them. The Radeon HD 6770 was released on 2011-01-20, with the Evergreen series as its predecessor and Southern Islands as its successor. The GeForce 825M was released on 2014-01-26, following the GeForce 700M and preceding the GeForce 900M. The GeForce 825M launched at no listed MSRP, whereas the Radeon HD 6770 had a launch MSRP of 129 USD. The Radeon’s predecessor is Evergreen and its successor is Southern Islands; the GeForce 825M’s predecessor is GeForce 700M and successor is GeForce 900M.

The Verdict

The NVIDIA GeForce 825M and AMD Radeon HD 6770 are functionally equivalent in benchmark performance, with the GeForce 825M holding a 1.2% lead in Geekbench OpenCL. Both sit at the 22nd percentile among all GPUs, and their nearest rivals occupy the same narrow band. For raw compute tasks measured by OpenCL, the choice between them is irrelevant.

The AMD Radeon HD 6770 is the better choice for users who need memory bandwidth and fill rate. Its 76.80 GB/s bandwidth, 16 ROPs, and 40 TMUs make it superior for texture-heavy workloads and higher resolution rendering, even if its overall compute score is slightly lower. It also offers a physical display output configuration with DVI, HDMI, and mini-DisplayPort, making it usable in desktop systems.

The NVIDIA GeForce 825M is the better choice for portable systems and efficiency-focused builds. Its 33 W TDP, IGP form factor, and lack of power connectors mean it can be integrated into thin laptops without additional cooling or power delivery. It also supports Vulkan 1.2.175 and OpenGL 4.6, which gives it a software compatibility edge over the Radeon’s older API set.

Users with an existing desktop platform that can accommodate a dual-slot card and a 6-pin connector will find the Radeon HD 6770 more capable in memory-bound scenarios. Users prioritizing low power consumption, modern API support, and portability should select the GeForce 825M. The data does not support a general-purpose winner; it supports a use-case-based decision.