AMD Radeon HD 6770 vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 6770 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions, but they represent fundamentally different performance classes. In the single available benchmark comparison, the AMD Radeon HD 6770 decisively outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M, leading by a significant 17.4% margin in the Geekbench OpenCL test. The HD 6770 scores 3,649 points against the GT 730M's 3,107 points, placing it in the 22nd percentile of all GPUs compared to the GT 730M's 20th percentile. This gap is substantial enough to classify the HD 6770 as the clear performance winner, though the GT 730M counters with superior architectural efficiency and feature support that may matter for specific workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the AMD Radeon HD 6770 wins handily. The HD 6770 achieves a score of 3,649, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M manages only 3,107 points. This represents a 17.4% advantage for the AMD part, a margin that is far from negligible in real-world compute tasks. To contextualize this result, the HD 6770 sits within 0.6% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (which scores 3,629) and is actually 1.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 825M (3,694 score, -1.2% delta). Meanwhile, the GT 730M's score of 3,107 places it just 0.5% behind the Intel HD Graphics 530 (3,332) and 0.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 920M (3,287). The data clearly shows that the HD 6770 operates in a higher performance tier, outperforming the GT 730M by a margin that would be noticeable in any OpenCL-accelerated application.

The GT 730M does have one additional benchmark result that the HD 6770 lacks: a Geekbench Vulkan score of 3,524 points. However, since no comparable Vulkan score exists for the HD 6770, this cannot be used for a direct head-to-head comparison. The OpenCL result remains the sole metric for direct comparison, and it strongly favors the AMD part. With a 17.4% delta, the HD 6770's compute advantage is roughly equivalent to the gap between the GT 730M and the significantly more powerful NVIDIA GeForce GT 640 (which scores 3,210, a 3.3% delta from the GT 730M). This suggests that the HD 6770 is not just marginally faster but operates in a completely different performance bracket.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is stark. The AMD Radeon HD 6770 utilizes the Juniper chip based on TeraScale 2 architecture, manufactured on a 40 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,040 million transistors into a 166 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 6.3 million transistors per mm². In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M employs the GK107 chip with Kepler architecture, built on a more advanced 28 nm process, also at TSMC. The NVIDIA chip contains 1,270 million transistors on a smaller 118 mm² die, achieving a markedly higher transistor density of 10.8 million transistors per mm². This 4.5 nm process advantage and 4.5M/mm² density advantage allow the GT 730M to pack more transistors into less space.

The compute resources differ dramatically. The HD 6770 features 800 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 raster operation pipelines. The GT 730M, by contrast, has 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This means the AMD part has over twice the shading units (800 vs 384) and 25% more TMUs (40 vs 32). The raw throughput numbers reflect this: the HD 6770 delivers 1,360.0 GFLOPS of FP32 performance, 13.60 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 34.00 GTexel/s texture rate. The GT 730M manages only 556.8 GFLOPS FP32, 5.800 GPixel/s, and 23.20 GTexel/s. The HD 6770's pixel rate is more than double the GT 730M's, and its texture rate is 46.5% higher.

Memory architecture also separates these parts. The HD 6770 uses 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 76.80 GB/s of bandwidth at an effective 4.8 Gbps. The GT 730M has 2 GB of DDR3 memory, also on a 128-bit bus, but achieves only 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth at 1800 Mbps effective. The HD 6770's memory bandwidth is 2.67 times higher than the GT 730M's—a critical factor in memory-bound workloads. Clock speeds also differ: the GT 730M runs at a fixed 725 MHz base and boost, while the HD 6770's memory clock is 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective). The HD 6770's power envelope is substantially higher at 108 W TDP versus 33 W for the GT 730M, reflecting its larger die and higher performance ceiling.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 6770 wins decisively in raw compute performance. Its 800 shading units and 1,360.0 GFLOPS FP32 throughput make it a far more capable processor for OpenCL workloads, as evidenced by its 17.4% benchmark advantage. The HD 6770 also dominates in memory bandwidth with 76.80 GB/s versus 28.80 GB/s, which translates to better performance in memory-intensive tasks like texture-heavy rendering or large data transfers. Its pixel rate of 13.60 GPixel/s and texture rate of 34.00 GTexel/s are both more than double the GT 730M's corresponding figures, making it the clear choice for any fill-rate-limited scenario. The HD 6770's 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, and 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.1 outputs also give it flexible display connectivity options.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M wins on efficiency and modern feature support. Its 33 W TDP is just 30.6% of the HD 6770's 108 W draw, making it far better suited for thin-and-light laptops where thermals and battery life are paramount. The GT 730M also supports DirectX 12 (11_0) compared to the HD 6770's DirectX 11.2 (11_0), and it offers OpenGL 4.6 versus OpenGL 4.4. Most notably, the GT 730M includes Vulkan 1.2.175 support, while the HD 6770 has no Vulkan support at all. The GT 730M's 2 GB of memory (double the HD 6770's 1 GB) also allows it to handle larger textures or datasets, despite the lower bandwidth. Additionally, the GT 730M uses PCIe 3.0 x16 versus the HD 6770's PCIe 2.0 x16, offering double the bus bandwidth for data transfers.

The GT 730M's MXM Module form factor and lack of power connectors make it a drop-in replacement for many laptop designs, whereas the HD 6770's dual-slot design and 1x 6-pin connector requirement demand more substantial cooling and power delivery infrastructure. For portable systems prioritizing battery life and low heat output, the GT 730M is the only viable option of the two.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear verdict for performance: the AMD Radeon HD 6770 is the superior GPU. Its 17.4% OpenCL benchmark lead over the GT 730M is backed by overwhelming architectural advantages—800 shading units versus 384, 1,360.0 GFLOPS versus 556.8 GFLOPS, and 76.80 GB/s versus 28.80 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The HD 6770's nearest rivals include the GeForce GTX 1050 (within 0.6%) and RTX 5000 Mobile Ada Generation (within 1.5%), placing it in respectable company, while the GT 730M's rivals are integrated graphics like Intel HD Graphics 530 and lower-end discrete parts like the GeForce 920M. Anyone prioritizing compute performance or gaming frame rates should unequivocally choose the HD 6770.

However, the verdict is not absolute. The GT 730M wins decisively on efficiency and feature set. Its 33 W TDP is a fraction of the HD 6770's 108 W, and it offers modern API support including Vulkan 1.2.175 and DirectX 12, which the HD 6770 lacks. The GT 730M also has double the memory capacity (2 GB vs 1 GB) and PCIe 3.0 connectivity. For users who need a low-power GPU for basic tasks, battery longevity, or compatibility with modern graphics APIs, the GT 730M is the more sensible choice. The HD 6770 is a performance part; the GT 730M is an efficiency part. Choose based on which priority matters more.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6770 scores 3,649 points in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 17.4% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M's score of 3,107 points.

Q: Does the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the GT 730M supports Vulkan 1.2.175, while the AMD Radeon HD 6770 has no Vulkan support listed.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between these two GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6770 has 76.80 GB/s of bandwidth from its GDDR5 memory, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M has 28.80 GB/s from DDR3 memory—a 2.67x advantage for the AMD part.

Q: How do their transistor counts compare?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6770 contains 1,040 million transistors on a 166 mm² die, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M has 1,270 million transistors on a smaller 118 mm² die.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6770 has 800 shading units, more than double the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M's 384 shading units.

Q: What is the TDP of each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6770 has a 108 W TDP, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M has a much lower 33 W TDP.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon HD 6770 | NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | Juniper | GK107 |

| Architecture | TeraScale 2 | Kepler |

| Process Node | 40 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 1,040 million | 1,270 million |

| Die Size | 166 mm² | 118 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 6.3M / mm² | 10.8M / mm² |

| Memory Clock | 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective) | 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 1024 MB | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | DDR3 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 76.80 GB/s | 28.80 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 800 | 384 |

| TMUs | 40 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 13.60 GPixel/s | 5.800 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 34.00 GTexel/s | 23.20 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1,360.0 GFLOPS | 556.8 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 108 W | 33 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | MXM Module |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin | None |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| DirectX | 11.2 (11_0) | 12 (11_0) |

| OpenGL | 4.4 | 4.6 |

| Vulkan | None | 1.2.175 |

| Launch MSRP | 129 USD | None |