AMD Radeon HD 6770 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 6770 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 represent two very different eras of GPU design, separated by over five years of architectural evolution. While their average benchmark scores place them within a hair of each other—3649 for the AMD card versus 3629 for the NVIDIA card—the underlying data reveals a stark contrast in where each card excels. The GTX 1050 dominates in raw compute throughput and modern API support, while the HD 6770 holds its ground only in the narrowest of legacy metrics, making this comparison less about parity and more about generational obsolescence versus modern efficiency.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark record is decisively one-sided. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 wins the only head-to-head test available, the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, with a score of 15,233 against the HD 6770’s 3,649. That represents a 76% deficit for the AMD card, meaning the GTX 1050 delivers over four times the compute performance in this specific workload. This single data point encapsulates the entire competitive landscape: the HD 6770 has no winning benchmark in the dataset, while the GTX 1050 claims victory in every category where both are measured.

The GTX 1050’s win is not limited to OpenCL. Its broader benchmark suite shows a GPU that is functional across modern APIs, scoring 8,995 in Geekbench Vulkan, 7,823 in Geekbench Metal, and 5,028 in Passmark G3D. It also handles legacy workloads, posting scores of 83 in Passmark DirectX 9, 38 in DirectX 11, and 24 in DirectX 10. The HD 6770, by contrast, has no data for any of these tests, leaving its only recorded result as the OpenCL score where it loses decisively. The use-case split is therefore simple: the GTX 1050 is the only card here capable of running modern benchmarks, while the HD 6770’s single result suggests it is only relevant for very old, compute-light applications that do not stress modern drivers or APIs.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two cards is generational. The HD 6770 is built on AMD’s TeraScale 2 architecture, manufactured on a 40 nm process at TSMC, using the Juniper chip. It packs 1,040 million transistors onto a 166 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 6.3 million per square millimeter. The GTX 1050, in contrast, uses NVIDIA’s Pascal architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at Samsung, with the GP107 chip. It contains 3,300 million transistors on a smaller 132 mm² die, achieving a density of 25.0 million per square millimeter—a fourfold improvement in density that explains how the newer card fits more hardware into less space.

Core configuration tells a similar story of different design philosophies. The HD 6770 has 800 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The GTX 1050 has fewer shading units at 640, the same 40 TMUs, but double the ROPs at 32. The pixel rate reflects this: the GTX 1050 outputs 46.56 GPixel/s versus the HD 6770’s 13.60 GPixel/s, a 3.4x advantage. Texture rate also favors the newer card at 58.20 GTexel/s against 34.00 GTexel/s. The compute numbers are even more lopsided—the GTX 1050 delivers 1.862 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the HD 6770 manages 1,360.0 GFLOPS (1.36 TFLOPS), a gap of roughly 37%.

Memory and power further separate the two. The HD 6770 ships with 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, providing 76.80 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 1050 doubles capacity to 2 GB on the same 128-bit bus, but with faster memory achieving 112.1 GB/s. The GTX 1050 also runs cooler and more efficiently, with a 75 W TDP and no external power connector, while the HD 6770 requires a 6-pin connector and a 300 W suggested PSU against the GTX 1050’s 250 W suggestion. API support is a clean sweep for NVIDIA: DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, versus the HD 6770’s DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4 with no Vulkan support at all.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct head-to-head benchmark in the dataset is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is not close. The GTX 1050 scores 15,233, while the HD 6770 scores 3,649. The delta percentage is -76%, meaning the AMD card performs at roughly one-quarter of the NVIDIA card’s level in this test. This is not a marginal victory—it is a generational wipeout that reflects the architectural chasm between TeraScale 2 and Pascal.

Looking beyond the head-to-head, the GTX 1050’s other benchmark scores reinforce its superiority. Its Passmark G3D score of 5,028 is a strong indicator of general 3D rendering performance, while its Geekbench Vulkan score of 8,995 shows it handles modern low-level APIs effectively. The HD 6770 has no equivalent data, which means the only factual comparison available is the OpenCL result, and that result is overwhelmingly one-sided. The GTX 1050 also shows versatility across API generations, with Passmark DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 scores of 83, 24, 38, and 20 respectively, indicating it can run everything from legacy titles to modern DX12 games, albeit with varying efficiency.

The nearest rival data confirms that both cards sit in a crowded performance tier. The HD 6770’s closest competitors include the GTX 1050 itself (0.6% delta), the GeForce GT 735M (0.9%), and the GeForce 825M (-1.2%), with the RTX 5000 Mobile Ada Generation at 1.5%. The GTX 1050’s rivals are nearly identical, with the GT 735M at 0.4%, the HD 6770 at -0.5%, and the RTX 5000 Mobile Ada at 0.9%. Both cards occupy the 21st-22nd percentile of all GPUs, meaning they are entry-level performers in the grand scheme of the database, but the GTX 1050’s modern architecture makes it far more future-proof.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6770 has a slightly higher average benchmark score of 3,649, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050’s 3,629. However, this average is based on a single OpenCL test for the AMD card, while the GTX 1050’s average incorporates multiple benchmarks.

Q: How much faster is the GTX 1050 in the head-to-head OpenCL test?

A: The GTX 1050 scores 15,233 versus the HD 6770’s 3,649, a delta of -76% for the AMD card. This means the GTX 1050 is approximately four times faster in this specific compute workload.

Q: Do both cards support the same DirectX versions?

A: No. The GTX 1050 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the HD 6770 only supports DirectX 11.2 (11_0). The GTX 1050 also supports Vulkan 1.4 and OpenGL 4.6, whereas the HD 6770 has no Vulkan support and only OpenGL 4.4.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The HD 6770 has 1024 MB of GDDR5, while the GTX 1050 has 2 GB of GDDR5. Both use a 128-bit bus, but the GTX 1050’s memory runs faster, delivering 112.1 GB/s versus 76.80 GB/s.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The GTX 1050 has a density of 25.0 million transistors per mm², compared to the HD 6770’s 6.3 million per mm². This is due to the newer 14 nm process versus the older 40 nm node.

Q: Are these cards still in production?

A: No. Both are listed as end-of-life. The HD 6770 was released on January 20, 2011, and the GTX 1050 on October 24, 2016.

The Verdict

The data points to an unambiguous conclusion: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 is the superior card in almost every measurable way. Its OpenCL score is 76% higher, its pixel rate is 3.4x better, its texture rate is 1.7x higher, and its FP32 compute is roughly 37% greater. It doubles the memory capacity, nearly doubles the memory bandwidth, uses less power (75 W vs 108 W), and requires no external power connector. It supports modern APIs like Vulkan and DirectX 12, which the HD 6770 cannot use at all.

The only area where the HD 6770 shows any edge is its average benchmark score, which is 20 points higher than the GTX 1050’s—but that is an artifact of the GTX 1050 being tested across more benchmarks, not a sign of real superiority. The HD 6770’s single OpenCL result of 3,649 is 76% lower than the GTX 1050’s score in the same test, so even that nominal advantage evaporates under scrutiny.

For anyone choosing between these two, the GTX 1050 is the only rational pick based on the factual record. It is newer, faster, more efficient, and more capable across every software interface that matters. The HD 6770 is a relic of a pre-DirectX 12 era, and its performance level places it in the 22nd percentile of all GPUs, just one point below the GTX 1050’s 21st percentile—a tie that masks a massive gap in real-world capability. The verdict is simple: the GTX 1050 wins on every substantive metric, and the HD 6770’s only claim to relevance is historical.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon HD 6770 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 |

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

| Architecture | TeraScale 2 | Pascal |

| Process Node | 40 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Samsung |

| Transistors | 1,040 million | 3,300 million |

| Die Size | 166 mm² | 132 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 6.3M / mm² | 25.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | N/A | 1354 MHz |

| Boost Clock | N/A | 1455 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective) | 1752 MHz (7 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 1024 MB | 2 GB |

| Memory Bandwidth | 76.80 GB/s | 112.1 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 800 | 640 |

| TMUs | 40 | 40 |

| ROPs | 16 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 13.60 GPixel/s | 46.56 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 34.00 GTexel/s | 58.20 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 1,360.0 GFLOPS | 1.862 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 108 W | 75 W |

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

| Suggested PSU | 300 W | 250 W |

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

| DirectX Support | 11.2 (11_0) | 12 (12_1) |

| OpenGL Support | 4.4 | 4.6 |

| Vulkan Support | N/A | 1.4 |

| Display Outputs | 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.1 | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Dimensions (Length) | 198 mm (7.8 inches) | 145 mm (5.7 inches) |

| Release Date | January 20, 2011 | October 24, 2016 |

| Launch MSRP | 129 USD | 109 USD |