AMD Radeon HD 7730M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded benchmark comparison between the AMD Radeon HD 7730M and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti is the Geekbench OpenCL test. In that single metric, the AMD Radeon HD 7730M scores 6581 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti scores 5731 points. This gives the AMD part a 14.8% lead in the head-to-head comparison.

The magnitude of this difference is significant. A 14.8% delta is not a marginal edge; it places the two GPUs in clearly different performance tiers according to the database's percentile rankings. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M sits at the 38th percentile of all GPUs, whereas the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti sits at the 33rd percentile. This five-point gap in percentile ranking underscores that the AMD mobile part is the stronger performer in this specific workload.

Examining the nearest rivals for each card reinforces the competitive positioning. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M lands between the AMD Radeon R7 M460, which scores 6612, and the Intel UHD Graphics P750, which scores 6554. The delta against the R7 M460 is -0.5%, meaning the 7730M is essentially at parity with a newer discrete mobile part. Against the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M, the 7730M is 1% ahead. The margin over the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M is 1.4%. These are tight clusters, indicating that the 7730M's score of 6581 is well-positioned within its immediate competitive set.

For the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti, the nearest rivals show a slightly different story. The AMD Radeon R7 M465 scores 5841, which is 1.9% higher than the 550 Ti's 5731. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX is essentially tied, with a score of 5721 and a delta of 0.2%. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 also sits close, scoring 5712. The AMD Radeon HD 8790M trails by 0.7%, scoring 5691. This grouping shows the 550 Ti competing with integrated graphics solutions from Intel, which is a notable point for a dedicated desktop card.

The benchmark data indicates that the AMD Radeon HD 7730M is the faster card in OpenCL compute workloads. The delta of 14.8% is substantial enough that it should translate into observable real-world differences in GPU-accelerated applications that rely on OpenCL. The NVIDIA card's lower raw score in this test, combined with its position in the percentile rankings, shows that it is a generation behind in compute efficiency.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is stark, and it largely explains the benchmark outcome. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M is built on the Graphics Core Next 1.0 architecture, using the Chelsea chip. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti uses the Fermi 2.0 architecture with the GF116 chip. These represent fundamentally different design philosophies from their respective manufacturers.

The manufacturing process is a major differentiator. AMD fabricates the 7730M on a 28 nm process at TSMC, while NVIDIA fabricates the 550 Ti on a 40 nm process, also at TSMC. The smaller node gives AMD a significant advantage in transistor density. The 7730M packs 1,500 million transistors into a die size of 123 mm², yielding a density of 12.2 million transistors per mm². The GTX 550 Ti has 1,170 million transistors on a much larger 238 mm² die, giving it a density of just 4.9 million transistors per mm². This means AMD achieved over twice the transistor density of NVIDIA on the older chip.

The memory subsystems are completely different as well. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M comes with 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus. Its memory clock is 900 MHz, which yields 1800 Mbps effective and a bandwidth of 28.80 GB/s. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti uses 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus. Its memory clock is 1026 MHz, yielding 4.1 Gbps effective and a bandwidth of 98.50 GB/s. The NVIDIA card has a massive bandwidth advantage, delivering more than three times the bandwidth of the AMD part. This is a critical difference for texture-heavy workloads.

The compute unit configurations also diverge. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti has only 192 shading units, but matches the AMD card with 32 TMUs and exceeds it with 24 ROPs. The pixel rate of the AMD card is 10.80 GPixel/s, while the NVIDIA card manages 7.200 GPixel/s. The texture rate is reversed: the NVIDIA card achieves 28.80 GTexel/s, while the AMD card achieves 21.60 GTexel/s. Interestingly, both cards have identical FP32 performance at 691.2 GFLOPS. This parity in floating-point throughput, despite the large difference in shading unit counts, reflects the different clock architectures: the AMD card runs at a base clock of 575 MHz with a boost of 675 MHz, while the NVIDIA card's shader clock configuration is not recorded in the database.

Power consumption is another major architectural gap. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M has a TDP of 25 W, making it a low-power mobile solution. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti has a TDP of 116 W, a desktop card requiring a dual-slot cooler, a single 6-pin power connector, and a suggested PSU of 300 W. The AMD card is portable device dependent for its display outputs, while the NVIDIA card offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a.

API support shows a notable difference in Vulkan. The AMD card supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA card supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support listed in the database. This makes the AMD card more future-proof for modern applications that leverage Vulkan.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 7730M is the clear winner in the recorded OpenCL benchmark. Its 14.8% lead over the GTX 550 Ti places it in a higher performance percentile, and its nearest rivals include newer mobile parts like the AMD Radeon R7 M460 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M. For users running OpenCL compute workloads, the 7730M is the stronger choice. Its GCN 1.0 architecture, smaller process node, and higher shading unit count contribute to better compute efficiency. The Vulkan support is another area where the AMD card wins outright, as the NVIDIA card has no Vulkan capability listed.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti wins in memory bandwidth. Its 98.50 GB/s bandwidth is more than triple the AMD card's 28.80 GB/s. For applications that are memory-bandwidth bound, such as certain texture-heavy rendering tasks or specific compute kernels, the NVIDIA card has a structural advantage. Its 192-bit bus versus the AMD card's 128-bit bus, combined with faster GDDR5 memory, provides a much wider data path. The NVIDIA card also has more ROPs (24 versus 16), which can benefit fill-rate-limited scenarios, though its pixel rate is lower at 7.200 GPixel/s.

The NVIDIA card also wins on texture rate, achieving 28.80 GTexel/s versus the AMD card's 21.60 GTexel/s. This is due to its higher memory bandwidth feeding the same number of TMUs. In texture-heavy gaming workloads, the GTX 550 Ti could potentially hold its own despite its lower compute score.

Power efficiency is entirely in AMD's favor. The 25 W TDP of the 7730M is dramatically lower than the 116 W TDP of the GTX 550 Ti. For mobile users, this is a decisive factor. The AMD card is designed for laptops and portable devices, while the NVIDIA card is a desktop part requiring external power.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7730M scores 6581, which is 14.8% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti's score of 5731 in the head-to-head comparison.

Q: How do the two cards compare in memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti has 98.50 GB/s of bandwidth with 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M has 28.80 GB/s with 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus.

Q: What are the power consumption figures for each card?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7730M has a TDP of 25 W, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti has a TDP of 116 W and requires a 300 W suggested PSU.

Q: Do both cards support the same APIs?

A: Both support DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M additionally supports Vulkan 1.2.170, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti has no Vulkan support listed.

Q: Which card has higher FP32 performance?

A: Both cards have identical FP32 performance at 691.2 GFLOPS.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon HD 7730M compare to its nearest rivals?

A: It is 0.4% ahead of the Intel UHD Graphics P750, 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon R7 M460, 1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M, and 1.4% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M.

The Verdict

The data points to the AMD Radeon HD 7730M as the superior GPU in compute performance. Its 14.8% lead in the recorded Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, combined with its higher percentile ranking (38th versus 33rd), establishes it as the faster card in the only head-to-head test available. The architectural advantages of the 28 nm process, GCN 1.0 design, and 512 shading units give it a clear edge in OpenCL workloads. Additionally, its Vulkan support and drastically lower 25 W TDP make it the more modern and efficient solution.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti is not without merit. Its memory bandwidth of 98.50 GB/s is a significant asset, and its higher texture rate of 28.80 GTexel/s indicates strength in specific rendering scenarios. For users who prioritize raw memory throughput over compute throughput, the GTX 550 Ti has a role. Its 116 W TDP and desktop form factor, however, make it unsuitable for portable devices.

The verdict is that the AMD Radeon HD 7730M is the better choice for most users. It wins the benchmark, offers better API coverage, and consumes far less power. The NVIDIA card is only preferable in niche cases where its memory bandwidth is the bottleneck, but the benchmark evidence does not support it as the overall winner. The AMD card's higher percentile and competitive positioning against newer mobile GPUs confirm that it is the stronger part. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti, while capable in texture throughput, is outclassed in compute performance by the AMD Radeon HD 7730M.