AMD Radeon HD 7730M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data positions these two mobile GPUs as near-statistical twins. In the only head-to-head result available, the AMD Radeon HD 7730M scores 6581 points in Geekbench OpenCL against 6513 points for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M, a delta of exactly 1%. That margin places the AMD part 1% ahead, yet both cards share the same 38th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The choice between them hinges less on raw compute and more on architectural trade-offs: the GTX 670M offers substantially higher texture and memory bandwidth, while the HD 7730M counters with a much newer process node, higher pixel throughput, and lower power draw. Users prioritizing sustained texture-heavy workloads or larger memory bandwidth should lean toward the NVIDIA card. Those who value efficiency, smaller die size, and modern feature support — particularly Vulkan — will find the AMD part more compelling. In practice, the data suggests either GPU will deliver nearly identical OpenCL results, so the deciding factor becomes which secondary characteristics matter more for the intended workload.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different manufacturing generations and design philosophies. AMD’s HD 7730M uses the Chelsea chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. NVIDIA’s GTX 670M uses the GF114 chip on Fermi 2.0 architecture, also produced by TSMC but on an older 40 nm node. The process gap is significant: AMD packs 1,500 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.2 million transistors per square millimeter. NVIDIA fits 1,950 million transistors onto a 332 mm² die, with a much lower density of 5.9 million per square millimeter. This means the AMD chip is physically smaller and denser despite having fewer total transistors.

Core configurations differ sharply. The HD 7730M carries 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The GTX 670M has 336 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. So AMD fields more shader processors, while NVIDIA doubles down on texture units and ROPs. Clock behavior also diverges: the AMD part runs at a 575 MHz base with a 675 MHz boost, while the GTX 670M lists no base or boost clocks in the data, only a memory clock. Memory subsystems are entirely different. The AMD card uses 2 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus, producing 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA card uses 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, achieving 72.00 GB/s — a 2.5× advantage in raw memory bandwidth. API support favors AMD: the HD 7730M supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170, while the GTX 670M lists DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and no Vulkan support at all.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7730M scores 6581 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M scores 6513. This gives AMD a 1% lead in the only direct head-to-head benchmark result.

Q: How do these two GPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The HD 7730M sits within 1.4% of all its nearest rivals, ranging from the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M (6493, 1.4% lower) to the AMD Radeon R7 M460 (6612, 0.5% higher). The GTX 670M’s closest competitor is the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (6554, 0.6% higher), while its nearest lower-scoring rival is the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile (6476, 0.6% lower).

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7730M has a TDP of 25 W, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M has a TDP of 75 W. This makes the AMD part three times more power-efficient in terms of rated thermal design power.

Q: Does the NVIDIA card support Vulkan?

A: No. The GTX 670M lists no Vulkan support in its API specifications. The AMD HD 7730M, by contrast, supports Vulkan version 1.2.170.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M has 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth from its 192-bit GDDR5 interface. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M offers 28.80 GB/s over a 128-bit DDR3 bus, making NVIDIA’s bandwidth advantage 2.5×.

Q: What are the memory sizes and types?

A: The AMD card has 2 GB of DDR3, while the NVIDIA card has 1536 MB of GDDR5. Despite having less capacity, the NVIDIA memory operates at a higher effective speed of 3 Gbps versus 1800 Mbps effective for AMD.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification category. Process node: AMD uses 28 nm, NVIDIA uses 40 nm. Transistor count: AMD has 1,500 million, NVIDIA has 1,950 million. Die size: AMD measures 123 mm², NVIDIA measures 332 mm². Transistor density: AMD achieves 12.2M per mm², NVIDIA achieves 5.9M per mm². Base clock: AMD runs at 575 MHz, NVIDIA has no listed base clock. Boost clock: AMD boosts to 675 MHz, NVIDIA has no listed boost. Memory clock: AMD runs at 900 MHz / 1800 Mbps effective, NVIDIA at 750 MHz / 3 Gbps effective. Memory size: 2 GB versus 1536 MB. Memory type: DDR3 versus GDDR5. Bus width: 128-bit versus 192-bit. Bandwidth: 28.80 GB/s versus 72.00 GB/s. Shading units: 512 versus 336. TMUs: 32 versus 56. ROPs: 16 versus 24. Pixel rate: 10.80 GPixel/s versus 8.372 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 21.60 GTexel/s versus 33.49 GTexel/s. FP32 performance: 691.2 GFLOPS versus 803.7 GFLOPS. TDP: 25 W versus 75 W. Slot width: AMD lists none, NVIDIA is an MXM Module. Power connectors: AMD lists none, NVIDIA lists none. Bus interface: PCIe 2.0 x16 versus MXM-B (3.0). DirectX support: 12 (11_1) versus 12 (11_0). Vulkan: 1.2.170 versus none. Release date: April 23, 2012 versus March 21, 2012. Predecessor: Vancouver versus GeForce 500M. Successor: Solar System versus GeForce 700M.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole benchmark comparison is Geekbench OpenCL, and it is remarkably close. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M scores 6581, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M scores 6513. That 68-point gap translates to a 1% delta in AMD’s favor. In percentile terms, both GPUs land at the 38th percentile of all GPUs, meaning neither card distinguishes itself in the broader performance hierarchy. However, the raw score difference is not the full story — the two GPUs achieve parity through very different means. AMD’s higher pixel rate (10.80 GPixel/s versus 8.372 GPixel/s) and greater shader count (512 versus 336) likely compensate for NVIDIA’s superior texture rate (33.49 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s) and higher FP32 throughput (803.7 GFLOPS versus 691.2 GFLOPS). The net result is a wash in the OpenCL test. Notably, NVIDIA’s 72.00 GB/s of memory bandwidth — more than double AMD’s 28.80 GB/s — does not translate into a benchmark victory. This suggests the HD 7730M’s shader-heavy architecture is efficient enough to offset its bandwidth deficit in this particular workload. Conversely, AMD’s 1% win is marginal enough that it falls within typical run-to-run variance, so the practical performance difference is effectively negligible.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 7730M wins in the only direct benchmark comparison, taking the Geekbench OpenCL test by 1%. It also wins decisively on efficiency metrics: its 25 W TDP is one-third of the GTX 670M’s 75 W, making it the clear choice for thin-and-light notebooks where thermals and battery life dominate. The AMD card’s higher pixel rate (10.80 GPixel/s versus 8.372 GPixel/s) suggests it handles fill-rate-bound scenarios better. Its support for Vulkan 1.2.170 opens the door to modern graphics APIs, while the NVIDIA card offers no Vulkan path. The smaller die (123 mm² versus 332 mm²) and newer 28 nm process make the HD 7730M a more modern, dense design. Additionally, the AMD card has more memory capacity (2 GB versus 1536 MB), which can help in texture-heavy applications that exceed the NVIDIA card’s frame buffer.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M wins on raw throughput metrics that the OpenCL benchmark does not capture. Its texture rate of 33.49 GTexel/s is 55% higher than AMD’s 21.60 GTexel/s, making it better suited for texel-heavy workloads like detailed surface rendering. Its memory bandwidth of 72.00 GB/s is 2.5× that of the AMD card, a massive advantage for bandwidth-sensitive tasks such as high-resolution textures or large data buffers. The NVIDIA card’s FP32 performance of 803.7 GFLOPS exceeds AMD’s 691.2 GFLOPS by 16%, and its 56 TMUs versus 32 TMUs gives it a clear edge in multi-texture operations. The GTX 670M also uses faster GDDR5 memory and a wider 192-bit bus. For users running applications that rely on memory bandwidth or texture fetch rates rather than raw shader count, the data indicates the GTX 670M is the stronger choice despite losing the single direct benchmark. Its MXM-B (3.0) interface also suggests a modular design intended for upgradeable laptop chassis, whereas AMD’s PCIe 2.0 x16 interface is more conventional.