AMD Radeon HD 7730M vs NVIDIA GRID K2 Comparison

# NVIDIA GRID K2 vs AMD Radeon HD 7730M: Benchmark Database Analysis

The NVIDIA GRID K2 and AMD Radeon HD 7730M occupy very different positions in the recorded performance data. The GRID K2, a Kepler-generation professional visualization card, shows a clear advantage in raw compute workloads, while the Radeon HD 7730M, a GCN 1.0 mobile part, trails in most measurable categories. The database shows one head-to-head benchmark win for the NVIDIA card, with no recorded wins for the AMD part. This analysis breaks down where each card excels, the architectural reasons behind the gaps, and who should choose which based strictly on the numbers.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the recorded benchmark results, the NVIDIA GRID K2 is the outright winner in the only direct comparison available. The head-to-head test, specifically the geekbench_opencl workload, shows the GRID K2 scoring 10602 against the Radeon's 6581, a delta of 61.1%. This is a substantial margin, indicating a strong compute advantage for the NVIDIA part. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M, by contrast, does not win any recorded head-to-head benchmark in the database. Its wins counter sits at 0, while the GRID K2 has 1 win. For users prioritizing compute performance, particularly in OpenCL-style workloads, the data points squarely to the NVIDIA card.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different architectural families, which explains much of the performance gap. The NVIDIA GRID K2 is built on the Kepler architecture, using the GK104 chip, and is fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This design packs 3,540 million transistors onto a 294 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.0 million per mm². In contrast, the AMD Radeon HD 7730M uses the GCN 1.0 architecture with the Chelsea chip, also on a 28 nm process at TSMC. Its die holds 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, for a density of 12.2 million per mm².

The memory subsystems differ significantly. The NVIDIA card is equipped with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Memory operates at 1250 MHz (effectively 5 Gbps). The AMD card has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit interface, for 28.80 GB/s, with a memory clock of 900 MHz (and 1800 Mbps effective). That is a significant bandwidth advantage for the GRID, over 5.5 times the AMD's throughput.

Compute resources also favor the NVIDIA card. The GRID K2 packs 1536 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The Radeon HD 7730M has 512 shading units, 32 texture units, and 16 ROPs. The NVIDIA card's pixel rate is 23.84 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 95.36 GTexel/s. The AMD card records 10.80 GPixel/s and 21.60 GTexel/s. In raw FP32 compute, the GRID K2 is rated at 2.289 TFLOPS, while the Radeon is at 691.2 GFLOPS.

The GRID's memory and compute advantages translate into a benchmark profile that sits at the 42nd percentile of all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 8080. The Radeon sits at the 38th percentile with an average score of 6581.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded head-to-head test in the database is the geekbench_opencl test. In this test, the NVIDIA GRID K2 scored 10602 against the AMD's 6581. The margin is 61.1% in favor of the NVIDIA card. That is not a marginal win; it is a dominant result. This result is consistent with the underlying specs: the GRID's higher shading unit count, larger memory bandwidth, and higher FP32 rating all contribute to this outcome. The Radeon's lower scores across the board make it a hard sell in any compute-heavy scenario.

The data also shows the GRID K2 outperforming its nearest rivals. It is 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost, -0.2% behind the NVIDIA GeForce 945M, 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti, and 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M. This places it in a narrow performance band with those cards. Meanwhile, the Radeon HD 7730M is 0.4% behind the Intel UHD Graphics P750, -0.5% compared to the AMD Radeon R7 M460, and 1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M, and 1.4% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M. In short, the AMD card is clustered with lower-tier mobile GPUs.

The GRID's bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16, while the Radeon uses PCIe 2.0 x16. Power and cooling needs also differ. The GRID K2 carries a 225 W TDP with a dual-slot cooler, requiring one 6-pin and one 8-pin power connector, and a 550 W power supply suggestion. The Radeon has a 25 W TDP and no extra power connectors, being a portable device dependent. The GRID has no display outputs (it is designed as a virtualized GPU), while the Radeon is portable device dependent. The NVIDIA is marked production end-of-life and was released on 2013-05-10 with a launch MSRP of 5,199 USD. The AMD was released 2012-04-23 and is also end-of-life.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is better for compute workloads like OpenCL or GPGPU tasks?

A: Based on the head-to-head geekbench_opencl test, the NVIDIA GRID K2 is the clear winner. It scored 10602 versus 6581, a 61.1% advantage. The GRID's larger memory bandwidth (160.0 GB/s vs 28.80 GB/s) and higher FP32 performance (2.289 TFLOPS vs 691.2 GFLOPS) are directly responsible.

Q: How much more memory does the GRID K2 have?

A: The GRID K2 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, while the Radeon has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus. Peak bandwidth tells the story: 160.0 GB/s for NVIDIA, 28.80 GB/s for AMD.

Q: Are there architectural features that explain the different scores?

A: Yes. The two cards are from two different GPU generations and architectures. NVIDIA's GK104 "Kepler" has a massive 4x more shaders (1536 vs 512), 4x texture units (128 vs 32), and 2x ROPs (32 vs 16). The NVIDIA chip's die, at 294 mm², is 2.4x the size, which allows more logic and a larger memory interface.

Q: What is the launch period and status of these cards?

A: The NVIDIA GRID K2 reached end-of-life; it was released on 2013-05-10 with a launch MSRP of 5,199 USD. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M was released on 2012-04-23 and is also end-of-life. Its predecessor is the AMD Vancouver, and its successor is the AMD Solar System.

Q: Which is better for a desktop user, the NVIDIA GRID K2 or the AMD Radeon HD 7730M?

A: For desktop use, the Radeon's portability (device dependent) may be more practical, but for pure compute performance the data is unambiguous. The NVIDIA GRID K2 wins the only comparative test by a large margin, 61.1%. Its 42nd percentile in the database also reflects a higher placement than the 38th percentile of the AMD. The choice depends on whether you need the raw compute density of the GRID or the flexibility of the Radeon's mobile design.

The Verdict

When the data is in, the choice is straightforward. The NVIDIA GRID K2 is the superior card by measured performance. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 61.1% , sitting at the 42nd overall percentile in the database. Its Kepler architecture, with a high transistor density (12.0M per square mm), a massive 4 GB memory pipe running at 160.0 GB/s, and 2.289 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, is built for heavy compute. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M is not a bad card; it sits at 38th percentile and is competitive with mobile GPU peers like the GeForce GTX 670M. But in this matchup, the only head-to-head results show the AMD card trailing by over 60% in OpenCL performance. The GRID K2 is the stronger choice in all compute-heavy environments. The Radeon is a lower-power part at 25 W, but its performance envelope is smaller across the board. From the recorded measurements, the NVIDIA accelerator is the recommended selection for anyone whose workload involves OpenCL, high-resolution graphics, or any FP32-heavy task.