AMD Radeon HD 7730M vs NVIDIA Quadro K620 Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 7730M and the NVIDIA Quadro K620 are both end-of-life, 28 nm designs with 2 GB of DDR3 memory, but they target fundamentally different use cases. Benchmark data from Geekbench shows the Quadro K620 winning the only shared test, the OpenCL workload, by a narrow 1.7% margin. However, the broader specification sheet reveals a more complex picture: the Radeon features a higher shader count and a newer DirectX support level, while the Quadro counters with significantly higher clock speeds, a larger transistor budget, and a professional display output configuration. Neither card is a dominant force in the current GPU landscape, sitting at the 38th and 36th percentiles respectively, which indicates they are both entry-level parts by modern standards.

The Verdict

From the available data, the NVIDIA Quadro K620 is the safer choice for professional workstation tasks. It wins the sole head-to-head benchmark (Geekbench OpenCL) with a score of 6693 against the AMD's 6581, and its architecture delivers higher peak throughput rates. The Quadro also has a clear advantage in raw pixel and texture processing, with a pixel rate of 17.98 GPixel/s versus 10.80 GPixel/s for the AMD, and a texture rate of 26.98 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s. For users running OpenCL-accelerated professional applications or needing a dedicated, single-slot card with a DisplayPort output, the Quadro K620 is the data-backed winner.

The AMD Radeon HD 7730M is a mobile-oriented part with a much lower 25 W TDP compared to the Quadro's 45 W, making it suitable for thin-and-light laptops where power efficiency is paramount. Its advantage lies in its higher shading unit count (512 vs 384) and support for DirectX 12 (11_1) versus the Quadro's DirectX 12 (11_0), which could offer better feature compatibility in some newer gaming or compute titles. However, its lower clock speeds (575 MHz base vs 1058 MHz base) and slower pixel fill rate mean it will lag in raw throughput-bound tasks. Strictly from the benchmarks, the Quadro wins; strictly from a power-draw perspective, the AMD wins.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on the same 28 nm TSMC process node but employ entirely different architectures. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M is based on the GCN 1.0 architecture, using the Chelsea chip. It packs 1,500 million transistors onto a 123 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.2M per mm². The NVIDIA Quadro K620 uses the Maxwell architecture with the GM107 chip, containing 1,870 million transistors on a larger 148 mm² die, giving a slightly higher density of 12.6M per mm². This indicates that NVIDIA packed more logic into its design, which helps explain the Quadro's higher compute throughput despite having fewer execution units.

The execution resources differ significantly. The AMD GPU has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 raster operation units (ROPs). The NVIDIA GPU has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and also 16 ROPs. Despite having 25% fewer shaders and 25% fewer TMUs, the Quadro K620 achieves higher theoretical performance figures. This is due to its much higher clock speeds: the Quadro runs at a base clock of 1058 MHz with a boost of 1124 MHz, while the AMD runs at a base of 575 MHz and a boost of 675 MHz. The clock speed gap is the defining architectural difference in practice, allowing the smaller NVIDIA chip to produce 863.2 GFLOPS of FP32 performance versus 691.2 GFLOPS for the AMD.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this workload, the NVIDIA Quadro K620 scores 6693, while the AMD Radeon HD 7730M scores 6581. The deltaPct is -1.7%, meaning the AMD trails the NVIDIA by 1.7% — a narrow margin that falls within run-to-run variance for many workloads. This result is somewhat surprising given the Quadro's theoretical FP32 advantage of roughly 25% (863.2 GFLOPS vs 691.2 GFLOPS). The OpenCL score suggests that the AMD's higher shader count and GCN architecture are able to partially compensate for its lower clock speeds in this particular compute test.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each card provides context for these scores. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M's score of 6581 places it 0.4% ahead of the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (6554) and 1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (6513). It trails the AMD Radeon R7 M460 (6612) by 0.5%. The NVIDIA Quadro K620's score of 6693 puts it just 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti SUPER (6270) in this specific test, which is an anomaly given the massive generational gap. The Quadro also beats the AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 (6330) by 0.8%. These rival comparisons reinforce that both cards are clustered tightly in the same performance tier, with the Quadro holding a slight edge.

Specification Differences

The following table outlines the key specification differences between the two cards, based solely on the data provided:

| Specification | AMD Radeon HD 7730M | NVIDIA Quadro K620 |

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

| Chip | Chelsea | GM107 |

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Maxwell |

| Generation | London (HD 7700M) | Quadro Kepler (Kx200) |

| Transistors | 1,500 million | 1,870 million |

| Die Size | 123 mm² | 148 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.2M / mm² | 12.6M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 575 MHz | 1058 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 675 MHz | 1124 MHz |

| Shading Units | 512 | 384 |

| TMUs | 32 | 24 |

| Pixel Rate | 10.80 GPixel/s | 17.98 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 21.60 GTexel/s | 26.98 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 691.2 GFLOPS | 863.2 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 25 W | 45 W |

| Slot Width | Not specified | Single-slot |

| Power Connectors | Not specified | None |

| Suggested PSU | Not specified | 200 W |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x DVI, 1x DisplayPort 1.2 |

| Dimensions | Not specified | 160 mm (6.3 in) length, 69 mm (2.7 in) height |

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

| Vulkan Support | 1.2.170 | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2012-04-23 | 2014-07-21 |

| Predecessor | Vancouver | Quadro Fermi |

| Successor | Solar System | Quadro Maxwell |

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K620 scores 6693 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 1.7% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 7730M's score of 6581.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon HD 7730M have more shading units than the Quadro K620?

A: Yes. The AMD GPU has 512 shading units, while the NVIDIA GPU has 384 shading units. However, the NVIDIA card compensates with higher clock speeds, resulting in higher overall FP32 throughput.

Q: What is the memory configuration of both cards?

A: Both cards have identical memory setups: 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 28.80 GB/s and a memory clock of 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective).

Q: Which card has a lower power draw?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7730M has a TDP of 25 W, which is significantly lower than the NVIDIA Quadro K620's TDP of 45 W. The Quadro also lists a suggested PSU of 200 W.

Q: Does the Quadro K620 support DisplayPort output?

A: Yes. The Quadro K620's display outputs are listed as 1x DVI and 1x DisplayPort 1.2. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M's display outputs are described as "Portable Device Dependent," meaning they vary by laptop implementation.

Q: Which card is newer?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K620 was released on 2014-07-21, while the AMD Radeon HD 7730M was released on 2012-04-23. The Quadro is over two years newer.

Where Each One Wins

NVIDIA Quadro K620: This card wins in every raw throughput metric. Its FP32 performance of 863.2 GFLOPS is 25% higher than the AMD's 691.2 GFLOPS. It also has superior pixel fill rate (17.98 GPixel/s vs 10.80 GPixel/s) and texture fill rate (26.98 GTexel/s vs 21.60 GTexel/s). The Quadro's higher clock speeds (1058 MHz base vs 575 MHz base) drive these gains. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark and offers a fixed desktop form factor with dedicated display outputs (DVI and DisplayPort 1.2). Its single-slot design, lack of power connectors, and 200 W suggested PSU make it an easy drop-in for workstation builds. The higher transistor count (1,870 million vs 1,500 million) and newer release date (2014 vs 2012) also favor NVIDIA.

AMD Radeon HD 7730M: The AMD's primary victory is in power efficiency. Its 25 W TDP is 44% lower than the Quadro's 45 W, making it the clear choice for mobile devices where battery life and thermal limits are critical. It also has a higher shader count (512 vs 384), which can be beneficial in workloads that scale well with parallel execution units. The AMD supports DirectX 12 (11_1) versus the Quadro's DirectX 12 (11_0), offering slightly better feature-level support for certain games. Its smaller die size (123 mm² vs 148 mm²) and lower transistor count (1,500 million vs 1,870 million) indicate a more compact and potentially cheaper-to-manufacture part. For a legacy laptop upgrade or a low-power HTPC, the Radeon's specifications are more appropriate. The data, however, does not show a single benchmark win for the AMD in any available test.