AMD Radeon HD 7770M vs AMD Radeon Pro 555 Comparison

AMD Radeon HD 7770M and AMD Radeon Pro 555 are two mobile graphics solutions separated by five years of architectural evolution, yet they land in nearly the same performance tier. The data shows a 1% difference in average benchmark score between the two, with the HD 7770M scoring 13536 and the Pro 555 scoring 13407. However, a single head-to-head Metal benchmark tells a more nuanced story, with the Pro 555 taking a decisive 16.6% lead. This page breaks down the architectural gap, the benchmark results, and what each GPU is best suited for based strictly on the available data.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available between these two GPUs is the Geekbench Metal test, and it is not close. The AMD Radeon Pro 555 scores 16236, while the AMD Radeon HD 7770M scores 13536. That is a 16.6% advantage for the Pro 555, a substantial margin in a single test. The deltaPct field confirms this, listing the HD 7770M as the loser with a -16.6% delta. This is the only head-to-head benchmark provided, and it clearly favors the newer architecture.

Looking at the broader benchmark picture, the two GPUs sit at the same percentile rank of 54 among all GPUs, meaning both are in the middle of the performance distribution. Their average benchmark scores are nearly identical: 13536 for the HD 7770M and 13407 for the Pro 555, a difference of only 1%. This apparent contradiction — a near tie in average score but a 16.6% blowout in the Metal test — is explained by the fact that the Pro 555 has three benchmark entries (Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan) while the HD 7770M has only one (Metal). The Pro 555's OpenCL score of 11682 and Vulkan score of 12303 drag its average down, while its Metal score stands as its best result.

The nearest rivals for each GPU put the performance gap in context. The HD 7770M's closest competitor is the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, which scores 13543, a 0.1% delta from the HD 7770M. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 scores 13515 (0.2% delta), and the NVIDIA P106-090 scores 13470 (0.5% delta). The Pro 555's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 8950M (13376, 0.2% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 5500M (13356, 0.4% delta), and the AMD FirePro M6100 (13354, 0.4% delta). Interestingly, both GPUs have the NVIDIA P106-090 as a nearby rival, with the HD 7770M slightly ahead of it and the Pro 555 slightly behind it (0.5% and -0.5% deltas, respectively).

The verdict from the head-to-head is clear: in Metal workloads, the Pro 555 is the stronger GPU. The HD 7770M's single benchmark result is its only data point, and it falls short by a wide margin. The average scores are misleading without context; the Pro 555's lower average is a function of its multi-API benchmark suite, not a reflection of inferior Metal performance.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on different generations of AMD's Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture. The HD 7770M uses GCN 1.0 with the Chelsea chip, while the Pro 555 uses GCN 4.0 with the Polaris 21 chip. This architectural leap is the primary driver of the performance difference.

The process node tells part of the story. The HD 7770M is fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC, while the Pro 555 uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The die sizes are identical at 123 mm², but the transistor counts differ dramatically: the HD 7770M has 1,500 million transistors, while the Pro 555 has 3,000 million. This works out to a transistor density of 12.2 million per mm² for the HD 7770M and 24.4 million per mm² for the Pro 555 — a doubling of density on the newer process.

The compute resources scale accordingly. The HD 7770M has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 render output units (ROPs). The Pro 555 increases the shading units to 768 and the TMUs to 48, while keeping ROPs at 16. Pixel rate rises from 10.80 GPixel/s to 13.60 GPixel/s, and texture rate jumps from 21.60 GTexel/s to 40.80 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance (FP32) nearly doubles: 691.2 GFLOPS for the HD 7770M versus 1,305.6 GFLOPS for the Pro 555. The Pro 555 also has FP16 performance rated at 1,305.6 GFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, while the HD 7770M has no listed FP16 capability.

Memory is another point of divergence. The HD 7770M has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, running at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), yielding 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The Pro 555 doubles the capacity to 2 GB of GDDR5, maintains the same 128-bit bus, but runs at 1275 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective), resulting in 81.60 GB/s of bandwidth — a 27.5% increase. Both GPUs use 16 ROPs and the same bus width, so the memory bandwidth difference is purely a clock speed and capacity advantage for the Pro 555.

API support also reflects the generational gap. The HD 7770M supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Pro 555 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The newer Vulkan version on the Pro 555 is a notable feature advantage. Power consumption differs significantly: the HD 7770M has a TDP of 32 W, while the Pro 555 is rated at 75 W. The Pro 555 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no power connectors, while the HD 7770M's power connectors are not listed. Both use portable-device-dependent display outputs, and the bus interfaces differ: PCIe 2.0 x16 for the HD 7770M versus PCIe 3.0 x8 for the Pro 555.

Where Each One Wins

The only benchmark where both GPUs have a score is Geekbench Metal, and the Pro 555 wins that outright by 16.6%. If the analysis is restricted to that test, the Pro 555 is the clear choice for Metal-based applications, which includes many macOS graphics workloads. The Pro 555's higher texture rate (40.80 GTexel/s vs. 21.60 GTexel/s) and FP32 throughput (1,305.6 GFLOPS vs. 691.2 GFLOPS) suggest it would also handle compute-heavy tasks better, though no direct benchmark confirms this.

The HD 7770M has no benchmark wins in the provided data. Its winsA field is 0, while the Pro 555 has 1 win. However, the HD 7770M has a lower TDP at 32 W versus 75 W, which could be an advantage in thermally constrained systems where power draw is a concern. It also has a 0.1% higher average benchmark score than the Pro 555 (13536 vs. 13407), but this is driven by the Pro 555's additional OpenCL and Vulkan scores dragging its average down. In raw Metal performance, the HD 7770M is behind.

For users prioritizing a single API, the Pro 555 is the winner. Its Vulkan 1.3 support and DirectX 12 (12_0) feature level are more modern than the HD 7770M's Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (11_1). The Pro 555 also has double the memory (2 GB vs. 1024 MB) and higher bandwidth (81.60 GB/s vs. 64.00 GB/s), which helps in texture-heavy or high-resolution scenarios. The HD 7770M's advantage is purely in power efficiency and its marginally higher average score, which is a statistical artifact rather than a performance statement.

The Verdict

The data points to the AMD Radeon Pro 555 as the superior GPU for benchmark-driven performance. In the single head-to-head test, it beats the HD 7770M by 16.6% in Geekbench Metal. Its architectural advantages — double the transistors, nearly double the FP32 throughput, 50% more shading units, and 50% more TMUs — are all reflected in that score. The Pro 555 also supports a newer Vulkan version (1.3 vs. 1.2.170) and a higher DirectX feature level (12_0 vs. 11_1), which future-proofs it for newer titles and APIs.

The HD 7770M is not without merit. Its 32 W TDP is less than half the Pro 555's 75 W, making it a better fit for power-sensitive designs. Its average benchmark score is technically higher at 13536 versus 13407, a 1% difference that places it ahead of the Pro 555 in the nearestRivals table (with a 1% deltaPct). But this is a single Metal score versus a three-test average, and the Metal score itself is 16.6% lower. The HD 7770M's lower memory capacity and bandwidth, combined with its older GCN 1.0 architecture, limit its ceiling.

The pick for most users is the Pro 555. It wins the only direct benchmark, has superior specs across every compute metric, and offers modern API support. The HD 7770M is only preferable if power draw is the primary constraint and the workload is limited to APIs it supports well. The Pro 555's 75 W TDP is high for an IGP, but the performance payoff is clear in the Metal benchmark. Neither GPU is a performance outlier — both sit at the 54th percentile — but the Pro 555 is the stronger of the two.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench Metal score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 555 scores 16236 in Geekbench Metal, which is 16.6% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 7770M's score of 13536.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The HD 7770M has an average benchmark score of 13536, while the Pro 555 has an average of 13407. The HD 7770M is 1% ahead, but this is based on a single Metal test for the HD 7770M versus three tests (Metal, OpenCL, Vulkan) for the Pro 555.

Q: What are the transistor and process differences?

A: The HD 7770M uses 1,500 million transistors on a 28 nm TSMC process, while the Pro 555 uses 3,000 million transistors on a 14 nm GlobalFoundries process. Both have a 123 mm² die size, giving transistor densities of 12.2M/mm² and 24.4M/mm², respectively.

Q: Do they have the same memory configuration?

A: No. The HD 7770M has 1024 MB of GDDR5 with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth, while the Pro 555 has 2 GB of GDDR5 with 81.60 GB/s bandwidth. Both use a 128-bit bus, but the Pro 555's memory runs at 1275 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective) versus 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective).

Q: Which GPU supports newer APIs?

A: The Pro 555 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, while the HD 7770M supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The HD 7770M has a TDP of 32 W, while the Pro 555 has a TDP of 75 W. The Pro 555 is classified as an IGP with no power connectors.