AMD Radeon HD 7770M vs AMD Radeon RX 550 Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data isolates a single head-to-head comparison: Geekbench Metal. The AMD Radeon RX 550 wins that test outright, scoring 20,838 against the AMD Radeon HD 7770M's 13,536. That is a 35% delta in favor of the RX 550. The database also shows the RX 550 has a broader benchmark footprint, with scores in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, Geekbench OpenCL, and Geekbench Vulkan, while the HD 7770M has only a Metal result. For any workload that relies on the Metal API, the RX 550 is the clear choice. The HD 7770M, however, holds a higher percentile rank overall: it sits at the 54th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 550 sits at the 50th. In terms of raw average benchmark score, the HD 7770M averages 13,536, while the RX 550 averages 11,075, a figure dragged down by its additional lower-scoring tests. The verdict: pick the RX 550 for modern API support and compute versatility, pick the HD 7770M only if the sole metric is its Metal score relative to its percentile placement.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 550 wins the only direct benchmark comparison, the Geekbench Metal test. It also demonstrates wins across a wider range of APIs: its Geekbench Vulkan score is 12,270, and its Geekbench OpenCL score is 11,063. The HD 7770M has no recorded Vulkan or OpenCL scores in the database, meaning the RX 550 is the only one of the two with measurable performance in those environments. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RX 550 records a score of 127, a result with no counterpart for the HD 7770M. The HD 7770M's only recorded win is its percentile placement: 54th versus 50th, and its average benchmark score of 13,536 exceeds the RX 550's average of 11,075. However, that average is based on a single test for the HD 7770M, while the RX 550's average includes four tests, three of which are lower-scoring. The data indicates the RX 550 wins on feature breadth and the head-to-head Metal result, while the HD 7770M wins on percentile rank and single-test average.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different GCN generations. The HD 7770M uses the Chelsea chip, built on GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The RX 550 uses the Lexa chip, built on GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. Transistor counts differ significantly: the HD 7770M packs 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, yielding a density of 12.2M per mm². The RX 550 packs 2,200 million transistors on a smaller 103 mm² die, yielding a density of 21.4M per mm². The RX 550's clock speeds are recorded: a base of 1100 MHz and a boost of 1183 MHz, while the HD 7770M has no base or boost clock listed. Memory clocks also differ: the HD 7770M runs at 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective, while the RX 550 runs at 1750 MHz with 7 Gbps effective. Both have 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The RX 550 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the HD 7770M supports DirectX 12 (11_1). Vulkan support differs as well: the RX 550 lists Vulkan 1.3, the HD 7770M lists Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The RX 550 uses PCIe 3.0 x8, the HD 7770M uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The RX 550 has a 2 GB frame buffer, double the HD 7770M's 1 GB, though both use GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench Metal score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 550, with a score of 20,838, is 35% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 7770M's 13,536 in the Geekbench Metal test.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The HD 7770M has an average benchmark score of 13,536, while the RX 550 has an average of 11,075. The RX 550's average includes four tests, the HD 7770M's includes only one.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The RX 550 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the HD 7770M has 1 GB of GDDR5 memory. Both use a 128-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU supports more modern DirectX?

A: The RX 550 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the HD 7770M supports DirectX 12 (11_1).

Q: Are there any benchmark tests where the HD 7770M is not present?

A: Yes. The RX 550 has recorded scores in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (127), Geekbench OpenCL (11,063), and Geekbench Vulkan (12,270). The HD 7770M has no recorded scores for those tests.

Q: What are the power consumption figures?

A: The HD 7770M has a TDP of 32 W, while the RX 550 has a TDP of 50 W. The RX 550 also lists a suggested PSU of 250 W.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct head-to-head benchmark in the database is Geekbench Metal. The RX 550 scores 20,838, the HD 7770M scores 13,536. The delta is 35% in favor of the RX 550. To contextualize that margin, the HD 7770M's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT at 13,543 (0.1% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 at 13,515 (0.2% lower), the NVIDIA P106-090 at 13,470 (0.5% lower), and the AMD Radeon Pro 555 at 13,407 (1% lower). The HD 7770M effectively trades blows with those cards, all within a 1% band. The RX 550, by contrast, sits near a different performance tier. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000D Blackwell Max-Q at 11,088 (0.1% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER at 11,047 (0.3% higher), and the AMD FirePro W4300 at 11,225 (1.3% higher). The RX 550's average score of 11,075 places it in that vicinity. The gap between the two GPUs' Metal scores, 7,302 points, is substantial. The RX 550's other recorded scores, 12,270 in Vulkan and 11,063 in OpenCL, are lower than its Metal result but still above the HD 7770M's sole recorded score in some cases. Specifically, the RX 550's Vulkan score of 12,270 is below its own Metal score but above the HD 7770M's Metal score. The HD 7770M has no equivalent tests to compare against the RX 550's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 127.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in several recorded specifications. The process node differs: the HD 7770M uses 28 nm, the RX 550 uses 14 nm. The foundry differs: TSMC for the HD 7770M, GlobalFoundries for the RX 550. Transistor count differs: 1,500 million versus 2,200 million. Die size differs: 123 mm² versus 103 mm². Transistor density differs: 12.2M per mm² versus 21.4M per mm². The RX 550 has recorded base and boost clocks (1100 MHz and 1183 MHz), while the HD 7770M has none. Memory clock differs: 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective versus 1750 MHz with 7 Gbps effective. Memory size differs: 1 GB versus 2 GB. Memory bandwidth differs: 64.00 GB/s versus 112.0 GB/s. Pixel rate differs: 10.80 GPixel/s versus 18.93 GPixel/s. Texture rate differs: 21.60 GTexel/s versus 37.86 GTexel/s. FP32 performance differs: 691.2 GFLOPS versus 1,211.4 GFLOPS. The RX 550 has a recorded FP16 figure of 1,211.4 GFLOPS (1:1), while the HD 7770M has none. TDP differs: 32 W versus 50 W. The RX 550 has a dual-slot width, no power connectors, and a suggested PSU of 250 W; the HD 7770M has no recorded slot width, power connectors, or suggested PSU. Bus interface differs: PCIe 2.0 x16 versus PCIe 3.0 x8. Display outputs differ: the HD 7770M is "Portable Device Dependent", the RX 550 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a. DirectX support differs: 12 (11_1) versus 12 (12_0). Vulkan support differs: 1.2.170 versus 1.3. Release dates differ: April 23, 2012 versus April 19, 2017. The RX 550 has a launch MSRP of 79 USD, stated once here. The RX 550 is 145 mm long, the HD 7770M has no recorded length. The HD 7770M's predecessor is Vancouver, its successor is Solar System; the RX 550's predecessor is Arctic Islands, its successor is Vega.