AMD Radeon HD 7770M vs Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics Comparison

Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics and AMD Radeon HD 7770M are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions, but the data shows they are separated by a full generation of architecture and a significant performance gulf. The Iris Xe MAX, built on Intel's 10 nm process, delivers a Geekbench OpenCL score of 14,315, placing it in the 56th percentile of all GPUs. The Radeon HD 7770M, on a 28 nm process, scores 13,536 in Geekbench Metal, sitting in the 54th percentile. While the percentile gap is narrow, the underlying specifications reveal a stark contrast in capability, with the Iris Xe MAX offering nearly four times the raw FP32 compute power and more than double the texture fill rate.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the Intel Iris Xe MAX compared to the AMD Radeon HD 7770M in raw compute?

A: The Iris Xe MAX delivers 2.534 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the Radeon HD 7770M provides 691.2 GFLOPS. This represents a 3.67x advantage for the Intel part in theoretical peak floating-point throughput.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference between the two GPUs?

A: The Intel Iris Xe MAX features 4 GB of LPDDR4X memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding 68.26 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD Radeon HD 7770M has 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory on the same 128-bit bus, providing 64.00 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The Intel Iris Xe MAX has a pixel rate of 39.60 GPixel/s, which is more than 3.5 times higher than the Radeon HD 7770M's 10.80 GPixel/s. This suggests a substantial advantage in rasterization throughput.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The Intel Iris Xe MAX has a TDP of 25 W and a suggested PSU of 200 W. The AMD Radeon HD 7770M has a higher TDP of 32 W, and no suggested PSU is listed in the data.

Q: What API support differences exist between the two?

A: Both support DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6. However, the Intel part supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD part supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Intel GPU's newer feature level and Vulkan version indicate more modern API capabilities.

Q: What are the closest performance rivals for each GPU according to the data?

A: The Iris Xe MAX's nearest rival is the AMD Radeon Vega 11, which scores 14,352 (0.3% higher). The Radeon HD 7770M's nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, scoring 13,543 (0.1% higher), followed closely by the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 at 13,515.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is generational. The Intel Iris Xe MAX is based on the DG1 chip using the Generation 12.1 architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. The AMD Radeon HD 7770M uses the Chelsea chip with the GCN 1.0 architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process by TSMC. This process gap directly impacts transistor density, with the AMD part listing 1,500 million transistors across a 123 mm² die (12.2M / mm²), while the Intel part fits its design into a smaller 95 mm² die with no transistor count listed.

The Intel GPU features 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 24 raster operation units (ROPs). The AMD GPU is configured with 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This means the Intel architecture has 50% more shading units, 50% more TMUs, and 50% more ROPs than the AMD part, which explains its massive throughput advantage.

Memory architecture differs significantly as well. The Iris Xe MAX uses 4 GB of LPDDR4X with a 2133 MHz clock (4.3 Gbps effective), while the HD 7770M uses 1024 MB of GDDR5 at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective). Although both use a 128-bit bus, the higher clock and newer memory type give the Intel part a slight bandwidth edge (68.26 GB/s vs 64.00 GB/s). The Intel GPU also connects via PCIe 4.0 x8, while the AMD part uses the older PCIe 2.0 x16 interface.

Feature support also diverges. The Iris Xe MAX supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the HD 7770M supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Intel part has no display outputs (classified as IGP), whereas the AMD part is described as "Portable Device Dependent" for outputs, reflecting their different intended integration levels.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data shows the Intel Iris Xe MAX with a Geekbench OpenCL score of 14,315, while the AMD Radeon HD 7770M scores 13,536 in Geekbench Metal. The raw performance difference is 779 points, or roughly 5.8% in favor of the Intel part. While this is a measurable lead, the percentile data tells a more nuanced story. The Iris Xe MAX sits in the 56th percentile of all GPUs, while the HD 7770M is in the 54th percentile — a narrow gap that suggests the two are in a similar performance class despite their architectural differences.

Looking at nearest rivals, the Iris Xe MAX is nearly tied with the AMD Radeon Vega 11, which scores 14,352 (0.3% higher). It also sits close to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti, which scores 14,277 (0.3% lower). The HD 7770M's nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT at 13,543 (0.1% higher), with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 at 13,515 (0.2% lower). These rival comparisons indicate that the Iris Xe MAX competes with a higher tier of GPUs than the HD 7770M, even though both are end-of-life products.

The pixel and texture rate differences are more dramatic than the benchmark scores suggest. The Iris Xe MAX achieves 39.60 GPixel/s and 79.20 GTexel/s, while the HD 7770M manages only 10.80 GPixel/s and 21.60 GTexel/s. This 3.7x advantage in fill rates is not reflected in the Geekbench scores, indicating that the benchmark may not fully stress these specific throughput paths. The FP32 compute difference is equally stark at 2.534 TFLOPS versus 691.2 GFLOPS, a 3.67x gap that would matter in compute-heavy workloads.

Specification Differences

The most obvious specification difference is memory capacity: 4 GB on the Intel part versus 1024 MB on the AMD part. Memory type also differs, with LPDDR4X on Intel and GDDR5 on AMD. Clock speeds show the Intel part running at 300 MHz base and 1650 MHz boost, while the AMD part lists no base or boost clocks for the core. Memory clock is 2133 MHz (4.3 Gbps effective) for Intel versus 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) for AMD.

Process node and die size differ: Intel uses 10 nm with a 95 mm² die, while AMD uses 28 nm with a 123 mm² die. Transistor count is listed only for the AMD part at 1,500 million, with a density of 12.2M / mm². The Intel part's transistor data is not provided. Power consumption shows the Intel part at 25 W TDP with a 200 W suggested PSU, while the AMD part has a 32 W TDP with no suggested PSU listed.

Interface and output specifications also differ. The Intel part uses PCIe 4.0 x8 and has no display outputs. The AMD part uses PCIe 2.0 x16 and has portable device-dependent outputs. The Intel part's slot width is listed as IGP, while the AMD part lists no slot width. API support shows Intel with DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, versus AMD with DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Release dates and successors differ: the Intel part launched 2020-10-30 with the successor Alchemist, while the AMD part launched 2012-04-23 with the successor Solar System. The AMD part's predecessor is Vancouver, while the Intel part's predecessor is simply listed as Graphics.

The Verdict

The data points to the Intel Iris Xe MAX as the superior GPU in nearly every measurable category. It leads in FP32 compute (2.534 TFLOPS vs 691.2 GFLOPS), pixel rate (39.60 vs 10.80 GPixel/s), texture rate (79.20 vs 21.60 GTexel/s), memory capacity (4 GB vs 1024 MB), and memory bandwidth (68.26 vs 64.00 GB/s). Its benchmark score of 14,315 also beats the HD 7770M's 13,536, and it sits in a higher percentile (56th vs 54th). The Iris Xe MAX also does this at a lower TDP (25 W vs 32 W), making it both more powerful and more efficient.

The Radeon HD 7770M's only advantages are its PCIe 2.0 x16 interface (wider than the Intel's PCIe 4.0 x8) and its portable-device-dependent display outputs, which the Intel IGP lacks entirely. For any workload that depends on raw graphics throughput — gaming, compute tasks, or high-resolution rendering — the Iris Xe MAX is the clear choice based on the specification and benchmark data. The HD 7770M is an older architecture with GCN 1.0, a 28 nm process, and half the shading units of the Intel part, making it a legacy solution.

Where Each One Wins

Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics wins in raw compute performance. Its 2.534 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is 3.67x higher than the AMD part, making it suitable for compute-heavy tasks like GPGPU workloads or modern game engines that leverage FP32 shader operations. The Intel part also wins decisively in fill-rate-bound scenarios, with its 39.60 GPixel/s and 79.20 GTexel/s rates representing a 3.7x advantage over the HD 7770M. This translates to better performance in high-resolution rendering or texture-heavy scenes. The 4 GB memory capacity is another clear win, allowing for larger textures and datasets than the 1 GB frame buffer of the AMD part. The Intel GPU also wins on power efficiency, delivering higher performance at 25 W versus the AMD's 32 W TDP.

AMD Radeon HD 7770M wins in legacy compatibility scenarios. Its PCIe 2.0 x16 interface offers a wider bus connection, which may be relevant in older systems. The portable-device-dependent display outputs mean it can drive displays in laptop configurations, whereas the Iris Xe MAX has no outputs at all and must rely on iGPU passthrough. The AMD part also holds a slight advantage in its nearest-rival comparison: its closest competitor (AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT) is only 0.1% faster, while the Intel part's closest rival (AMD Radeon Vega 11) is 0.3% faster. This suggests the HD 7770M's performance positioning is marginally tighter against its peers. However, these are narrow wins. The benchmark score gap of 779 points (5.8%) in favor of Intel, combined with the overwhelming specification advantages, means the HD 7770M only wins in niche legacy or integration-specific use cases.