AMD Radeon HD 7770M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark database contains no direct head-to-head test results for the AMD Radeon HD 7770M and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660. However, the recorded average benchmark scores and their percentile placements provide a clear picture of the performance gap. The AMD Radeon HD 7770M records an average benchmark score of 13,536, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 records an average of 11,680. This is a notable inversion: the older mobile GPU actually holds a higher average score in the database, by 1,856 points, which is approximately 15.9% higher than the GTX 1660’s average.

The HD 7770M’s single recorded benchmark is Geekbench Metal, where it scores 13,536. This places it in the 54th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals in that test are tightly clustered: the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT scores 13,543 (a delta of -0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 scores 13,515 (a delta of 0.2%), the NVIDIA P106-090 scores 13,470 (a delta of 0.5%), and the AMD Radeon Pro 555 scores 13,407 (a delta of 1%). The HD 7770M is effectively at parity with the RX 9070 XT in this specific Metal workload, trailing by only 0.1%, and it leads the GTX 570 by a marginal 0.2%. These deltas are within noise, indicating that the HD 7770M’s Metal performance is competitive with much newer hardware in the database.

The GTX 1660’s benchmark profile is broader, spanning multiple DirectX and compute workloads. Its best scores come from Geekbench Vulkan at 50,137 and Geekbench OpenCL at 47,850, with a Passmark G3D score of 11,646. Its average score of 11,680 places it in the 51st percentile, slightly below the HD 7770M’s 54th percentile. The GTX 1660’s nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT at 11,627 (a delta of 0.5%), the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M at 11,528 (a delta of 1.3%), the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT at 11,842 (a delta of -1.4%), and the NVIDIA Tesla K20c at 11,479 (a delta of 1.8%). The GTX 1660 sits just above the RX 7800 XT by 0.5% and just below the RX 6500 XT by 1.4%, showing that its average score is competitive with those modern cards.

The data shows that in the aggregate, the HD 7770M outperforms the GTX 1660 in the database’s average benchmark metric, but this is driven by a single Metal workload. The GTX 1660’s multiple DirectX and OpenCL scores demonstrate a wider range of capabilities, but none of its individual scores reach the HD 7770M’s single Geekbench Metal score of 13,536. The GTX 1660’s best single score, 50,137 in Vulkan, is in a different test category and cannot be directly compared to the Metal result. The recorded wins count stands at zero for both parts, reflecting the absence of direct head-to-head tests.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural eras and manufacturing processes. The AMD Radeon HD 7770M is built on GCN 1.0 architecture, using the Chelsea chip, and is fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 uses the Turing architecture with the TU116 chip, also fabricated by TSMC but on a 12 nm process. This process difference is significant: the GTX 1660 packs 6,600 million transistors on a 284 mm² die, while the HD 7770M contains 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. The transistor density reflects this: the GTX 1660 achieves 23.2 million transistors per mm², compared to the HD 7770M’s 12.2 million per mm².

The GTX 1660’s compute resources dwarf the HD 7770M’s in raw count. The GTX 1660 has 1,408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units. The HD 7770M has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. These counts translate into substantially higher theoretical throughput for the GTX 1660: its pixel rate is 85.68 GPixel/s versus 10.80 GPixel/s for the HD 7770M, and its texture rate is 157.1 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance tells the same story: the GTX 1660 delivers 5.027 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the HD 7770M manages 691.2 GFLOPS. The GTX 1660 also supports FP16 at 10.05 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, a feature the HD 7770M does not list.

Memory architecture diverges sharply as well. The HD 7770M uses 1,024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 1660 uses 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, yielding 192.1 GB/s of bandwidth. Memory clocks also differ: the HD 7770M runs at 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective, while the GTX 1660 runs at 2001 MHz with 8 Gbps effective. The GTX 1660’s memory subsystem provides three times the capacity and three times the bandwidth of the HD 7770M.

API support shows generational progress. The HD 7770M supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 1660 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The GTX 1660’s higher DirectX feature level and newer Vulkan version reflect its newer architecture. Power consumption also differs greatly: the HD 7770M is rated at 32 W TDP, while the GTX 1660 is rated at 120 W TDP, with a suggested PSU of 300 W and a single 8-pin power connector. The GTX 1660 is a dual-slot card measuring 229 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 35 mm in width, while the HD 7770M’s dimensions are listed as portable device dependent.

The Verdict

The data presents an unusual conclusion: the AMD Radeon HD 7770M holds a higher average benchmark score in the database, at 13,536 versus 11,680 for the GTX 1660, and sits in a higher percentile (54th versus 51st). However, this advantage comes from a single Geekbench Metal result, which is a workload where the HD 7770M appears to excel relative to its peers. The GTX 1660’s broader benchmark suite, including DirectX 9 through DirectX 12 tests and compute workloads, demonstrates capabilities across multiple API generations that the HD 7770M does not match in recorded tests.

For users prioritizing raw average benchmark standing, the HD 7770M has the edge in this database. Its Metal score puts it in the company of the RX 9070 XT, trailing by only 0.1%, and ahead of the GTX 570 by 0.2%. This is a remarkable result for a 2012-era mobile GPU. For users who need consistent performance across DirectX titles, the GTX 1660’s Passmark scores provide evidence of broader compatibility, with DirectX 11 scoring 79, DirectX 12 scoring 49, DirectX 10 scoring 61, and DirectX 9 scoring 177. The GTX 1660 also shows strong compute performance with a Passmark GPU Compute score of 4,963 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 47,850.

The verdict from the database is that the HD 7770M wins the aggregate benchmark comparison, but the GTX 1660 wins on architectural capability and API coverage. The GTX 1660’s 6 GB memory capacity, 192-bit bus, and 192.1 GB/s bandwidth are categorically superior to the HD 7770M’s 1 GB, 128-bit bus, and 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 1660’s 5.027 TFLOPS FP32 compute is over seven times the HD 7770M’s 691.2 GFLOPS. These specification advantages do not translate into a higher average score in the database, which suggests that the HD 7770M’s Metal workload is either particularly favorable to its architecture or that the GTX 1660’s scores are dragged down by older DirectX tests.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon HD 7770M | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 |

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

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Turing |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 12 nm |

| Transistors | 1,500 million | 6,600 million |

| Die Size | 123 mm² | 284 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.2M / mm² | 23.2M / mm² |

| Shading Units | 512 | 1,408 |

| TMUs | 32 | 88 |

| ROPs | 16 | 48 |

| Memory Size | 1,024 MB | 6 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 64.00 GB/s | 192.1 GB/s |

| Pixel Rate | 10.80 GPixel/s | 85.68 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 21.60 GTexel/s | 157.1 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 691.2 GFLOPS | 5.027 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | Not listed | 10.05 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 32 W | 120 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

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

| Vulkan Support | 1.2.170 | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2012-04-23 | 2019-03-13 |

| Launch MSRP | Not listed | 219 USD |

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score in the database?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7770M has the higher average score at 13,536, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660’s 11,680.

Q: How does the HD 7770M compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT?

A: The HD 7770M trails the RX 9070 XT by only 0.1% in the database, with scores of 13,536 and 13,543 respectively.

Q: What is the GTX 1660’s best recorded benchmark score?

A: The GTX 1660’s best recorded score is 50,137 in Geekbench Vulkan, followed by 47,850 in Geekbench OpenCL.

Q: What memory configuration does each GPU use?

A: The HD 7770M uses 1,024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 1660 uses 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 192.1 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has higher theoretical compute throughput?

A: The GTX 1660 has significantly higher compute throughput, with 5.027 TFLOPS FP32 and 10.05 TFLOPS FP16, versus 691.2 GFLOPS FP32 for the HD 7770M.

Q: What are the power consumption ratings for each GPU?

A: The HD 7770M is rated at 32 W TDP, while the GTX 1660 is rated at 120 W TDP with a suggested PSU of 300 W.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 7770M wins in the database’s aggregate benchmark metric. Its average score of 13,536 places it in the 54th percentile, above the GTX 1660’s 51st percentile. Its Geekbench Metal score of 13,536 is its sole recorded benchmark, and it competes favorably with modern GPUs in that workload, sitting just 0.1% behind the RX 9070 XT and 0.2% ahead of the GTX 570. For any workload that resembles the Metal API test, the HD 7770M shows surprising strength.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 wins on architectural specifications and API coverage. Its 1,408 shading units, 88 TMUs, and 48 ROPs provide a foundation for higher theoretical throughput, and its 5.027 TFLOPS FP32 compute is more than seven times the HD 7770M’s 691.2 GFLOPS. The GTX 1660’s 6 GB memory capacity and 192.1 GB/s bandwidth are decisive advantages over the HD 7770M’s 1 GB and 64.00 GB/s. Its DirectX 12 (12_1) support and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility are newer than the HD 7770M’s DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170.

The GTX 1660 also wins on benchmark breadth. It has recorded scores across Passmark DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 tests, plus G2D, G3D, and GPU Compute tests, and Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan tests. The HD 7770M has only a single Geekbench Metal result. For users who value a GPU that performs across multiple API generations, the GTX 1660’s recorded data shows broader compatibility. For users who value the highest single benchmark score and percentile placement, the HD 7770M leads. The database records zero wins for each GPU in direct head-to-head tests, so the split is determined entirely by aggregate scores and specification analysis.