AMD Radeon HD 7770M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 7770M and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 represent two very different approaches to GPU design, separated by over three years of architectural evolution. The data reveals a fascinating split: in the single available head-to-head benchmark, the older mobile chip dominates, yet the desktop card's broader benchmark suite and specifications tell a more complex story. This analysis examines what the numbers show about these two end-of-life products, focusing strictly on the benchmark results, architectural data, and specifications provided.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is the Geekbench Metal test, and the results are striking. The AMD Radeon HD 7770M scores 13536, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 manages only 7172. This gives the AMD part a decisive 88.7% advantage in this specific workload. Such a large delta suggests the HD 7770M has a substantial edge in Metal-accelerated tasks, which is remarkable given the GTX 950 is a desktop card with higher memory bandwidth and more shading units.

However, this single data point requires careful interpretation. The GTX 950 has additional benchmark scores from other APIs, including a Geekbench OpenCL score of 15662 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 16734. The HD 7770M has no corresponding scores in those tests, meaning the comparison is incomplete. When looking at average benchmark scores, the HD 7770M posts 13536, while the GTX 950 averages 13189 across all its tested workloads. This puts the AMD card approximately 2.6% higher on average, but the GTX 950's Vulkan score of 16734 is notably higher than any single score from the AMD part.

The percentile rankings reinforce the closeness of these cards. The HD 7770M sits at the 54th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 950 is at the 53rd percentile. These are nearly identical positions in the overall performance distribution, suggesting that despite the lopsided Metal result, the two cards occupy similar performance tiers when considering all available data points. The nearest rival data further contextualizes this: the HD 7770M's closest competitor is the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, with a deltaPct of -0.1%, while the GTX 950's nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480, showing a -0.8% delta.

Where Each One Wins

The HD 7770M wins decisively in the Metal API workload, which is likely relevant for Apple ecosystem applications and Metal-based rendering tasks. Its 13536 score versus the GTX 950's 7172 represents an 88.7% advantage, making it the clear choice for Metal-specific compute or graphics workloads. The AMD card also holds a slight edge in average benchmark score, 13536 versus 13189, a difference of roughly 2.6%.

The GTX 950 demonstrates its strengths in other API environments. Its Vulkan score of 16734 is the highest single benchmark result between both cards, surpassing the HD 7770M's Metal score by about 23.6%. The OpenCL score of 15662 also shows the NVIDIA card performing strongly in general-purpose compute. These results suggest the GTX 950 is better suited for Vulkan-based games and OpenCL compute tasks, while the HD 7770M excels in Metal environments.

For users prioritizing cross-API consistency, the GTX 950 appears more versatile, with scores ranging from 7172 to 16734 across three different APIs. The HD 7770M has only one data point, making its versatility unknown. The win counts show the HD 7770M with 1 win and the GTX 950 with 0 wins in head-to-head comparisons, but this reflects the limited test coverage rather than overall superiority.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is profound. The AMD Radeon HD 7770M uses the Chelsea chip based on GCN 1.0 architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 28 nm process. It packs 1,500 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.2M per mm². The GTX 950 uses the GM206 chip with Maxwell 2.0 architecture, also on TSMC's 28 nm process, but contains 2,940 million transistors on a much larger 228 mm² die, achieving a slightly higher density of 12.9M per mm².

The compute resources differ substantially. The HD 7770M has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The GTX 950 nearly doubles the shading units to 768 and increases TMUs to 48 and ROPs to 32. This gives the GTX 950 much higher theoretical pixel and texture rates: 38.02 GPixel/s and 57.02 GTexel/s, respectively, compared to the HD 7770M's 10.80 GPixel/s and 21.60 GTexel/s. The FP32 throughput follows the same pattern, with the GTX 950 delivering 1.825 TFLOPS versus the HD 7770M's 691.2 GFLOPS.

Memory configurations also diverge. The HD 7770M comes with 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, providing 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The GTX 950 doubles capacity to 2 GB, maintains the same 128-bit bus width, but increases bandwidth to 105.8 GB/s with memory clocked at 1653 MHz (6.6 Gbps effective). The GTX 950 also has explicit clock specifications with 1024 MHz base and 1188 MHz boost clocks, while the HD 7770M's core clocks are not listed in the data.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7770M has an average benchmark score of 13536, which is approximately 2.6% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950's average of 13189.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two cards?

A: In the Geekbench Metal test, the HD 7770M scores 13536 versus the GTX 950's 7172, representing an 88.7% advantage for the AMD card.

Q: Does the GTX 950 have any benchmark scores higher than the HD 7770M's best?

A: Yes, the GTX 950 achieves a Geekbench Vulkan score of 16734, which exceeds the HD 7770M's Metal score of 13536 by about 23.6%.

Q: How do the memory bandwidth figures compare?

A: The GTX 950 provides 105.8 GB/s of bandwidth, while the HD 7770M delivers 64.00 GB/s, giving the NVIDIA card approximately 65% more memory bandwidth.

Q: What are the transistor counts for each GPU?

A: The HD 7770M contains 1,500 million transistors, while the GTX 950 has 2,940 million transistors, nearly double the AMD chip.

Q: Which GPU has a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The HD 7770M ranks at the 54th percentile, while the GTX 950 ranks at the 53rd percentile, making them nearly equivalent in overall standing.

Specification Differences

• Chip: AMD uses Chelsea; NVIDIA uses GM206
• Architecture: GCN 1.0 versus Maxwell 2.0
• Transistors: 1,500 million versus 2,940 million
• Die Size: 123 mm² versus 228 mm²
• Transistor Density: 12.2M / mm² versus 12.9M / mm²
• Memory Size: 1024 MB versus 2 GB
• Memory Clock: 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) versus 1653 MHz (6.6 Gbps effective)
• Memory Bandwidth: 64.00 GB/s versus 105.8 GB/s
• Shading Units: 512 versus 768
• TMUs: 32 versus 48
• ROPs: 16 versus 32
• Pixel Rate: 10.80 GPixel/s versus 38.02 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 21.60 GTexel/s versus 57.02 GTexel/s
• FP32: 691.2 GFLOPS versus 1.825 TFLOPS
• TDP: 32 W versus 90 W
• Bus Interface: PCIe 2.0 x16 versus PCIe 3.0 x16
• Display Outputs: Portable Device Dependent versus 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2
• DirectX Support: 12 (11_1) versus 12 (12_1)
• Vulkan Support: 1.2.170 versus 1.4
• Release Date: 2012-04-23 versus 2015-08-19
• Launch MSRP: None listed versus 159 USD

The Verdict

The data paints a nuanced picture for potential users. Those working in Metal-based environments should clearly favor the AMD Radeon HD 7770M, as its 88.7% advantage in the Metal benchmark is substantial and directly relevant to such workloads. Its lower TDP of 32 W also makes it more suitable for power-constrained portable systems, which aligns with its "Portable Device Dependent" display outputs.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 is the better choice for users needing Vulkan performance, where it achieves its highest score of 16734. Its superior memory bandwidth of 105.8 GB/s, doubled memory capacity of 2 GB, and higher pixel and texture rates make it architecturally stronger for traditional rasterization workloads. The GTX 950's PCIe 3.0 interface and broader display output options (1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2) provide more flexibility for desktop configurations. Its launch MSRP was 159 USD, though pricing should not factor into purchasing decisions.

The overall performance parity, evidenced by the 54th versus 53rd percentile rankings and the narrow 2.6% average score difference, indicates that neither card is categorically superior. The choice depends entirely on the target application: Metal-heavy workflows favor the AMD part, while Vulkan and OpenCL workloads plus modern API support favor the NVIDIA card. The GTX 950's higher TDP of 90 W reflects its greater compute resources, but this comes with the need for a 250 W suggested PSU and a 1x 6-pin power connector, which the HD 7770M does not require.