AMD Radeon HD 7770M vs NVIDIA Quadro K4200 Comparison

The NVIDIA Quadro K4200 and AMD Radeon HD 7770M represent two very different approaches to GPU design from the same 28 nm TSMC manufacturing process. The K4200 is a workstation-focused card built on the Kepler architecture, while the HD 7770M is a mobile chip using GCN 1.0. Their benchmark results, however, tell a story that is not immediately obvious from their specifications alone.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The available benchmark data shows the AMD Radeon HD 7770M holding a surprising edge in raw compute scores. The HD 7770M achieves an average benchmark score of 13536, based on its Geekbench Metal result of 13536. This places it 9.2% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro K4200’s average benchmark score of 12398, which is derived from Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan scores of 12313 and 12482 respectively. In the percentile rankings, the HD 7770M sits at the 54th percentile of all GPUs, while the K4200 sits at the 52nd percentile, reinforcing that the mobile AMD part outperforms the desktop NVIDIA card in these specific compute workloads.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each card provides additional context. The Quadro K4200’s average score places it just 1.8% behind the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm, which posts an average score of 12625. It is also 2.5% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT (12710) and 2.9% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 (12773). However, the K4200 is 3.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A, which has an average score of 11998. These tight margins suggest the K4200 is firmly in a mid-range performance tier, trading blows with cards from several generations and market segments.

The Radeon HD 7770M’s nearest rivals show an even more compressed field. It is essentially tied with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, trailing by only 0.1% (13543 vs 13536). It leads the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 by 0.2% (13515), the NVIDIA P106-090 by 0.5% (13470), and the AMD Radeon Pro 555 by 1.0% (13407). This clustering indicates that the HD 7770M, despite its age and mobile positioning, delivers compute performance that rivals much newer and more powerful desktop parts in the Geekbench Metal test.

The largest gap in either direction is the 9.2% advantage the HD 7770M holds over the K4200 in average score. This is a significant margin, especially considering the K4200 has a substantially larger GPU die, more memory, and a much higher power envelope. The benchmark data suggests that the architecture and driver optimization for Metal compute on the AMD side yields better results than the Kepler-based NVIDIA card in this specific test.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the AMD Radeon HD 7770M is the superior choice for compute-heavy workloads. Its average benchmark score of 13536 is measurably higher than the NVIDIA Quadro K4200’s 12398, and it claims a higher percentile ranking at 54 versus 52. Anyone prioritizing raw Geekbench compute scores should select the HD 7770M.

However, the decision is not purely about raw scores. The Quadro K4200 offers 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 172.8 GB/s of bandwidth, compared to the HD 7770M’s 1 GB on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s. For workloads that depend on memory capacity or bandwidth, the K4200 has a clear structural advantage that is not captured in the reported Geekbench scores. The data shows the HD 7770M wins on compute throughput, but the K4200 wins on memory resources.

For users running applications that fit within 1 GB of VRAM and rely on compute shaders, the HD 7770M is the better performer. For users who need larger frame buffers for display or data residency, the K4200 is the safer choice. The data does not support a universal winner; it supports two different winners for two different use cases.

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA Quadro K4200 is built on the Kepler architecture, using the GK104 chip. This is a 28 nm design from TSMC, containing 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 12.0M per mm². The architecture is designed for professional workstation tasks, with a focus on geometry throughput and driver stability. The K4200 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175.

The AMD Radeon HD 7770M uses the GCN 1.0 architecture, based on the Chelsea chip. It is also a 28 nm TSMC part, but it is much smaller, with 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 12.2M per mm². GCN 1.0 was AMD’s first unified shader architecture, designed for general-purpose compute. The HD 7770M supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The higher DirectX feature level on the AMD part is notable.

The transistor density is nearly identical between the two (12.0M versus 12.2M per mm²), indicating that both chips were designed at the same process maturity. The key difference is scale: the K4200 uses 2.36 times as many transistors and a die that is 2.39 times larger. This scale difference is reflected in the shading unit count, where the K4200 has 1344 shaders versus the HD 7770M’s 512, and in texture units, where the K4200 has 112 versus 32.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every measurable specification. The NVIDIA Quadro K4200 has a base clock of 771 MHz and a boost clock of 784 MHz, while the AMD Radeon HD 7770M has no listed base or boost clocks. Memory clocks also differ: the K4200 runs at 1350 MHz, translating to 5.4 Gbps effective, while the HD 7770M runs at 1000 MHz, or 4 Gbps effective.

Memory configuration is a major divergence. The K4200 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 172.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The HD 7770M has 1 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 64.00 GB/s. The K4200 has 32 ROPs and 112 TMUs, while the HD 7770M has 16 ROPs and 32 TMUs. Pixel rate is 21.95 GPixel/s for the K4200 versus 10.80 GPixel/s for the HD 7770M. Texture rate is 87.81 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 2.107 TFLOPS for the K4200 versus 691.2 GFLOPS for the HD 7770M.

Power consumption is another stark difference. The K4200 has a TDP of 108 W, requires a single 6-pin power connector, and needs a 300 W suggested PSU. It is a single-slot card measuring 241 mm in length and 111 mm in height. The HD 7770M has a TDP of 32 W, no listed power connectors, no slot width, and no dimensions, as it is designed for portable devices. The K4200 offers 1x DVI and 2x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, while the HD 7770M’s display outputs are portable device dependent.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7770M has a higher average benchmark score of 13536, compared to the NVIDIA Quadro K4200’s 12398.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of each card?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K4200 has a memory bandwidth of 172.8 GB/s, while the AMD Radeon HD 7770M has a memory bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s.

Q: How does the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 compare to its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670?

A: The Quadro K4200’s average score of 12398 is 2.9% behind the GeForce GTX 670’s average score of 12773.

Q: What is the transistor count difference between the two GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K4200 contains 3,540 million transistors, while the AMD Radeon HD 7770M contains 1,500 million transistors.

Q: Which card supports a higher DirectX version?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7770M supports DirectX 12 (11_1), while the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 supports DirectX 12 (11_0).

Q: What is the TDP of each card?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K4200 has a TDP of 108 W, and the AMD Radeon HD 7770M has a TDP of 32 W.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 7770M wins decisively in compute benchmark scores. Its Geekbench Metal result of 13536 is the sole data point, but it drives the card to a 9.2% advantage over the Quadro K4200 in average score. The HD 7770M also holds a higher percentile ranking at 54 versus 52. For any application that is primarily compute-bound and fits within 1 GB of memory, the HD 7770M is the stronger performer.

The NVIDIA Quadro K4200 wins in specifications that matter for memory-heavy workloads. Its 4 GB frame buffer is four times larger, and its 172.8 GB/s bandwidth is 2.7 times higher. The K4200 also has significantly higher fill rates: 21.95 GPixel/s versus 10.80 GPixel/s, and 87.81 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s. Its FP32 compute of 2.107 TFLOPS is over three times the HD 7770M’s 691.2 GFLOPS, even though this advantage does not translate to the Geekbench scores.

The K4200 also wins on display connectivity, with dedicated DVI and DisplayPort outputs, whereas the HD 7770M relies on portable device dependent outputs. The K4200’s larger die and transistor count suggest it is built for sustained professional workloads, while the HD 7770M’s 32 W TDP makes it suitable for thin mobile devices. The data shows the HD 7770M wins on raw compute, but the K4200 wins on memory capacity, bandwidth, and output flexibility.