AMD Radeon HD 7790 vs AMD Radeon RX 460 Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 460 and AMD Radeon HD 7790 represent two distinct eras of AMD's graphics architecture, separated by nearly three and a half years of process technology and design evolution. The data places them almost neck-and-neck in overall performance, with the RX 460 holding a 62nd percentile ranking against all GPUs and the HD 7790 sitting just one spot lower at the 61st percentile. Their average benchmark scores of 18,373 and 17,666 respectively show a difference of only 4%, yet the underlying hardware tells a story of significant generational change. The newer card leverages a much more efficient 14 nm process and a smaller die, while the older card relies on a larger 28 nm chip with more transistors packed into a bigger physical footprint. The benchmark results, however, reveal that architectural efficiency does not always translate directly into raw performance supremacy.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct head-to-head benchmark available in the data is Geekbench Metal, and it delivers a surprising result. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 posts a score of 17,666, beating the AMD Radeon RX 460's score of 17,065 by a margin of 3.4%. This is a notable outcome because the RX 460 is the newer product, built on a more advanced GCN 4.0 architecture, yet it trails its predecessor in this specific API test. The delta of -3.4% for the RX 460 indicates that the older card holds a clear, if modest, advantage in Metal compute workloads. This single win gives the HD 7790 a 1-0 record in the head-to-head comparison.

Beyond this direct comparison, the two cards' positions among their nearest rivals provide additional context. The RX 460's average score of 18,373 places it within a tight cluster of competitors, sitting just 0.1% behind the Intel Arc A770M and 0.9% behind the AMD FirePro D500. It edges out the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 by 1% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile by 1.2%. The HD 7790, with its average of 17,666, is similarly clustered, landing just 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon 780M. The data shows that the HD 7790 also leads the AMD Radeon Pro 560 by 0.7%, while trailing the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 by 0.7%. These tight margins across both cards suggest that the RX 460 and HD 7790 are operating in a performance tier where a few percentage points separate them from modern integrated graphics and older professional workstation parts.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two cards is substantial, starting with the manufacturing process. The RX 460 uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the HD 7790 uses a larger 28 nm process at TSMC. This process shrink allows the RX 460 to pack 3,000 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 24.4 million per square millimeter. The HD 7790, by contrast, contains 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, with a significantly lower density of 13.0 million per square millimeter. The RX 460 is built on GCN 4.0 architecture under the Arctic Islands generation, while the HD 7790 uses GCN 2.0 from the Southern Islands generation. Both chips, Baffin for the RX 460 and Bonaire for the HD 7790, share the same core configuration of 896 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs.

Clock speeds and memory configurations diverge sharply. The RX 460 runs at a base clock of 1090 MHz with a boost of 1200 MHz, while the HD 7790 has no listed base or boost clocks, though its memory runs at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) compared to the RX 460's 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective). The RX 460's memory configuration consists of 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 112.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The HD 7790 offers only 1024 MB of GDDR5 on the same 128-bit bus, resulting in 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth. These memory differences are critical, as the RX 460 provides 17% more bandwidth and double the capacity. The RX 460 also supports newer display standards, including HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4a, whereas the HD 7790 is limited to HDMI 1.4a and mini-DisplayPort 1.2. The RX 460 further advances in API support with Vulkan 1.3 versus Vulkan 1.2.170 on the HD 7790, though both support DirectX 12 (12_0) and OpenGL 4.6.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 460 wins decisively in efficiency and modern feature support. Its 75 W TDP is lower than the HD 7790's 85 W, and it requires no power connectors at all, whereas the HD 7790 needs a single 6-pin connector. Both cards suggest a 250 W power supply, but the RX 460's lower power draw and smaller 170 mm length (versus 183 mm for the HD 7790) make it the more flexible option for compact builds. The RX 460's 2 GB memory capacity is double that of the HD 7790, which matters for modern games and applications that exceed 1 GB of usage. Its higher pixel rate of 19.20 GPixel/s and texture rate of 67.20 GTexel/s also outpace the HD 7790's 16.00 GPixel/s and 56.00 GTexel/s, respectively. Compute performance follows suit, with the RX 460 delivering 2.150 TFLOPS of FP32 performance compared to the HD 7790's 1.792 TFLOPS.

The HD 7790 wins in raw benchmark performance in the available test, but its advantages elsewhere are limited. Its Metal score of 17,666 is higher, and it holds a slightly better position relative to its nearest rivals in some cases. The HD 7790 also uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, while the RX 460 uses only PCIe 3.0 x8, which could theoretically provide more bandwidth in certain workloads. However, the HD 7790's 1 GB memory capacity is a significant handicap for modern use, and its older display outputs and lower Vulkan support make it less suitable for current software environments. The HD 7790 does have a launch MSRP of 149 USD, a detail noted for reference.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in Geekbench Metal?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7790 wins the Metal benchmark with a score of 17,666, beating the RX 460's 17,065 by 3.4%.

Q: How do the two cards compare in memory capacity and bandwidth?

A: The RX 460 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory with 112.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the HD 7790 has 1024 MB with 96.00 GB/s. The RX 460 offers double the capacity and 16 GB/s more bandwidth.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The RX 460 has a 75 W TDP and requires no power connectors, while the HD 7790 has an 85 W TDP and needs a single 6-pin connector. Both recommend a 250 W power supply.

Q: Do both cards support DirectX 12?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 (12_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The RX 460 supports Vulkan 1.3, while the HD 7790 supports Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: Which card has a smaller physical footprint?

A: The RX 460 is 170 mm (6.7 inches) long, while the HD 7790 is 183 mm (7.2 inches) long. Both are dual-slot cards.

Q: How do the cards rank against all other GPUs?

A: The RX 460 sits at the 62nd percentile, while the HD 7790 sits at the 61st percentile. Their average benchmark scores are 18,373 and 17,666, respectively.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 460 | AMD Radeon HD 7790 |

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

| Architecture | GCN 4.0 | GCN 2.0 |

| Generation | Arctic Islands (RX 400) | Southern Islands (HD 7700) |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 28 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | TSMC |

| Transistors | 3,000 million | 2,080 million |

| Die Size | 123 mm² | 160 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 24.4M / mm² | 13.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1090 MHz | Not listed |

| Boost Clock | 1200 MHz | Not listed |

| Memory Clock | 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective) | 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 2 GB | 1024 MB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |

| Bandwidth | 112.0 GB/s | 96.00 GB/s |

| Pixel Rate | 19.20 GPixel/s | 16.00 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 67.20 GTexel/s | 56.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 2.150 TFLOPS | 1.792 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 2.150 TFLOPS (1:1) | Not listed |

| TDP | 75 W | 85 W |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 6-pin |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x8 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 |

| Vulkan Support | 1.3 | 1.2.170 |

| Length | 170 mm (6.7 inches) | 183 mm (7.2 inches) |

| Release Date | 2016-08-07 | 2013-03-21 |

| Predecessor | Pirate Islands | Northern Islands |

| Successor | Polaris | Sea Islands |

| Launch MSRP | Not listed | 149 USD |