AMD Radeon HD 7790 vs AMD Radeon RX 9060 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data presents an unusual comparison: the AMD Radeon HD 7790 and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 do not share any common benchmark tests in the database. This means a direct, same-test comparison is not possible from the available measurements. Instead, the analysis must rely on their individual average benchmark scores and how each sits relative to its nearest rivals.

The AMD Radeon HD 7790 posts an average benchmark score of 17,666. This places it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs tracked. Its closest competitor in the database is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, which scores 17,639, a difference of just 0.2% in favor of the HD 7790. The data also shows the HD 7790 ahead of the AMD Radeon 780M (17,588, a 0.4% margin) and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17,551, a 0.7% margin). However, it trails the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000, which scores 17,789, a 0.7% deficit.

The AMD Radeon RX 9060, by contrast, has a lower average benchmark score of 16,014, placing it in the 59th percentile. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 16,129, meaning the RX 9060 trails by 0.7%. The RX 9060 is ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15,862, a 1.0% lead), the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15,852, a 1.0% lead), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15,679, a 2.1% lead).

The headline takeaway is surprising: the older HD 7790 shows a higher average score than the newer RX 9060. The difference is 1,652 points, or roughly 10.3% in favor of the HD 7790 based on their averages. Yet this does not tell the whole story. The RX 9060 has a much broader set of benchmark results, including DirectX 9, 10, 11, 12, OpenCL, Vulkan, and compute tests. The HD 7790 has only one recorded test (Geekbench Metal). The RX 9060’s average is pulled down by its low scores in legacy DirectX tests, such as a Passmark DirectX 9 score of 280, a DirectX 10 score of 104, and a DirectX 11 score of 182. Its Passmark DirectX 12 score is even lower at 44. These legacy API scores are far below its modern API results.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 7790 wins in aggregate scoring and percentile standing. Its single Geekbench Metal score of 17,666 is higher than the RX 9060’s overall average. This suggests that in the specific Metal API workload, the HD 7790 performs admirably, even against much newer hardware. It also wins on percentile placement, sitting at 61st versus 59th for the RX 9060.

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 wins in raw compute and modern API performance. Its Geekbench OpenCL score is 88,183, and its Geekbench Vulkan score is 39,476. These are dramatically higher than anything the HD 7790 can show in the same categories, though the HD 7790 has no OpenCL or Vulkan scores recorded. The RX 9060 also shows strength in Passmark G3D (17,631) and Passmark GPU Compute (9,919). Its Passmark G2D score is 1,002.

The RX 9060 demonstrates versatility across many API generations. It has results for DirectX 9 through 12, OpenCL, Vulkan, and 2D/3D graphics. The HD 7790 has a single API result. This breadth of testing suggests the RX 9060 is a more thoroughly validated product in the database, with consistent performance across a wide range of workloads. The HD 7790’s high average comes from a narrow sample, which may not reflect its performance in other APIs.

In terms of head-to-head wins, the database records zero wins for either product, as there are no shared benchmarks. The win count is 0 for both. This is a critical detail: no single test pits these two directly against each other.

The Verdict

The data suggests a nuanced choice. If a user relies on the single recorded Geekbench Metal score, the AMD Radeon HD 7790 appears stronger. It also holds a higher percentile rank (61st versus 59th). However, this is a limited view.

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the more complete product in terms of measured capabilities. Its OpenCL score of 88,183 and Vulkan score of 39,476 indicate far superior compute and modern graphics performance. Its Passmark G3D score of 17,631 is close to the HD 7790’s average, and its GPU compute score of 9,919 is substantial. The RX 9060 also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the HD 7790 supports DirectX 12 (12_0). The RX 9060’s Vulkan support is version 1.4 versus 1.2.170 for the HD 7790.

For a user prioritizing modern API support, compute workloads, and future-proofing, the RX 9060 is the clear choice based on the data. For a user who only cares about the specific Geekbench Metal metric, the HD 7790 holds the edge. The overall average score favors the HD 7790, but this is heavily influenced by the lack of diverse test data for that card. The RX 9060’s lower average is dragged down by its very low legacy DirectX scores, which may not be representative of real-world modern gaming or compute tasks.

The verdict from the database: the RX 9060 is the more capable card for a wide range of tasks, while the HD 7790 wins on a narrow but notable metric. Neither product dominates across all recorded measurements.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7790 has an average score of 17,666, which is higher than the AMD Radeon RX 9060’s average of 16,014.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The RX 9060 trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti by 0.7% in average score (16,014 versus 16,129).

Q: What is the RX 9060’s best recorded benchmark score?

A: The RX 9060’s highest score is its Geekbench OpenCL result of 88,183.

Q: Does the HD 7790 have any advantage in modern API support?

A: No. The HD 7790 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170, while the RX 9060 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: How many benchmark wins does each card have in direct comparison?

A: Neither card has any direct wins, as there are no shared benchmark tests recorded between the two.

Q: What is the percentile ranking for each card?

A: The HD 7790 is in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 9060 is in the 59th percentile.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon HD 7790 is built on the Bonaire chip, using the GCN 2.0 architecture, part of the Southern Islands generation (HD 7700). It is fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC, with 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die. The transistor density is 13.0 million per mm².

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 uses the Navi 44 chip, based on RDNA 4.0 architecture, with the codename Strix Point, part of the Navi IV (RX 9000) generation. It is built on a 4 nm process at TSMC, packing 29,700 million transistors into a 199 mm² die. This yields a transistor density of 149.2 million per mm², over ten times denser than the HD 7790.

The RX 9060 includes 28 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the HD 7790. The RX 9060 also supports FP16 compute at a 1:1 ratio (21.43 TFLOPS), while the HD 7790 has no FP16 capability listed. The HD 7790’s FP32 throughput is 1.792 TFLOPS, while the RX 9060 reaches 21.43 TFLOPS, a 12-fold increase in raw shader math.

The RX 9060 uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, while the HD 7790 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs differ as well: the RX 9060 offers 1x HDMI 2.1b and 2x DisplayPort 2.1a, whereas the HD 7790 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2. The RX 9060 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The HD 7790 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every measurable specification. The HD 7790 has 896 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 16 raster output units. The RX 9060 more than doubles these: 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RX 9060 also adds 28 ray tracing cores where the HD 7790 has none.

Memory configurations are starkly different. The HD 7790 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 9060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 on the same 128-bit bus, but with a much higher bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s.

Clock speeds favor the RX 9060. Its base clock is 1700 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. The HD 7790 has no base or boost clock listed, only a memory clock of 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective). The RX 9060’s memory clock is 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective).

Pixel and texture rates show the RX 9060’s advantage. The HD 7790 achieves 16.00 GPixel/s and 56.00 GTexel/s. The RX 9060 achieves 191.4 GPixel/s and 334.9 GTexel/s.

Power requirements differ. The HD 7790 has a TDP of 85 W and requires a 250 W suggested PSU, using a single 6-pin connector. The RX 9060 has a TDP of 132 W, a suggested PSU of 300 W, and uses a single 8-pin connector. Both are dual-slot cards.

The HD 7790 measures 183 mm (7.2 inches) in length; the RX 9060’s dimensions are not recorded. The HD 7790 was released on 2013-03-21, while the RX 9060 was released on 2025-08-04. The HD 7790 is end-of-life, while the RX 9060 is active. The HD 7790 has a launch MSRP of 149 USD; the RX 9060 has no launch MSRP recorded.