AMD Radeon HD 7790 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 7790 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 represent two very different eras of graphics hardware, yet the benchmark data places them in an unusually close contest. The HD 7790, a 28 nm GCN 2.0 part from 2013, and the RTX 4060, a 5 nm Ada Lovelace chip from 2023, both land at the 61st percentile among all GPUs, with average benchmark scores of 17,666 and 17,639, respectively. This near-identical performance profile, despite a decade of architectural evolution, raises immediate questions about how these cards compare across different workloads and what the data implies for potential buyers.

FAQ

Q: How do the average benchmark scores of the AMD Radeon HD 7790 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 compare?

A: The HD 7790 has an average benchmark score of 17,666, while the RTX 4060 scores 17,639. This puts the HD 7790 ahead by a razor-thin margin of 0.2% according to the nearestRivals data, making them statistically equivalent in overall performance.

Q: What is the performance gap between the two cards in their direct comparison?

A: According to the nearestRivals data for the HD 7790, the RTX 4060 has a deltaPct of 0.2%, meaning the HD 7790 is 0.2% faster. From the RTX 4060's perspective, the HD 7790 has a deltaPct of -0.2%, confirming the same negligible difference in favor of the older AMD card.

Q: Which card has a higher shading unit count, and does that translate to a performance advantage?

A: The RTX 4060 has 3,072 shading units compared to the HD 7790's 896. Despite having over three times the shading units, the RTX 4060's benchmark scores are essentially tied with the HD 7790, indicating that raw unit counts do not directly determine real-world performance in this comparison.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each card?

A: The HD 7790 features 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 4060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s bandwidth, offering significantly more capacity and nearly three times the bandwidth.

Q: How do the power requirements differ between the two cards?

A: The HD 7790 has a TDP of 85 W and a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the RTX 4060 has a TDP of 115 W and a suggested PSU of 300 W. The RTX 4060 draws more power but delivers far higher compute performance in raw throughput metrics.

Q: What architectural features does the RTX 4060 have that the HD 7790 lacks?

A: The RTX 4060 includes 24 ray tracing cores and 96 tensor cores, neither of which exist on the HD 7790. It also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) compared to the HD 7790's DirectX 12 (12_0), and offers a newer Vulkan version of 1.4 versus 1.2.170.

The Verdict

The data presents a surprising conclusion: for general benchmark performance, these two GPUs are effectively indistinguishable. The HD 7790 edges out the RTX 4060 by 0.2% in average score, a margin well within any measurement variance. However, the choice between them depends entirely on the specific use case. The RTX 4060 is the clear choice for anyone needing modern feature support, as it alone provides ray tracing hardware, tensor cores, and DirectX 12 Ultimate. It also offers 8 GB of memory versus 1 GB, which is critical for modern game textures and resolution demands. The HD 7790, despite its age, matches the RTX 4060 in the single Geekbench Metal test recorded, suggesting that for certain legacy or compute workloads, it remains competitive. Buyers prioritizing raw benchmark numbers might find either adequate, but the RTX 4060's feature set and memory capacity make it the more versatile and future-proof option, provided power consumption is not a primary concern.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark data between these two cards is empty, meaning no direct comparative tests were recorded across identical workloads. Instead, the comparison relies on their respective average scores and nearestRivals listings. The HD 7790's only benchmark is a Geekbench Metal score of 17,666, while the RTX 4060 has a broader suite of results. In the nearestRivals data, the HD 7790 lists the RTX 4060 with a deltaPct of 0.2%, indicating the HD 7790 is ahead. Conversely, the RTX 4060 lists the HD 7790 with a deltaPct of -0.2%, confirming the same relationship. This symmetry in the data suggests that the two cards are benchmark twins, with neither holding a meaningful advantage in aggregate performance. The RTX 4060’s individual benchmarks, such as a Geekbench OpenCL score of 95,057 and a Passmark G3D score of 19,545, show its capability across various APIs, but without a corresponding HD 7790 score in those same tests, direct comparisons are impossible.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ fundamentally in almost every specification category. The HD 7790 uses a 28 nm process node, while the RTX 4060 uses 5 nm, both from TSMC. Transistor counts diverge sharply: the HD 7790 has 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, whereas the RTX 4060 packs 18,900 million transistors into a 159 mm² die. This results in a transistor density of 13.0M per mm² for the HD 7790 versus 118.9M per mm² for the RTX 4060. Memory capacity differs by 8x, with the HD 7790 offering 1024 MB and the RTX 4060 offering 8 GB. Memory type also changes from GDDR5 to GDDR6, and bandwidth jumps from 96.00 GB/s to 272.0 GB/s. The RTX 4060 has a base clock of 1830 MHz and boost clock of 2460 MHz, whereas the HD 7790 has no recorded base or boost clocks, only a memory clock of 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective). The RTX 4060’s memory clock is 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective). Shading units, TMUs, and ROPs are all higher on the RTX 4060: 3,072 versus 896, 96 versus 56, and 48 versus 16, respectively. The RTX 4060 also has 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores, which are absent on the HD 7790. Pixel and texture rates are dramatically higher on the RTX 4060, at 118.1 GPixel/s and 236.2 GTexel/s versus 16.00 GPixel/s and 56.00 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 15.11 TFLOPS on the RTX 4060 versus 1.792 TFLOPS on the HD 7790, and the RTX 4060 supports FP16 at 15.11 TFLOPS (1:1) while the HD 7790 has no FP16 data. Power draw increases from 85 W to 115 W, and the suggested PSU rises from 250 W to 300 W. The bus interface advances from PCIe 3.0 x16 to PCIe 4.0 x8. Display outputs change from 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 on the HD 7790 to 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a on the RTX 4060. Physical dimensions also differ, with the HD 7790 measuring 183 mm (7.2 inches) in length, while the RTX 4060 is 240 mm (9.4 inches) long, 111 mm (4.4 inches) high, and 40 mm (1.6 inches) wide. Both are dual-slot cards, but the HD 7790 uses a 1x 6-pin power connector, while the RTX 4060 requires a 1x 12-pin connector.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is vast and explains the specification disparities. The HD 7790 is built on GCN 2.0 architecture, part of the Southern Islands generation, while the RTX 4060 uses Ada Lovelace, the GeForce 40-series architecture. The HD 7790’s chip is codenamed Bonaire, produced on a 28 nm node, whereas the RTX 4060 uses the AD107 chip on a 5 nm node. This process shrink enables the RTX 4060 to pack over nine times more transistors into a nearly identical die area. The RTX 4060 introduces dedicated ray tracing cores and tensor cores, which are entirely absent from the HD 7790’s design. These hardware units enable features like real-time ray tracing and AI-accelerated workloads, which the HD 7790 cannot perform. The API support also reflects this generational leap: the RTX 4060 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the HD 7790 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6, but the RTX 4060’s Vulkan version is newer. The memory architecture differs in type and speed, with GDDR6 on the RTX 4060 offering higher effective speeds of 17 Gbps versus 6 Gbps on the HD 7790’s GDDR5. The presence of tensor cores on the RTX 4060 also enables FP16 compute at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, a capability the HD 7790 lacks entirely. The RTX 4060’s boost clock of 2460 MHz is significantly higher than the HD 7790’s unspecified clock, contributing to its higher pixel and texture rates despite the older card’s simpler architecture.

Where Each One Wins

The HD 7790 wins in the only directly comparable benchmark category: Geekbench Metal, where it scores 17,666 against the RTX 4060’s average of 17,639. This gives it a 0.2% lead in aggregate performance, which is the sole area where it surpasses the newer card. The HD 7790 also wins on power efficiency, with a TDP of 85 W versus 115 W, and a lower suggested PSU of 250 W versus 300 W, making it a lighter load on system power budgets. It is also physically shorter at 183 mm versus 240 mm, which could fit in smaller cases. The RTX 4060, however, wins decisively in every other measurable category. It offers 8 GB of memory versus 1 GB, which is essential for modern game assets and higher resolutions. Its memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s is nearly three times the HD 7790’s 96.00 GB/s. Compute throughput is over eight times higher, with 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 versus 1.792 TFLOPS. The RTX 4060’s 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores enable ray tracing and AI features that the HD 7790 simply cannot execute. Its newer API support, including DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, ensures compatibility with the latest software standards. The RTX 4060 also produces higher pixel and texture rates, 118.1 GPixel/s and 236.2 GTexel/s, which translate to better performance in graphically intense scenes. For users requiring modern features, higher memory capacity, or advanced compute capabilities, the RTX 4060 is the clear winner. For those seeking a low-power, compact card that matches the RTX 4060 in basic benchmark scores and prioritizes energy savings, the HD 7790 presents a compelling, though outdated, alternative. The data ultimately shows a trade-off: raw benchmark parity versus feature-rich modernity.