AMD Radeon HD 7790 vs NVIDIA T400 4 GB Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 7790 and NVIDIA T400 4 GB represent two distinct eras of GPU design, separated by eight years of architectural evolution. The data shows the HD 7790, built on GCN 2.0, delivers a Geekbench Metal score of 17,666, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, while the T400 4 GB, based on Turing, achieves an average benchmark score of 16,792 across OpenCL and Vulkan tests, landing in the 60th percentile. The HD 7790 edges out the T400 4 GB in raw average performance, but the two cards are far from interchangeable, with differences in memory capacity, power draw, and feature support that shape their respective use cases. This analysis compares their benchmark results, architectural foundations, and specifications to determine which card suits which workload.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a fragmented picture, as the HD 7790 was tested exclusively with Geekbench Metal, while the T400 4 GB was evaluated with Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. The HD 7790's Metal score of 17,666 stands as its sole benchmark result, whereas the T400 4 GB's OpenCL score of 17,320 and Vulkan score of 16,263 produce an average of 16,792. Direct comparison across these different APIs is not straightforward, but the numbers reveal meaningful performance tiers. The HD 7790's single Metal score is 5.2% higher than the T400 4 GB's average score, suggesting a slight edge in compute-heavy workloads that favor Metal.

However, the T400 4 GB shows notable internal variance. Its OpenCL score of 17,320 is nearly identical to the HD 7790's Metal result, trailing by just 2.0%. This proximity indicates that in OpenCL applications, the T400 4 GB can match the HD 7790's performance level. Meanwhile, the T400 4 GB's Vulkan score of 16,263 lags behind its own OpenCL result by 6.5%, and falls 8.6% short of the HD 7790's Metal score. This suggests the T400 4 GB's driver or hardware implementation favors OpenCL over Vulkan, a factor that could influence API-specific workloads.

The HD 7790's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, scores 17,639, a delta of only 0.2% from the HD 7790's 17,666. This places the HD 7790 in an unexpected performance class, effectively matching a modern mid-range card in this specific Metal benchmark. The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000, another rival, scores 17,789, just 0.7% higher, meaning the HD 7790 falls within a tight cluster of GPUs spanning from 17,551 (AMD Radeon Pro 560) to 17,789 (Quadro RTX 4000). The HD 7790 sits near the top of this grouping.

For the T400 4 GB, the nearest rival data shows it clustered with different hardware. The AMD Radeon RX 7600S scores 16,696, just 0.6% below the T400 4 GB's 16,792, while the NVIDIA Tesla M4 scores 16,932, 0.8% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 7970M and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 score 17,019 and 17,037 respectively, sitting 1.3% and 1.4% above the T400 4 GB. This cluster ranges from 16,696 to 17,037, a spread of roughly 2.0%, placing the T400 4 GB in the lower-middle of its peer group.

The deltaPct values reinforce that both cards operate in similar performance territory. The HD 7790 outperforms three of its four listed rivals, with only the Quadro RTX 4000 exceeding it. The T400 4 GB, conversely, outperforms only the RX 7600S among its four rivals. The performance gap between the two cards is modest; the HD 7790's 17,666 average versus the T400 4 GB's 16,792 represents a 5.2% advantage, a margin that would be noticeable in sustained compute workloads but not transformative in real-world gaming or professional applications.

The Verdict

From a pure performance standpoint, the data favors the AMD Radeon HD 7790. Its benchmark score of 17,666 exceeds the T400 4 GB's 16,792 by 5.2%, and its 61st percentile ranking edges out the T400 4 GB's 60th percentile placement. The HD 7790 also demonstrates competitive parity with modern GPUs like the RTX 4060, which scores 17,639, a difference of just 0.2%. This suggests that for Metal-based compute tasks, the HD 7790 remains a surprisingly viable option despite its 2013 release date, as its nearest rivals are all substantially newer products.

The NVIDIA T400 4 GB, however, offers advantages that the HD 7790 cannot match. Its 4 GB of GDDR6 memory is four times the HD 7790's 1 GB GDDR5 capacity, which directly impacts the ability to handle larger datasets and higher-resolution textures without spilling to system memory. The T400 4 GB's 30 W TDP is less than half the HD 7790's 85 W, making it a far more power-efficient choice for compact or thermally constrained systems. Its single-slot form factor and lack of power connectors further simplify installation compared to the HD 7790's dual-slot design and 1x 6-pin connector requirement.

For users prioritizing compute performance in Metal-based environments, the HD 7790 is the data-backed choice. Its higher score, combined with a near-tie against the RTX 4060 in its only benchmark, indicates strong raw compute ability. For users who need more memory, lower power consumption, or modern API support like Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12_1, the T400 4 GB is the appropriate selection despite its lower average score. The T400 4 GB's Vulkan score of 16,263, while lower than the HD 7790's Metal result, still represents capable performance within 8.6% of the older card.

The production status of both cards is end-of-life, meaning neither is a forward-looking purchase. The HD 7790's 2013 release and the T400 4 GB's 2021 release indicate the T400 4 GB has more recent driver support and a longer support window, though the HD 7790's GCN 2.0 architecture has proven longevity in benchmark results. The choice ultimately comes down to workload: compute-heavy Metal tasks favor the HD 7790, while memory capacity, power efficiency, and modern API coverage favor the T400 4 GB.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17,666 in Geekbench Metal, while the NVIDIA T400 4 GB averages 16,792 across Geekbench OpenCL (17,320) and Geekbench Vulkan (16,263). The HD 7790 is 5.2% higher.

Q: How does the HD 7790 compare to the RTX 4060?

A: The HD 7790's Geekbench Metal score of 17,666 is 0.2% higher than the RTX 4060's average score of 17,639, placing them in nearly identical performance territory.

Q: What is the T400 4 GB's best benchmark result?

A: The T400 4 GB achieves its highest score in Geekbench OpenCL at 17,320, which is 2.0% below the HD 7790's Metal score and 6.5% above its own Vulkan score of 16,263.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The HD 7790 has 1 GB of GDDR5 memory with a 128-bit bus and 96.00 GB/s bandwidth. The T400 4 GB has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 64-bit bus and 80.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card consumes less power?

A: The T400 4 GB has a TDP of 30 W with no power connectors and a suggested PSU of 200 W. The HD 7790 has a TDP of 85 W with a 1x 6-pin connector and a suggested PSU of 250 W.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each card?

A: The HD 7790's nearest rival is the RTX 4060 at 17,639 (0.2% delta), followed by the Radeon 780M at 17,588 (0.4%), Radeon Pro 560 at 17,551 (0.7%), and Quadro RTX 4000 at 17,789 (-0.7%). The T400 4 GB's nearest rival is the RX 7600S at 16,696 (0.6%), with the Tesla M4 at 16,932 (-0.8%), HD 7970M at 17,019 (-1.3%), and GTX 690 at 17,037 (-1.4%).

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification category. The HD 7790 uses 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die with a transistor density of 13.0M per mm², while the T400 4 GB uses 4,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die with a density of 23.5M per mm². The T400 4 GB's higher transistor count and density reflect its more modern 12 nm process compared to the HD 7790's 28 nm node, both fabricated by TSMC.

Memory configurations diverge sharply. The HD 7790 offers 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth and a memory clock of 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective). The T400 4 GB provides 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus with 80.00 GB/s bandwidth and a memory clock of 1250 MHz (10 Gbps effective). The HD 7790 has higher bandwidth but one-quarter the capacity.

Compute unit counts favor the HD 7790. It features 896 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, while the T400 4 GB has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The HD 7790's pixel rate is 16.00 GPixel/s and texture rate is 56.00 GTexel/s, while the T400 4 GB achieves 22.80 GPixel/s and 34.20 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance shows the HD 7790 at 1.792 TFLOPS FP32, while the T400 4 GB delivers 1,094.4 GFLOPS FP32 and 2.189 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1).

Physical and power characteristics differ substantially. The HD 7790 is dual-slot with a 1x 6-pin power connector, 85 W TDP, and a 250 W suggested PSU, measuring 183 mm (7.2 inches) in length. The T400 4 GB is single-slot with no power connectors, 30 W TDP, and a 200 W suggested PSU, with no listed dimensions. The HD 7790's display outputs include 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2, while the T400 4 GB offers 3x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a.

Architecture Differences

The HD 7790 is built on AMD's GCN 2.0 architecture, part of the Southern Islands generation (HD 7700), using the Bonaire chip. It supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The T400 4 GB employs NVIDIA's Turing architecture, part of the Quadro Turing generation (Tx000), using the TU117 chip. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, offering a higher DirectX feature level and a newer Vulkan version.

The process nodes mark a significant generational leap. The HD 7790 uses a 28 nm process, while the T400 4 GB uses 12 nm, both from TSMC. This translates directly to the transistor density figures: 13.0M per mm² for the HD 7790 versus 23.5M per mm² for the T400 4 GB. The T400 4 GB packs more than twice the transistors per unit area despite a smaller relative die size advantage.

Neither card includes ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as both predate or omit those specialized units. The HD 7790's predecessor is Northern Islands and its successor is Sea Islands, while the T400 4 GB's predecessor is Quadro Volta and its successor is Workstation Ampere. The HD 7790 was released on 2013-03-21 with a launch MSRP of 149 USD, while the T400 4 GB was released on 2021-05-05 with no launch MSRP listed.

The fundamental architectural differences manifest in the benchmark results. The HD 7790's higher shading unit count (896 vs 384) and texture rate (56.00 GTexel/s vs 34.20 GTexel/s) contribute to its higher FP32 throughput of 1.792 TFLOPS versus the T400 4 GB's 1,094.4 GFLOPS. However, the T400 4 GB's Turing architecture provides FP16 support at 2.189 TFLOPS, a capability the HD 7790 lacks entirely. The T400 4 GB also achieves a higher pixel rate of 22.80 GPixel/s despite fewer ROPs, a benefit of its higher boost clock of 1425 MHz compared to the HD 7790's unspecified base and boost clocks.