AMD Radeon HD 7790 vs NVIDIA TITAN Xp Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a stark contrast between these two GPUs, though direct head-to-head testing was not conducted. Instead, the available aggregate scores and nearest-rival comparisons reveal the performance gulf. The NVIDIA TITAN Xp achieves an average benchmark score of 19,177, while the AMD Radeon HD 7790 records 17,666. That difference of 1,511 points represents approximately an 8.6% advantage for the TITAN Xp in the average of all tested workloads.

The TITAN Xp's nearest rivals illustrate its positioning. It sits just 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 (19,164), 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla K20m (19,089), and 0.7% ahead of both the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (19,049) and AMD Radeon RX 6600 (19,036). These are extremely tight margins, suggesting the TITAN Xp is clustered with a group of mid-to-high-range cards from different generations. Its percentile rank of 64 among all GPUs means it outperforms roughly two-thirds of the database.

The HD 7790 tells a different story. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 at 17,639 (0.2% behind the HD 7790), the AMD Radeon 780M at 17,588 (0.4% behind), and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 at 17,551 (0.7% behind). Interestingly, the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 scores 17,789, which is 0.7% ahead of the HD 7790. This places the HD 7790 in a cluster of modern entry-level and integrated-class parts, despite its older architecture. Its percentile rank of 61 is only three points lower than the TITAN Xp's, meaning the performance gap is less about relative standing and more about the absolute scores.

In individual tests, the TITAN Xp shows its strengths. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 2,372 points. The PassMark G3D score of 18,750 is particularly strong, as is the GPU compute score of 9,430. The Geekbench Vulkan result of 87,180 and OpenCL result of 72,585 further demonstrate its compute capabilities. The HD 7790 has only one recorded benchmark: Geekbench Metal, where it scores 17,666. Without comparable individual test data, the head-to-head comparison relies entirely on the average scores and the relative positioning against known rivals.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different eras and design philosophies. The TITAN Xp uses the GP102 chip built on the Pascal architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 16 nm process. It packs 11,800 million transistors into a 471 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 25.1 million per square millimeter. The HD 7790 uses the Bonaire chip on the GCN 2.0 architecture, also fabricated by TSMC but on a 28 nm process. It contains 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, with a density of 13.0 million per square millimeter. The density difference is notable: the TITAN Xp crams nearly twice as many transistors per area, a direct result of the newer process node.

The execution resources are vastly different. The TITAN Xp features 3,840 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs. The HD 7790 has 896 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. That is a 4.3x difference in shading units, a 4.3x difference in TMUs, and a 6x difference in ROPs. These raw counts translate directly into fillrate and compute throughput. The TITAN Xp delivers 151.9 GPixel/s pixel rate and 379.7 GTexel/s texture rate, while the HD 7790 manages 16.00 GPixel/s and 56.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute is 12.15 TFLOPS for the TITAN Xp versus 1.792 TFLOPS for the HD 7790, a 6.8x gap. The TITAN Xp also has FP16 capability at 189.8 GFLOPS (1:64 ratio), while the HD 7790 has no listed FP16 performance.

Memory subsystems differ significantly. The TITAN Xp uses 12 GB of GDDR5X on a 384-bit bus, delivering 547.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The HD 7790 uses 1,024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 96.00 GB/s. The memory clock is 1,426 MHz (11.4 Gbps effective) for the TITAN Xp versus 1,500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) for the HD 7790. While the HD 7790 has a higher base memory clock, the effective data rate and bus width heavily favor the TITAN Xp.

Power and physical characteristics also diverge. The TITAN Xp has a TDP of 250 W, requires a 600 W suggested PSU, and uses 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connectors. The HD 7790 has an 85 W TDP, requires a 250 W suggested PSU, and uses a single 6-pin connector. The TITAN Xp is also a larger card at 267 mm in length, 112 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. The HD 7790 is 183 mm long with no listed height or width. Both are dual-slot cards.

API support shows generational differences. The TITAN Xp supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The HD 7790 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The TITAN Xp also has newer display outputs: 1x HDMI 2.0 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, versus the HD 7790's 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous about which GPU is faster. The NVIDIA TITAN Xp outperforms the AMD Radeon HD 7790 by roughly 8.6% in average benchmark score. It also sits in a higher performance cluster, with nearest rivals that include the RTX 4050 Mobile and RX 6600, while the HD 7790's rivals are the RTX 4060 and integrated Radeon 780M. The TITAN Xp's raw specifications — 4.3x more shading units, 6x more ROPs, 5.7x more memory bandwidth — reinforce the benchmark gap.

However, the choice is not simply about performance. The HD 7790's TDP of 85 W is dramatically lower than the TITAN Xp's 250 W. It also requires a 250 W PSU versus 600 W, and uses a single 6-pin connector versus the TITAN Xp's 6+8 pin setup. For systems with limited power delivery or smaller cases, the HD 7790's 183 mm length and lower power draw are practical advantages. The TITAN Xp's 267 mm length and higher power requirements demand a more substantial chassis and PSU.

The HD 7790's single benchmark result (Geekbench Metal) limits the comparison depth. It has no recorded DX12, Vulkan, or compute scores in this database. The TITAN Xp has a full suite of tests across DX9, DX10, DX11, DX12, OpenCL, Vulkan, and compute workloads. This asymmetry means the average score for the HD 7790 is based on one test, while the TITAN Xp's average spans ten tests. The HD 7790's percentile rank of 61 is respectable, but it cannot be directly compared workload-by-workload.

For users who need maximum compute and rendering performance, the TITAN Xp is the clear choice. Its 12.15 TFLOPS FP32, 12 GB of GDDR5X memory, and 547.6 GB/s bandwidth support demanding workloads. For users with modest power budgets or compact builds, the HD 7790's 85 W TDP and 1,024 MB memory make it a lighter option, though its 1.792 TFLOPS FP32 and 96 GB/s bandwidth are far more limited. The production status of both is end-of-life, but the TITAN Xp's generation (GeForce 10) is newer than the HD 7790's (Southern Islands).

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA TITAN Xp | AMD Radeon HD 7790 |

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

| Chip | GP102 | Bonaire |

| Architecture | Pascal | GCN 2.0 |

| Process Node | 16 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 11,800 million | 2,080 million |

| Die Size | 471 mm² | 160 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 25.1M / mm² | 13.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1405 MHz | null |

| Boost Clock | 1582 MHz | null |

| Memory Clock | 1426 MHz (11.4 Gbps effective) | 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 12 GB | 1024 MB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5X | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 384 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 547.6 GB/s | 96.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 3840 | 896 |

| TMUs | 240 | 56 |

| ROPs | 96 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 151.9 GPixel/s | 16.00 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 379.7 GTexel/s | 56.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 12.15 TFLOPS | 1.792 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 189.8 GFLOPS (1:64) | null |

| TDP | 250 W | 85 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | 250 W |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 |

| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 (12_0) |

| Vulkan | 1.4 | 1.2.170 |

| Length | 267 mm (10.5 inches) | 183 mm (7.2 inches) |

| Release Date | 2017-04-05 | 2013-03-21 |

| Launch MSRP | 1,199 USD | 149 USD |

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA TITAN Xp has an average benchmark score of 19,177, while the AMD Radeon HD 7790 has 17,666. The TITAN Xp is approximately 8.6% higher.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The TITAN Xp is 0.1% ahead of the GTX 780, 0.5% ahead of the Tesla K20m, and 0.7% ahead of both the RTX 4050 Mobile and RX 6600. The HD 7790 is 0.2% ahead of the RTX 4060, 0.4% ahead of the Radeon 780M, 0.7% ahead of the Radeon Pro 560, and 0.7% behind the Quadro RTX 4000.

Q: What is the transistor count difference?

A: The TITAN Xp contains 11,800 million transistors, while the HD 7790 contains 2,080 million. The TITAN Xp has roughly 5.7x more transistors.

Q: Which GPU has higher power requirements?

A: The TITAN Xp has a TDP of 250 W and suggests a 600 W PSU, while the HD 7790 has an 85 W TDP and suggests a 250 W PSU. The TITAN Xp uses 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin connectors; the HD 7790 uses a single 6-pin.

Q: What are the memory capacities and bandwidths?

A: The TITAN Xp has 12 GB of GDDR5X on a 384-bit bus with 547.6 GB/s bandwidth. The HD 7790 has 1,024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the percentile ranking for each GPU?

A: The TITAN Xp ranks in the 64th percentile among all GPUs, while the HD 7790 ranks in the 61st percentile. Despite the large performance gap, their relative standings are only three points apart.