AMD Radeon HD 8750M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a clear hierarchy between these two mobile GPUs, though the gap is narrower than the architecture differences might suggest. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M wins the only shared head-to-head benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test, by a substantial 43.2% margin (8552 vs 5970). However, the average benchmark scores tell a more nuanced story: the GTX 770M averages 6000 points, while the Radeon HD 8750M averages 5970 — a difference of only 0.5%. This apparent contradiction stems from the GTX 770M having two benchmark results (OpenCL 8552 and Metal 3448) that pull its average down, while the Radeon HD 8750M has only one result (5970).

For users prioritizing raw compute performance in OpenCL workloads, the GTX 770M is the clear choice. Its 43.2% advantage in that specific test is decisive. The Radeon HD 8750M, conversely, finds its footing in the overall percentile ranking: both cards sit within one percentile point of each other (35th vs 34th percentile among all GPUs), indicating that in broad, mixed-use scenarios, the practical difference is minimal. The GTX 770M's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6400, scores 6001 (a 0% delta), while the Radeon HD 8750M's closest competitor, the NVIDIA Quadro K4000, scores 5982 (a -0.2% delta from the AMD card). This placement suggests the GTX 770M is the safer pick for compute-heavy tasks, while the HD 8750M is adequate for general graphics duties where its single benchmark result reflects typical usage.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M uses the GK106 chip based on the Kepler architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It contains 2,540 million transistors on a 221 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 11.5 million per square millimeter. The AMD Radeon HD 8750M, by contrast, uses the Mars chip built on the GCN 1.0 architecture, also on TSMC's 28 nm node, but with 950 million transistors on a much smaller 77 mm² die — a density of 12.3 million per square millimeter. The AMD chip is denser, packing more transistors per area, but the NVIDIA chip has over 2.6 times the total transistor count.

The execution resources diverge sharply. The GTX 770M has 960 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 24 ROPs. The Radeon HD 8750M has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. These numbers translate into theoretical rates: the NVIDIA card achieves 15.94 GPixel/s pixel fill rate and 63.76 GTexel/s texture fill rate, while the AMD card manages 6.600 GPixel/s and 19.80 GTexel/s respectively. FP32 compute throughput shows the same pattern — 1.530 TFLOPS for the GTX 770M versus 633.6 GFLOPS for the HD 8750M. Clock speeds partly explain this: the GTX 770M runs at 706 MHz base with 797 MHz boost, while the HD 8750M runs at 775 MHz base with 825 MHz boost — actually higher clocks, but with far fewer units.

Memory configuration further separates them. The GTX 770M features 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 96.19 GB/s bandwidth. The HD 8750M has 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth — less than one-third the bandwidth. Memory clocks differ as well: 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective) for NVIDIA versus 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) for AMD. The bus interface also differs: MXM-B (3.0) for the GTX 770M versus PCIe 3.0 x8 for the HD 8750M. API support shows the AMD card supporting DirectX 12 (11_1) versus NVIDIA's DirectX 12 (11_0), though both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan (1.2.175 for NVIDIA, 1.2.170 for AMD).

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance in the shared benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 8552, which is 43.2% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 8750M's score of 5970.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in overall average benchmark scores?

A: The GTX 770M has an average benchmark score of 6000, while the HD 8750M averages 5970. This is a 0.5% difference, placing them in nearly the same performance tier overall.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two cards?

A: The GTX 770M offers 96.19 GB/s bandwidth using 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus. The HD 8750M provides 28.80 GB/s using 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus — the NVIDIA card has over three times the bandwidth.

Q: Do both GPUs support modern graphics APIs?

A: Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan (1.2.175 for NVIDIA, 1.2.170 for AMD). They differ on DirectX: the GTX 770M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), while the HD 8750M supports DirectX 12 (11_1).

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The GTX 770M has 960 shading units, compared to 384 for the HD 8750M. The NVIDIA card also has 80 TMUs and 24 ROPs versus 24 TMUs and 8 ROPs for AMD.

Q: What are the thermal and power characteristics?

A: The GTX 770M has a TDP of 75 W and uses an MXM module slot with no power connectors required. The HD 8750M has no listed TDP, slot width, or power connector data in the specifications.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M | AMD Radeon HD 8750M |

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

| Chip | GK106 | Mars |

| Architecture | Kepler | GCN 1.0 |

| Generation | GeForce 700M | Solar System (HD 8700M) |

| Transistors | 2,540 million | 950 million |

| Die Size | 221 mm² | 77 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 11.5M / mm² | 12.3M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 706 MHz | 775 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 797 MHz | 825 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective) | 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 3 GB | 1024 MB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | DDR3 |

| Memory Bus Width | 192 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 96.19 GB/s | 28.80 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 960 | 384 |

| TMUs | 80 | 24 |

| ROPs | 24 | 8 |

| Pixel Rate | 15.94 GPixel/s | 6.600 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 63.76 GTexel/s | 19.80 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1.530 TFLOPS | 633.6 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 75 W | Not listed |

| Bus Interface | MXM-B (3.0) | PCIe 3.0 x8 |

| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 (11_1) |

| Vulkan | 1.2.175 | 1.2.170 |

| Release Date | 2013-05-29 | 2013-02-25 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 600M | London |

| Successor | GeForce 800M | Gem System |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single shared benchmark — Geekbench OpenCL — provides the clearest performance signal. The GTX 770M scores 8552, while the HD 8750M scores 5970. This represents a 43.2% advantage for the NVIDIA card, a dominant margin in compute workloads. The delta confirms what the specification sheets suggest: with 2.5 times more shading units, 3.3 times more bandwidth, and 2.4 times the FP32 throughput, the GTX 770M is engineered to outcompute the AMD part.

Yet the average benchmark scores complicate the picture. The GTX 770M's average of 6000 includes its Metal score of 3448, which drags the mean down significantly from the OpenCL result. The HD 8750M, with only an OpenCL score of 5970, sits just 0.5% below the NVIDIA average. In percentile terms, the GTX 770M ranks in the 35th percentile of all GPUs, while the HD 8750M ranks in the 34th — effectively tied. The rival lists reinforce this proximity: the GTX 770M's nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 6400 at 6001 (0% delta), and the HD 8750M's nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro K4000 at 5982 (-0.2% delta from the AMD card). Both cards sit within a narrow band of scores around 5900–6000, meaning their absolute performance levels are comparable for most tasks, even if the peak OpenCL numbers diverge dramatically.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 770M wins decisively in OpenCL compute workloads. Its 43.2% lead in the Geekbench OpenCL test makes it the obvious choice for applications that leverage GPU compute — rendering, scientific calculations, or any task that stresses shading units and memory bandwidth. The 96.19 GB/s bandwidth versus 28.80 GB/s is a structural advantage that shows up in throughput-heavy scenarios. The 3 GB memory capacity also allows larger datasets to reside on the GPU, avoiding transfers that would bottleneck the HD 8750M's 1024 MB frame buffer. The 75 W TDP, while higher than the unlisted AMD figure, is still modest for a mobile MXM module.

The HD 8750M wins on efficiency of design and platform compatibility. Its 28 nm chip packs more transistors per square millimeter (12.3M vs 11.5M), suggesting a more tightly integrated layout. It supports PCIe 3.0 x8 natively, while the GTX 770M uses MXM-B (3.0) — the AMD card may integrate more easily into systems designed for standard PCIe slots. The HD 8750M also supports DirectX 12 (11_1) versus the GTX 770M's DirectX 12 (11_0), a minor API advantage. In terms of average benchmark score, the HD 8750M is only 0.5% behind the GTX 770M, meaning for everyday graphics tasks — video playback, light gaming, desktop compositing — the user would notice little difference. The 34th percentile ranking confirms it performs in the same tier as the GTX 770M's 35th percentile.

For specific use cases: choose the GTX 770M for compute-intensive mobile workstations or gaming laptops where OpenCL performance matters. Choose the HD 8750M for general-purpose laptops where the lower transistor count (950 million vs 2,540 million) may correlate with simpler cooling requirements, and where the PCIe 3.0 x8 interface fits existing motherboard designs. The data shows no scenario where the HD 8750M wins a benchmark outright, but its single OpenCL score of 5970 is close enough to the GTX 770M's average of 6000 that real-world differences in non-compute tasks will be minimal.