AMD Radeon RX 7700 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 share a similar name but represent two entirely different eras of GPU design. The data shows a single head-to-head benchmark, with the AMD card delivering a decisive victory, yet the surrounding specifications and contextual scores reveal a more nuanced story about what each card offers. This analysis walks through the raw numbers to determine where each contender holds an advantage, focusing strictly on the facts provided.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results paint a clear picture of a generational gap. In the only shared test, Geekbench OpenCL, the AMD Radeon RX 7700 scores 106,028, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 manages 15,707. This results in a delta of 575% in favor of the AMD card, making it the outright winner in compute workloads. The AMD card also holds a higher average benchmark score of 15,852 compared to the GTX 770's 14,747, reinforcing its overall performance superiority.

However, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 does have its own niche based on the available benchmark data. The GTX 770 shows strength in specific API tests where the RX 7700 has no comparable scores. For instance, the GTX 770 achieves a Geekbench Vulkan score of 19,166 and a Geekbench Metal score of 9,369. These results indicate that while the AMD card dominates in OpenCL compute, the older NVIDIA card can still produce competitive numbers in certain cross-platform graphics APIs, particularly in environments where those APIs are prioritized. The GTX 770's percentile ranking of 57 versus the RX 7700's 58 also shows that, despite the massive compute gap, both cards sit in a similar percentile band when compared against all GPUs, suggesting that the GTX 770's legacy drivers and optimized workloads keep it relevant in specific scenarios.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 uses the Navi 32 chip based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, with the codename "Wheat Nas" and belongs to the Navi III (RX 7000) generation. In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 uses the GK104 chip based on the older Kepler architecture, belonging to the GeForce 700 generation. This architectural divide explains the massive performance differences seen in the benchmarks.

Manufacturing processes further separate them. The RX 7700 is fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, while the GTX 770 uses a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. This leads to a stark contrast in transistor density: the RX 7700 packs 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die, yielding a density of 81.2 million transistors per square millimeter. The GTX 770, by comparison, has only 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, with a density of 12.0 million per square millimeter. The architectural leap also brings feature differences. The RX 7700 includes 40 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 770 has no ray tracing cores and is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single head-to-head benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, is where the AMD Radeon RX 7700 delivers its most emphatic statement. The RX 7700 scores 106,028 compared to the GTX 770's 15,707, which translates to a delta of 575%. This is not a marginal improvement; it represents a six-fold increase in compute throughput, a direct consequence of the newer architecture, higher core counts, and faster memory subsystem.

Beyond the direct comparison, the surrounding benchmark data shows where each card excels in isolation. The RX 7700 posts strong scores in Passmark tests, including 20,974 in G3D and 10,963 in GPU Compute, alongside a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,865. These numbers indicate robust modern gaming and compute performance. The GTX 770, while lacking these specific DX12 and Passmark results, achieves a Geekbench Vulkan score of 19,166, which is notably higher than its OpenCL score of 15,707. This suggests that on the GTX 770, Vulkan is a more efficient API than OpenCL, offering a glimpse into where the older card can still perform respectably.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal fundamental differences in nearly every category. Clock speeds show the RX 7700 operating at a 1900 MHz base and 2459 MHz boost, with a game clock of 2041 MHz. The GTX 770 runs at a 1046 MHz base and 1085 MHz boost, with no game clock listed. Memory configurations diverge sharply: the RX 7700 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 624.1 GB/s bandwidth, while the GTX 770 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 224.4 GB/s bandwidth. This gives the AMD card eight times the memory capacity and nearly three times the bandwidth.

Core counts also differ significantly. The RX 7700 features 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 96 render output units (ROPs). The GTX 770 has 1,536 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Pixel and texture rates follow suit: the RX 7700 achieves 236.1 GPixel/s and 393.4 GTexel/s, while the GTX 770 manages 34.72 GPixel/s and 138.9 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance shows the RX 7700 at 25.18 TFLOPS (FP32), while the GTX 770 is at 3.333 TFLOPS (FP32), with no FP16 data for the NVIDIA card.

Power and physical specifications also differ. The RX 7700 has a TDP of 200 W and requires two 8-pin power connectors, while the GTX 770 has a TDP of 230 W and uses one 6-pin plus one 8-pin connector. Both suggest a 550 W power supply. The RX 7700 uses PCIe 4.0 x16, whereas the GTX 770 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs show the RX 7700 offering 1x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, and 1x USB Type-C, while the GTX 770 provides 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2. Dimensions are similar in length (267 mm for both), but the RX 7700 is taller (135 mm vs 111 mm) and wider (50 mm vs 38 mm). The RX 7700 is still in active production with a release date of 2025-09-17, while the GTX 770 is end-of-life with a release date of 2013-05-29.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the AMD Radeon RX 7700 than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 in OpenCL?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, the RX 7700 scores 106,028 compared to the GTX 770's 15,707, resulting in a delta of 575% in favor of the AMD card.

Q: Which card has more memory and bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory with 624.1 GB/s bandwidth, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory with 224.4 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the architectural differences between the two cards?

A: The RX 7700 uses the RDNA 3.0 architecture on a 5 nm process with 28,100 million transistors, while the GTX 770 uses the Kepler architecture on a 28 nm process with 3,540 million transistors. The RX 7700 also includes 40 ray tracing cores, which the GTX 770 lacks.

Q: Does the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 have any benchmark where it performs well?

A: Yes, the GTX 770 achieves a Geekbench Vulkan score of 19,166 and a Geekbench Metal score of 9,369, showing competitive performance in these specific APIs, though no direct comparison with the RX 7700 exists for those tests.

Q: What is the production status and release date for each card?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is active in production with a release date of 2025-09-17, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 is end-of-life with a release date of 2013-05-29.

Q: How do the cards compare in terms of power consumption?

A: The RX 7700 has a TDP of 200 W, while the GTX 770 has a TDP of 230 W. Both cards recommend a 550 W power supply.

The Verdict

The data unequivocally favors the AMD Radeon RX 7700 for almost any modern workload. Its 575% lead in OpenCL, combined with 16 GB of memory versus 2 GB, and a 5 nm architecture versus 28 nm, makes it the only reasonable choice for current gaming, compute, or creative tasks. The RX 7700's higher average benchmark score of 15,852 versus 14,747 and its active production status further cement its position as the forward-looking option.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770, however, is not without merit for specific legacy use cases. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 19,166 suggests that in older software optimized for that API, it can still hold its own, and its similar percentile ranking (57 vs 58) indicates that it remains a functional card for basic tasks. Additionally, its lower height (111 mm vs 135 mm) and width (38 mm vs 50 mm) make it a more compact option for smaller cases, and its single 6-pin plus 8-pin power requirement is less demanding than the RX 7700's dual 8-pin setup.

For anyone building a new system or upgrading from a decade-old GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the clear winner based on every measurable metric in the data. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 should only be considered by users with specific legacy software requirements or extreme space constraints, where its Vulkan performance and smaller footprint might offer a marginal advantage. The benchmark results leave no ambiguity: the RX 7700 is the superior card in nearly every category that matters for performance.