NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Comparison

# The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a split decision between these two Kepler-generation cards. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 wins the head-to-head in two of three tests, capturing the Geekbench Metal and Vulkan contests, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN dominates the OpenCL workload. Looking at the raw averages, the GTX 770 holds a marginal edge with an average benchmark score of 14747 against the TITAN’s 14373, a difference of roughly 2.6 percent. In percentile terms, both cards sit nearly level: the GTX 770 ranks at the 57th percentile of all GPUs, while the TITAN sits at the 56th percentile.

The GTX 770’s Vulkan score of 19166 is the standout number in this comparison, beating the TITAN’s 10027 by a staggering 91.1 percent. That is not a small margin; it is a near-doubling of performance in that specific API. The Metal test also favors the GTX 770, with 9369 versus 8218, a 14 percent advantage. However, the TITAN strikes back hard in OpenCL, posting 24873 against the GTX 770’s 15707, a 36.9 percent lead in the TITAN’s favor.

For buyers who prioritize modern API workloads, particularly Vulkan-based applications, the GTX 770 is clearly the stronger option based on this data. The TITAN’s OpenCL dominance appeals to compute-heavy scenarios, but its Vulkan result is a serious liability. The GTX 770’s higher average score and two-out-of-three win record make it the more balanced choice for general use, while the TITAN is a specialist tool for OpenCL acceleration. The TITAN’s launch MSRP was 999 USD, and the GTX 770’s was 399 USD, but the benchmark results do not justify the TITAN’s premium for most workloads.

Architecture Differences

Both cards share the Kepler architecture, the GeForce 700 generation, and TSMC’s 28 nm process node, but their silicon is fundamentally different in scale. The GTX 770 uses the GK104 chip with 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, while the TITAN employs the larger GK110 chip packing 7,080 million transistors across a 561 mm² die. That is exactly double the transistor count and nearly double the die area. Transistor density is close, though: 12.0M per mm² for the GTX 770 versus 12.6M per mm² for the TITAN, indicating similar manufacturing efficiency.

The TITAN’s larger die translates into substantially more execution resources. It has 2688 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units. The GTX 770 counters with 1536 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The TITAN holds a 75 percent advantage in shading units, a 75 percent advantage in TMUs, and a 50 percent advantage in ROPs. Clock speeds tell the opposite story: the GTX 770 runs at a 1046 MHz base and 1085 MHz boost, while the TITAN sits lower at 836 MHz base and 876 MHz boost. The GTX 770’s clocks are roughly 25 percent higher at base and 24 percent higher at boost.

Memory configurations also differ markedly. The GTX 770 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 224.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The TITAN offers 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, yielding 288.4 GB/s. The TITAN’s memory clock is lower at 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective) versus the GTX 770’s 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective), but the wider bus gives the TITAN the bandwidth advantage. Pixel and texture rates follow the resource counts: the TITAN achieves 49.06 GPixel/s and 196.2 GTexel/s, while the GTX 770 manages 34.72 GPixel/s and 138.9 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 4.709 TFLOPS for the TITAN versus 3.333 TFLOPS for the GTX 770.

Power and physical characteristics are similar. Both are dual-slot cards using 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connectors. The TITAN draws a 250 W TDP with a 600 W suggested PSU, while the GTX 770 is marginally lighter at 230 W and a 550 W suggested PSU. Dimensions are identical: 267 mm long, 111 mm tall, and 38 mm wide. Both use PCIe 3.0 x16 and offer the same display outputs: 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2. API support is equally matched, with DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175 on both cards. The GTX 770 launched on 2013-05-29, and the TITAN on 2013-02-18, both succeeding the GeForce 600 series and preceding the GeForce 900 series.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Vulkan test delivers the most dramatic result in this comparison. The GTX 770 scores 19166, which is 91.1 percent higher than the TITAN’s 10027. This is a massive gap, and it is worth emphasizing that the TITAN’s Vulkan score is less than a third higher than its own Metal score, while the GTX 770’s Vulkan score is more than double its Metal result. The GTX 770 appears to have significantly better Vulkan driver optimization or hardware scheduling for that API, despite having fewer shaders and lower theoretical compute.

In Metal, the GTX 770 again takes the lead, scoring 9369 against the TITAN’s 8218. The 14 percent delta is meaningful but not overwhelming. Both scores are the lowest for their respective cards across the three tests, suggesting Metal is not a strength for either GPU. Still, the GTX 770’s higher clock speed seems to help here, as Metal workloads often respond to clock frequency.

The OpenCL benchmark flips the script entirely. The TITAN scores 24873, which is 36.9 percent higher than the GTX 770’s 15707. This is the TITAN’s only win, but it is a decisive one. The TITAN’s 2688 shading units and 4.709 TFLOPS FP32 throughput are likely the deciding factors, as OpenCL compute workloads scale well with raw shader count and theoretical FP32. Notably, the TITAN’s OpenCL score is its best result by a wide margin, while the GTX 770’s OpenCL score sits between its Metal and Vulkan numbers.

Across all three tests, the GTX 770 wins two and the TITAN wins one. The GTX 770’s average benchmark score of 14747 is higher than the TITAN’s 14373, confirming that the GTX 770’s wins are not just more numerous but also more impactful in aggregate. The TITAN’s OpenCL victory, while large in percentage, does not offset the GTX 770’s Vulkan dominance in the overall average.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770, with an average score of 14747 compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN’s 14373.

Q: Is the GTX TITAN always faster than the GTX 770?

A: No. The TITAN wins only the Geekbench OpenCL test (24873 versus 15707, a 36.9 percent lead). The GTX 770 wins Geekbench Metal (9369 versus 8218, 14 percent) and Geekbench Vulkan (19166 versus 10027, 91.1 percent).

Q: How do these cards compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 770’s closest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT, which scores 14692, just 0.4 percent lower. The TITAN’s nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 at 14385, a 0.1 percent difference. Both cards sit at the 56-57th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What is the TITAN’s main architectural advantage?

A: The TITAN has 2688 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, compared to the GTX 770’s 1536 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. It also has 6 GB of memory on a 384-bit bus versus 2 GB on a 256-bit bus.

Q: Why does the GTX 770 win Vulkan by such a large margin?

A: The data shows a 91.1 percent delta in the GTX 770’s favor (19166 versus 10027), but the FACT PACK provides no driver or architectural explanation. The result is consistent across the benchmark, but the cause is not specified.

Q: Do both cards have the same API support?

A: Yes. Both support DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 770 is the clear winner for Vulkan-based workloads. Its 19166 score dwarfs the TITAN’s 10027, and the 91.1 percent delta is the largest margin in any test between these two cards. If a user’s primary applications rely on Vulkan — which is common in modern game engines and some professional visualization tools — the GTX 770 is the data-backed choice. The GTX 770 also wins in Metal, though the 14 percent margin is smaller. For users in ecosystems where Metal is the primary API, such as macOS or iOS development environments, the GTX 770 still holds the advantage.

The TITAN’s territory is OpenCL. Its 24873 score represents a 36.9 percent lead over the GTX 770, and it is the only test where the TITAN’s massive shader count and FP32 throughput translate into a win. OpenCL is commonly used in scientific computing, video encoding, and certain rendering pipelines, so the TITAN is the better pick for those specific compute tasks. The TITAN’s 6 GB memory capacity also gives it a practical edge for large datasets, even though the benchmark scores do not directly measure memory capacity limits.

For general-purpose use, the GTX 770’s higher average score and two-out-of-three win record make it the safer recommendation. The TITAN is a niche product in this comparison: it excels at one workload type but underperforms badly in another. The GTX 770 is more consistent across the board, with no test where it loses by more than the TITAN’s OpenCL margin. Users who value balanced performance across multiple APIs should pick the GTX 770; users who know their workloads are overwhelmingly OpenCL-heavy should consider the TITAN despite its other weaknesses.