NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M vs NVIDIA Quadro K4000M Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M and NVIDIA Quadro K4000M are both end-of-life Kepler-based mobile graphics solutions from NVIDIA, but they target different segments of the laptop market. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy between them, with the GeForce GTX 770M holding a significant lead in the single shared benchmark, despite the Quadro K4000M having a larger memory pool and a wider memory bus. The two GPUs share the same architecture and manufacturing process, yet their internal configurations and clock speeds tell a story of divergent design goals.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available in the dataset is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is decisively in favor of the GeForce GTX 770M. The GTX 770M scores 8552 points, while the Quadro K4000M scores 5986 points. This translates to a delta of 42.9%, meaning the GTX 770M is roughly 43% faster in this compute-oriented workload. This is not a marginal difference; it is a substantial generational gap in raw throughput that places the two cards in entirely different performance tiers for this type of task.

The magnitude of this lead is further contextualized by the average benchmark scores. The GTX 770M has an average benchmark score of 6000, while the Quadro K4000M sits at 5986. Interestingly, the head-to-head OpenCL score of the GTX 770M (8552) is significantly higher than its own average, suggesting that this particular test is heavily weighted toward its strengths, such as higher texture fillrate and pixel rate. Conversely, the Quadro K4000M’s OpenCL score (5986) is almost identical to its average, indicating a consistent performance level across different types of workloads where it is likely bottlenecked by its lower clock speeds.

Looking at the nearest rivals list provides another layer of interpretation. The GTX 770M average score of 6000 places it directly alongside the AMD Radeon RX 6400 and NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server, both with average scores of 6001 and 5996 respectively, showing a 0% and 0.1% delta. The Quadro K4000M, with an average score of 5986, is nearly identical to the AMD FirePro W4100 (5987) and the desktop NVIDIA Quadro K4000 (5982). This suggests that while the GTX 770M is the clear winner in this comparison, both are positioned in a similar mid-range performance bracket relative to the broader GPU landscape, falling in the 34th and 35th percentiles of all GPUs.

Where Each One Wins

The GeForce GTX 770M wins the only benchmark where both are tested, dominating the Geekbench OpenCL workload with a 42.9% advantage. This victory is underpinned by its superior clock speeds and fillrates. Its base clock of 706 MHz and boost clock of 797 MHz are significantly higher than the Quadro K4000M’s static 601 MHz, and this frequency advantage directly contributes to the GTX 770M’s higher pixel rate of 15.94 GPixel/s and texture rate of 63.76 GTexel/s, compared to the Quadro’s 12.02 GPixel/s and 48.08 GTexel/s.

Where the Quadro K4000M can claim a technical win is in memory capacity and bus width. It offers 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, whereas the GTX 770M has 3 GB on a 192-bit bus. However, this does not translate into a bandwidth victory. The GTX 770M’s memory operates at 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective), yielding a bandwidth of 96.19 GB/s, which is higher than the Quadro K4000M’s 89.60 GB/s from its 700 MHz (2.8 Gbps effective) memory. Therefore, the Quadro’s larger memory pool is its primary advantage, potentially allowing it to handle larger datasets or textures, but the GTX 770M still moves data faster overall.

In terms of pure specification counts, the two GPUs are evenly matched in some areas. Both have 960 shading units and 80 texture mapping units. The Quadro K4000M, however, has 32 ROPs compared to the GTX 770M’s 24, which could theoretically benefit certain rasterization-heavy tasks, but the GTX 770M’s higher clock speed negates this advantage in practice, as evidenced by its higher pixel rate. The data suggests that the GTX 770M is the superior performer in compute and general graphics tasks, while the Quadro K4000M’s only clear win is its larger memory allocation.

Architecture Differences

Both the GeForce GTX 770M and Quadro K4000M are built on NVIDIA’s Kepler architecture and manufactured by TSMC on the same 28 nm process node. This ensures they share fundamental architectural features, including support for DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175 APIs. The core difference lies in the physical chip and its configuration. The GTX 770M uses the GK106 chip, while the Quadro K4000M uses the larger GK104 chip.

This chip difference is reflected in the transistor count and die size. The Quadro K4000M’s GK104 chip contains 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, making it a significantly larger and more complex processor than the GTX 770M’s GK106, which packs 2,540 million transistors into 221 mm². Despite the Quadro’s larger physical size, its transistor density is slightly higher at 12.0M / mm² compared to 11.5M / mm² for the GTX 770M. This is a curious inversion: the larger chip with more transistors runs at lower clocks and delivers less raw performance in the tested workload.

The clock speeds are the most striking architectural divergence. The GTX 770M features a dynamic boost clock up to 797 MHz, while the Quadro K4000M is locked at a constant 601 MHz. The GTX 770M also has a much higher memory clock at 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective) versus the Quadro’s 700 MHz (2.8 Gbps effective). This aggressive clocking on the GTX 770M is likely why it achieves a higher FP32 performance of 1.530 TFLOPS compared to the Quadro’s 1,153.9 GFLOPS, despite having the same number of cores. The Quadro’s lower clocks are a common design choice for professional cards to ensure stability and thermal management, but it comes at a direct cost to peak compute throughput.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M is faster, scoring 8552 compared to the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M’s 5986, a difference of 42.9%.

Q: Do these two GPUs have the same number of shading units?

A: Yes, both the GeForce GTX 770M and Quadro K4000M feature 960 shading units and 80 texture mapping units.

Q: Does the Quadro K4000M have more memory bandwidth than the GTX 770M?

A: No. Despite having a 256-bit bus, the Quadro K4000M’s memory bandwidth is 89.60 GB/s, which is lower than the GTX 770M’s 96.19 GB/s achieved on a 192-bit bus due to its higher memory clock.

Q: What is the difference in their boost clock speeds?

A: The GeForce GTX 770M has a boost clock of 797 MHz, while the Quadro K4000M does not have a boost mechanism, operating at a static 601 MHz.

Q: Which GPU has more video memory?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K4000M has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M has 3 GB.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in several key specification fields, despite sharing the same architecture and process node.

• Chip: The GeForce GTX 770M uses the GK106 chip, while the Quadro K4000M uses the GK104 chip.
• Transistors: The GTX 770M has 2,540 million transistors, whereas the Quadro K4000M has 3,540 million.
• Die Size: The GTX 770M’s die is 221 mm², while the Quadro K4000M’s is 294 mm².
• Transistor Density: The GTX 770M has a density of 11.5M / mm², compared to 12.0M / mm² for the Quadro K4000M.
• Base Clock: The GTX 770M runs at 706 MHz, and the Quadro K4000M at 601 MHz.
• Boost Clock: The GTX 770M boosts to 797 MHz, while the Quadro K4000M has no boost (601 MHz).
• Memory Clock: The GTX 770M’s memory runs at 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective), while the Quadro’s runs at 700 MHz (2.8 Gbps effective).
• Memory Size: The GTX 770M has 3 GB, and the Quadro K4000M has 4 GB.
• Memory Bus Width: The GTX 770M uses a 192-bit bus, while the Quadro K4000M uses a 256-bit bus.
• Memory Bandwidth: The GTX 770M achieves 96.19 GB/s, while the Quadro K4000M achieves 89.60 GB/s.
• ROPs: The GTX 770M has 24 ROPs, while the Quadro K4000M has 32.
• Pixel Rate: The GTX 770M has a pixel rate of 15.94 GPixel/s, versus 12.02 GPixel/s for the Quadro.
• Texture Rate: The GTX 770M has a texture rate of 63.76 GTexel/s, versus 48.08 GTexel/s for the Quadro.
• FP32 Performance: The GTX 770M delivers 1.530 TFLOPS, while the Quadro K4000M delivers 1,153.9 GFLOPS.
• TDP: The GTX 770M has a TDP of 75 W, while the Quadro K4000M has a TDP of 100 W.
• Release Date: The GTX 770M was released on 2013-05-29, and the Quadro K4000M on 2012-05-31.
• Predecessor/Successor: The GTX 770M succeeds the GeForce 600M and precedes the GeForce 800M. The Quadro K4000M succeeds the Quadro Fermi-M and precedes the Quadro Maxwell-M.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M is the faster GPU. Its 42.9% lead in the Geekbench OpenCL test, driven by substantially higher clock speeds and fillrates, makes it the clear choice for any workload requiring raw compute or graphics throughput. Users prioritizing frame rates in games or general-purpose GPU compute should select the GTX 770M.

The case for the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M rests entirely on its 4 GB memory capacity and 256-bit bus. For specific professional applications that require large memory footprints for complex scenes or datasets, the extra gigabyte could be an advantage. However, this comes with a 25 W higher TDP and significantly lower performance in the tested metrics. The data indicates that the GTX 770M offers superior speed and efficiency, making it the better all-around performer. The Quadro K4000M is only preferable in the narrow scenario where memory capacity is the absolute bottleneck and raw speed is secondary.