GeForce GTX 750 vs Radeon HD 7790

Speed and memory

In our performance index the GeForce GTX 750 scores 2.7 and the Radeon HD 7790 scores 2.5, which makes the GeForce GTX 750 about 8% faster. That is a small gap, below what most people notice without a frame counter.

Both cards have 1 GB of video memory, so memory will not separate them.

In our estimates for popular games at 1080p on High, the biggest gap is in Call of Duty (5 against 4 fps), and the smallest is in Grand Theft Auto V Legacy (34 against 32 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The GeForce GTX 750 is rated at 55 W and the Radeon HD 7790 at 85 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 450 W for the first and 450 W for the second. The power draw is close enough that cooling and noise will be similar.

At launch the GeForce GTX 750 cost $119 and the Radeon HD 7790 $149. Per dollar, the GeForce GTX 750 gave more performance (2.3 points per $100 against 1.7). Current prices differ, so run the same sum on what you can actually buy today.

Which one to buy

Choose the GeForce GTX 750 if you want the faster card, and it also has at least as much memory. It makes the most sense at 1440p and above, or on a monitor with a high refresh rate.

Choose the Radeon HD 7790 if the price gap matters more than the 8% speed difference. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.