GeForce GTX 770 vs Radeon HD 7950

Speed and memory

In our performance index the GeForce GTX 770 scores 5 and the Radeon HD 7950 scores 4.6, which makes the GeForce GTX 770 about 9% faster. That is a small gap, below what most people notice without a frame counter.

The GeForce GTX 770 has 2 GB of video memory and the Radeon HD 7950 has 3 GB. That difference matters at 1440p and in new games at High textures, and it can outweigh a small speed advantage as the card ages.

In our estimates for popular games at 1080p on High, the biggest gap is in Red Dead Redemption 2 (11 against 14 fps), and the smallest is in Fortnite (60 against 56 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 770 is rated at 230 W and the Radeon HD 7950 at 200 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 650 W for the first and 550 W for the second. The power draw is close enough that cooling and noise will be similar.

At launch the GeForce GTX 770 cost $399 and the Radeon HD 7950 $449. Per dollar, the GeForce GTX 770 gave more performance (1.3 points per $100 against 1.0). Current prices differ, so run the same sum on what you can actually buy today.

Which one to buy

Choose the GeForce GTX 770 if you want the faster card, and you can accept 2 GB of memory. It makes the most sense at 1440p and above, or on a monitor with a high refresh rate.

Choose the Radeon HD 7950 if the price gap matters more than the 9% speed difference, and you value the extra video memory. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.