Radeon HD 6870 vs Radeon HD 7770

Speed and memory

In our performance index the Radeon HD 6870 scores 2.4 and the Radeon HD 7770 scores 2.2, which makes the Radeon HD 6870 about 9% 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 Red Dead Redemption 2 (6 against 5 fps), and the smallest is in Fortnite (31 against 29 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The Radeon HD 6870 is rated at 151 W and the Radeon HD 7770 at 80 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 550 W for the first and 450 W for the second. A gap of 71 W shows up in heat and fan noise, and in your electricity use over a few years.

At launch the Radeon HD 6870 cost $239 and the Radeon HD 7770 $159. Per dollar, the Radeon HD 7770 gave more performance (1.4 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 Radeon HD 6870 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 7770 if the price gap matters more than the 9% speed difference, or if you want lower power draw and a quieter PC. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.