GTX 770 Max-Q vs HD 7870
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | GTX 770 Max-Q | HD 7870 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 815 | 896 | -9.0% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 25 | 25 | — |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 13 | 13 | — |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 7 | 7 | — |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 2.3 | 2.6 | -9.0% |
| VRAM | 2 GB GDDR5 | 2 GB GDDR5 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 224 | 224 | — |
| TDP (W) | 103 | 175 | — |
- GTX 770 Max-Q averages 13 fps at 1440p versus 13 fps — about 0% faster.
- GTX 770 Max-Q draws less power (103W vs 175W).
Verdict: GTX 770 Max-Q or HD 7870?
GTX 770 Max-Q advantages
- Power efficiency (+41%)
HD 7870 advantages
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+9%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the GTX 770 Max-Q if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
- Choose the HD 7870 if you want the higher benchmark performance overall.
GTX 770 Max-Q vs HD 7870: which should you choose?
GTX 770 Max-Q — NVIDIA laptop graphics card (2013, Kepler) with 2 GB of GDDR5, averaging 13 fps at 1440p.
HD 7870 — AMD desktop graphics card (2012, GCN 1.0) with 2 GB of GDDR5, averaging 13 fps at 1440p; launched at $349.
GTX 770 Max-Q vs HD 7870: GTX 770 Max-Q is faster for gaming. GTX 770 Max-Q averages 13 fps at 1440p versus 13 fps — about 0% faster. GTX 770 Max-Q draws less power (103W vs 175W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the GTX 770 Max-Q averages 13 fps against 13. At 4K (7 vs 7 fps) VRAM (2GB vs 2GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 103 W versus 175 W, which affects PSU headroom, case cooling and noise.
The verdict
Both are credible choices in the graphics card comparison space; the specification table above lays out every metric so you can weigh the trade-offs that matter to you. Pick the one whose strengths line up with how you will actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GTX 770 Max-Q better than the HD 7870?
These two are closely matched — the right pick comes down to which specific strengths you value and the price you actually pay. GTX 770 Max-Q averages 13 fps at 1440p versus 13 fps — about 0% faster.
What is the main difference between the GTX 770 Max-Q and the HD 7870?
GTX 770 Max-Q averages 13 fps at 1440p versus 13 fps — about 0% faster. GTX 770 Max-Q draws less power (103W vs 175W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the GTX 770 Max-Q if you want lower power draw, heat and noise. Choose the HD 7870 if you want the higher benchmark performance overall.
Methodology
Graphics cards are compared on 3DMark Time Spy scores, average gaming frame rates at 1080p/1440p/4K, FP32 compute throughput, VRAM capacity and type, memory bandwidth, board power (TDP) and launch MSRP — plus AI workload throughput (Stable Diffusion iterations/s and local LLM tokens/s) where measured. Vintage and server GPUs without modern benchmark results are compared on specifications only, clearly labelled. Frame rates are averages across a game suite at high settings; specific titles vary.