Quadro M520 vs Radeon HD 7700-serie

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Quadro M520 vs Radeon HD 7700-serie FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Quadro M520 vs Radeon HD 7700-serie: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

Quadro M520

2017

Why buy it

✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 25W instead of 250W, a 225W reduction.
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7700-serie across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2017 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
25.8% HIGHER MSRP
$200 MSRPvs$159 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 9.6 vs 11.9 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).

Radeon HD 7700-serie

2012

Why buy it

✅90.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $41 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
✅Delivers 24.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.9 vs 9.6 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2012 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌900% higher power demand at 250W vs 25W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 7700-serie is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 90.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Quadro M520 instead at 1,913 vs 1,899, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Quadro M520 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM and a newer 2017 generation instead of 2012. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 7700-serie makes the most sense to buy today. It is $41 cheaper on MSRP at $159 vs $200, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 24.9% (11.9 vs 9.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 7700-serie is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Quadro M520 has the stronger long-term case.

Quadro M520 vs Radeon HD 7700-serie Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Quadro M520

The Quadro M520 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 11 2017. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1041 MHz to 1019 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,913 points.

Radeon HD 7700-serie

The Radeon HD 7700-serie is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 9 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 925 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,899 points. Launch price was $549.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Quadro M520 scores 1,913 and the Radeon HD 7700-serie reaches 1,899 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro M520 is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 7700-serie uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (Quadro M520) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7700-serie). Raw compute: 0.7995 TFLOPS (Quadro M520) vs 3.789 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7700-serie). Boost clocks: 1019 MHz vs 925 MHz.

Feature	Quadro M520	Radeon HD 7700-serie
G3D Mark Score	1,913	1,899
Architecture	Maxwell	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	2048+433%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.7995 TFLOPS	3.789 TFLOPS+374%
Boost Clock	1019 MHz+10%	925 MHz
ROPs	8	32+300%
TMUs	16	128+700%
L1 Cache	128 KB	512 KB+300%
L2 Cache	1 MB+33%	0.75 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Quadro M520	Radeon HD 7700-serie
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Quadro M520 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7700-serie carries 512 MB. Quadro M520 gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Quadro M520 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 7700-serie. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Quadro M520) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7700-serie) — the Quadro M520 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Quadro M520	Radeon HD 7700-serie
VRAM Capacity	2 GB+300%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB+33%	0.75 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro M520 draws 25W versus the Radeon HD 7700-serie's 250W — a 163.6% difference. The Quadro M520 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro M520) vs 450W (Radeon HD 7700-serie). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	Quadro M520	Radeon HD 7700-serie
TDP	25W-90%	250W
Recommended PSU	350W-22%	450W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Perf/Watt	76.5+907%	7.6

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Quadro M520 came in at $200, while the Radeon HD 7700-serie launched at $159. On MSRP, Radeon HD 7700-serie was 20.5% cheaper ($41 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 9.6 (Quadro M520) vs 11.9 (Radeon HD 7700-serie) — the Radeon HD 7700-serie offers 24% better value. The newer card here is Quadro M520 (2017 vs 2012).

Feature	Quadro M520	Radeon HD 7700-serie
MSRP	$200	$159-21%
Performance per Dollar	9.6	11.9+24%
Codename	GM108	Tahiti
Release	January 11 2017	January 9 2012
Ranking	#695	#431

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