Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3 vs Radeon HD 7700-serie

Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3

2018
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 7700-serie

2012Boost: 925 MHz
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Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3 vs Radeon HD 7700-serie Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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.

Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3 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.

Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3

2018

Why buy it

  • Draws 7W instead of 250W, a 243W reduction.
  • More future proof: Unknown architecture on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2018 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 276.7% HIGHER MSRP
    $599 MSRPvs$159 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 3.3 vs 11.9 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).

Radeon HD 7700-serie

2012

Why buy it

  • Costs $440 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • Delivers 267.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.9 vs 3.3 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs Unknown).
  • Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon HD 7700-serie is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • 2012 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 3471.4% higher power demand at 250W vs 7W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.5% in PassMark G3D (1,947 vs 1,899), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon HD 7700-serie is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 512 MB vs Unknown of VRAM and the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. 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 $440 cheaper on MSRP at $159 vs $599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 267.4% (11.9 vs 3.3), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3 vs Radeon HD 7700-serie Technical Specifications

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

Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3

The Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3 is manufactured by Qualcomm. It was released in December 6 2018. The thermal design power (TDP) is 7W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,947 points.

AMD

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 Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3 scores 1,947 and the Radeon HD 7700-serie reaches 1,899 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance.

FeatureQualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3Radeon HD 7700-serie
G3D Mark Score
1,947+3%
1,899
Process Node
7 nm
28 nm

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureQualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3Radeon 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 Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3 has 0 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7700-serie carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 7700-serie gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is System on the Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 7700-serie.

FeatureQualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3Radeon HD 7700-serie
VRAM Capacity
Shared System RAM
0.5 GB
Memory Type
Shared
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
System
128-bit
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3 draws 7W versus the Radeon HD 7700-serie's 250W — a 189.1% difference. The Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1W (Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3) vs 450W (Radeon HD 7700-serie). Power connectors: Integrated vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureQualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3Radeon HD 7700-serie
TDP
7W-97%
250W
Recommended PSU
1W-100%
450W
Power Connector
Integrated
1x 6-pin
Perf/Watt
278.1+3559%
7.6
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3 came in at $599, while the Radeon HD 7700-serie launched at $159. On MSRP, Radeon HD 7700-serie was 73.5% cheaper ($440 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 3.3 (Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3) vs 11.9 (Radeon HD 7700-serie) — the Radeon HD 7700-serie offers 260.6% better value. The newer card here is Qualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3 (2018 vs 2012).

FeatureQualcomm Adreno 8cx Gen 3Radeon HD 7700-serie
MSRP
$599
$159-73%
Performance per Dollar
3.3
11.9+261%
Codename
Tahiti
Release
December 6 2018
January 9 2012
Ranking
#915
#431

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