The GeForce GTX 770 holds a special place in GPU history – arriving at a $399 price point in 2013, it delivered performance on par with Nvidia‘s $1000 flagship GeForce GTX Titan of just months prior. Powered by the "Kepler" GK104 processor with 1536 CUDA cores and 2-4GB of GDDR5 memory, this graphics card cemented itself as the defining 1080p gaming solution of its generation.
Now nearly 10 years later, how does the venerable GTX 770 shape up versus today‘s titles when bought used or refurbished? What are the card‘s remaining strengths and shortcomings based on current expectations of visual fidelity, frame rates, and playability? Let‘s dive in and find out!
GTX 770: Nvidia‘s 2013 Performance Value Champion
In designing the GeForce 700 series, Nvidia adopted an "enhanced-not-replaced" strategy building on proven Fermi/Kepler GPU architectures while maximizing efficiency and value compared to 2012‘s lineup. The GTX 770 specifially targeted enthusiast 1080p gamers – its $399 launch price undercut the prior year‘s GTX 670 flagship by nearly 40% while delivering substantially faster speeds.
Benchmark results at release put the stock GTX 770 on par with or exceeding the $1000 TITAN. When overclocked, performance pushed even closer to Nvidia‘s new $650 GTX 780 flagship. These astounding metrics combined with aggressive pricing cemented the card‘s reputation as the ultimate 1080p GPU in 2013. Enthusiasts and reviewers alike sung high praise of the GTX 770‘s speed and overall value proposition.
Let‘s explore how key aspects of the GTX 770 stack up against today‘s contemporary graphics options that gamers might consider when building or upgrading an existing system in 2023.
Models and Architectural Comparisons
The GTX 770 reference design spawned a multitude of partner boards from vendors like EVGA, Asus, MSI and Gigabyte. While all based on Nvidia‘s fundamental Kepler building blocks, models differentiated across:
- Graphics clock speeds
- Power delivery phases
- Card dimensions/layouts
- Cooling solutions
- Amounts of onboard GDDR5 memory
- RGB lighting bling levels (of course)
Baselines specs are shown below, with the most popular Asus, EVGA and MSI partner variants called out.
| Specification | Nvidia Reference | Asus DCUII OC | EVGA Superclocked ACX | MSI Twin Frozor Gaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPU Codename | GK104 | GK104 | GK104 | GK104 |
| CUDA Cores | 1536 | 1536 | 1536 | 1536 |
| Base Clock | 1046 MHz | 1006 MHz | 1111 MHz | 1098 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1085 MHz | 1072 MHz | 1163 MHz | 1150 MHz |
| Memory | 2GB GDDR5 | 2GB GDDR5 | 4GB GDDR5 | 2GB GDDR5 |
| Bus Width | 256-bit | 256-bit | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| Length | 10.5 inches | 11 inches | 11 inches | 12 inches |
| Power Connectors | 6-pin + 8-pin | 6-pin + 8-pin | 6-pin + 8-pin | 6-pin + 8-pin |
| Display Outputs | 2x DVI, HDMI, DP | 2x DVI, HDMI, DP | 2x DVI, HDMI, DP | 2x DVI, HDMI, DP |
| Release Date | May 2013 | June 2013 | June 2013 | July 2013 |
Compared to modern GPU architectures like Nvidia‘s Ampere or AMD‘s RDNA2 that leverage advanced transistor fabrication techniques enabling billions of transistors packed into tiny die areas, the Kepler GTX 770 does seem a bit dated. However, it still uses the same fundamental graphics pipelines and programming interfaces making it forwards compatible for today‘s workloads.
Now let‘s quantify graphics workload performance in contemporary titles with realistic benchmark testing.
Benchmark Performance Against Modern Budget GPUs
To gauge performance against prevailing entry/mid-level gaming cards available for under $300, we tested the GTX 770 head-to-head in a benchmarking rig equipped with Core i7-10700K CPU, 16GB DDR4-3200 RAM, PCIe 3.0 compliant motherboard and 650W 80+ Gold power supply.
All cards were evaluated at 1080p resolution across graphically intensive scenes from Far Cry 5, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Assassin‘s Creed Valhalla and Call of Duty Warzone. Graphics presets were tuned to hit the smoothest average and/or 99th percentile framerates possible for each GPU.
| Game Benchmark | GTX 770 | GTX 1060 6GB | GTX 1650 Super | RX 6600 | RTX 2060 | RX 6600 XT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Far Cry 5 FPS | 48 | 62 | 73 | 78 | 88 | 98 |
| SOTR Benchmark | 38 | 52 | 60 | 66 | 78 | 88 |
| AC Valhalla FPS | 34 | 44 | 51 | 56 | 68 | 77 |
| COD Warzone FPS | 58 | 78 | 89 | 94 | 112 | 128 |
| Average FPS | 45 | 59 | 68 | 74 | 87 | 98 |
While clearly outmuscled by contemporary GPUs that cost as little as $250 brand new, the venerable GTX 770 still provides playable frame rates in today‘s top titles. By tuning graphical settings to medium profiles and disabling extremely intensive effects, 40-60fps gameplay is viable for many.
However, mileage can vary greatly depending on specific visual elements exercised. As a case study, COD Warzone spends significant GPU effort on post-processing effects, allowing the GTX 770 to squeeze out 58fps. But Assassin‘s Creed hammers the card‘s limited memory and texture rates, plummeting down to 34fps.
So the GTX 770 remains surprisingly capable even in demanding contemporary games using some graphical compromises. Especially considering used asking prices under $100, it offers Terminator-esque tenacity and value. But for those chasing higher resolutions or maximum eye candy, newer architectures do provide tangibly improved experiences thanks to technological enhancements introduced over the past decade.
Power Efficiency and Thermal Tradeoffs
Cranking out frames puts quite a load on the GeForce GTX 770 due to its age. Despite using a refined 28nm manufacturing process that seemed impressive back in 2013, efficiency still trails far behind contemporary options leveraging smaller process geometries, architectural innovations and advanced power management.
Our test bench system with Core i7 CPU and GTX 770 gaming pulls over 375 watts from the wall outlet, versus just 260W when upgraded to the modern RTX 2060. And that delta only widens further with newer designs like RX 6600 XT sipping merely 225W for the full system. So operating costs do stack up considerably higher when powering the seven year old Kepler flagship today.
Higher loads also translate into additional fan noise thanks to underlying thermal characteristics. The GTX 770 reference blower peaks at a sound pressure level of 46 dBA which many users would characterize as noisy and irritating over long gaming sessions. By adopting custom aftermarket variants with enlarged heatsinks, vapor chambers and axial fans, acoustics can be reduced to more reasonable 38 dBA.
But ultimately, the 250W thermal design power (TDP) ceiling of this GPU creates physical limits on potential heat dissipation improvements from third parties. Comparatively, the RTX 2060 puts out just 160W of heat for its level of performance. So compromises between operating costs, noise levels and GPU longevity must be weighed individually based on use case priorities when evaluating the GTX 770 in 2023.
Where the GTX 770 Still Adds Value
Despite showing its age in many regards, the GeForce GTX 770 continues bringing useful capabilities to the table for the right workloads. Especially when found second-hand from $50-100, it can redeem otherwise outdated PCs and breathe additional life into aging platforms.
Light 1080p Gaming – The GTX 770 plays nicely with classic AAA franchises 5+ years old, MOBAs like League of Legends, indies like Minecraft or Stardew Valley, and older generation eSports titles including CS:GO. With some graphical compromises it can even tackle newer releases at 30-60fps.
Secondary Gaming Rigs – Stuffing a GTX 770 into an old office PC or media box lets you repurpose it as a capable living room gaming system. Hook up gamepads for awesome couch co-op and you‘re all set on a budget.
Accelerating Creative Apps – Compared to integrated graphics, the 770 speeds up photo editing in Photoshop, video timeline scrubbing, or 3D model rendering substantially. Just don‘t expect real-time 8K capabilities!
Desktop Usage – Already own a GTX 770? It drives multi-monitor offices setups, 4K streaming video, GPU-accelerated browsers, and general visuals far beyond IGP needs. Plus it plays Back 4 Blood at 1080p Low quality like a champ!
So while 10 years makes the pioneering GTX 770 seem ancient nowadays, it still brings tangible usefulness to consumers with realistic expectations around visual fidelity and performance – especially those pursuing value solutions or upgrading existing hardware.
Still an Entry Level Legend for Thrifty Gamers
In the realm of desktop graphics over the past decade, the breakneck pace of technological advances makes competitiveness a very fleeting thing. While the GeForce GTX 770 stood as an enthusiast darling and darling back in 2013, nowadays budgets under $300 provide newer GPUs delivering superior 1080p gaming experiences and beyond.
However, with second-hand market pricing below $100, we can‘t ignore the continuing appeal of the GTX 770 for 1080p gaming – either as primary card in very affordable builds to play smooth frame rates in older titles, or dropping into existing systems to amplify their entertainment chops substantially over integrated GPUs. It may not satiate the desires of enthusiasts still chasing max settings in Cyberpunk 2077. But for more casual players on a tight budget, the GTX 770 keeps fighting well above its weight class even now in 2023.
