GPU numbers question

[select20]

What are the numbers on GPU's? To clarify, I always thought that higher numbers meant a faster GPU i.e. a 7xxx series was faster than all the 6xxx series. Why is a 6870 a butt load faster than a 7770?

Using this as reference:
http://www.hwcompare.com/11924/radeo...adeon-hd-7770/

Kind goes the same with Nvidia card. I just don't understand the way that AMD or NVidia designates a new series of cards, but some cards in that series are worse than higher end cards even 2 series' ago.

Anyways, I'm just really confused by this. Looking back when I bought my 7770, I should've spent the extra little bit, gotten the older 6870 they had sitting there, but me thinking "Ooohhh... 7xxx series is newer, it will be faster." Boy do I feel stupid.

[yurano]

What are the numbers on GPU's? To clarify, I always thought that higher numbers meant a faster GPU i.e. a 7xxx series was faster than all the 6xxx series. Why is a 6870 a butt load faster than a 7770?

Radeon XYZ0
X - Generation
Y - Performance Class - For the 6000 series, 9 was dual GPU, 8 was enthusiast, 7 was mainstream. For the 7000 series, 7990 is dual GPU, the rest of the 9s are enthusiast, 8 is mainstream, the 7 is lower tier.
Z - Binning

You're compare the enthusiast level 6870 with the lower tier mainstrem card 7770.

Nvidia XY0 Z
X - Generation
Y - Performance Class - 9 is Dual GPU, 8 is enthusiast, 7 and 6 are performance, 5 and below is mainstream.
Z - Modifier (Ti, Se, etc) - Ti is better than no modifier, Se is worse than no modifier

You can use http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU12/372 to compare graphics cards. For uncommon (non-gamer) cards, you can use www.videocardbenchmark.net as a quick and dirty way to gauge the performance with less accuracy.

[jmacphee9]

Radeon XYZ0
X - Generation
Y - Performance Class - For the 6000 series, 9 was dual GPU, 8 was enthusiast, 7 was mainstream. For the 7000 series, 7990 is dual GPU, the rest of the 9s are enthusiast, 8 is mainstream, the 7 is lower tier.
Z - Binning

You're compare the enthusiast level 6870 with the lower tier mainstrem card 7770.

Nvidia XY0 Z
X - Generation
Y - Performance Class - 9 is Dual GPU, 8 is enthusiast, 7 and 6 are performance, 5 and below is mainstream.
Z - Modifier (Ti, Se, etc) - Ti is better than no modifier, Se is worse than no modifier

You can use http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU12/372 to compare graphics cards. For uncommon (non-gamer) cards, you can use www.videocardbenchmark.net as a quick and dirty way to gauge the performance with less accuracy.

very nicely put^

its all done to have a current card in the right price range, for ex just because a radeon 6970 is a 6xxx model, it still has more tech in it then the 7770, the reason why it costs so much more. you should have known your theory was wrong right off the bat because you get what you pay for.

[select20]

Radeon XYZ0
X - Generation
Y - Performance Class - For the 6000 series, 9 was dual GPU, 8 was enthusiast, 7 was mainstream. For the 7000 series, 7990 is dual GPU, the rest of the 9s are enthusiast, 8 is mainstream, the 7 is lower tier.
Z - Binning

You're compare the enthusiast level 6870 with the lower tier mainstrem card 7770.

Nvidia XY0 Z
X - Generation
Y - Performance Class - 9 is Dual GPU, 8 is enthusiast, 7 and 6 are performance, 5 and below is mainstream.
Z - Modifier (Ti, Se, etc) - Ti is better than no modifier, Se is worse than no modifier

You can use http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU12/372 to compare graphics cards. For uncommon (non-gamer) cards, you can use www.videocardbenchmark.net as a quick and dirty way to gauge the performance with less accuracy.

Wow, yeah thanks, awesome explanation. Thanks for taking the time.

very nicely put^

its all done to have a current card in the right price range, for ex just because a radeon 6970 is a 6xxx model, it still has more tech in it then the 7770, the reason why it costs so much more. you should have known your theory was wrong right off the bat because you get what you pay for.

Yeah I agree, I thought the 7770 would be closer than what it is being newer. Turns out it's really really far behind 6870 and even further behind the 6970. In some cases the 6870 was over 70% faster than the 7770. Anyways, I should've known and looked into it a bit more. I was using what I thought was common sense in that "higher numbers are better". Anyways, live and learn, christmas is coming up....

Thanks again for the replies, really clears things up for me.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

The HD 7770 has about the same performance as the HD 6850, while using about half the power.