Sony HX80 has a
18.0MP (1/2. ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Nikon P7700 has a
12.0MP 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .
Sony HX80's sensor provides 6MP more than Nikon P7700's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
Below you can see the HX80 and P7700 sensor size comparison.
As seen above, Nikon P7700 has a infx Larger sensor area than Sony HX80. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.