NVIDIA GeForce 940MX vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
► remove from comparisonThe Nvidia GeForce 940MX is a mid-range laptop graphics card with DirectX 12 support (FL 11_0). It has been announced in the first quarter of 2016 and is the refresh of the GeForce 940M. Compared to the older card, the new one is based on the same chip but now supports faster GDDR5. Therefore, it is similar to the Maxwell GPU in the Microsoft Surface Book but with more memory and higher clock speeds. However, most notebook vendors will use the slower DDR3 version of the 940MX that clocks only a few percent faster than the old GeForce 940M (1122 versus 1072 MHz base clock e.g.).
For the GDDR5 version of the 940MX there appears to be also a variant with the GM107-B chip with 512 shaders instead of the 384 but lower clock speeds. The 940MX in the Acer Aspire E5-774G e.g. featured 512 shader cores (GM107) clocked at 795 - 861 MHz. The Dell Inspiron 17 7778 version however had the GM108 chip with 384 shaders clocked at 1083 - 1189 MHz.
The performance greatly depends on the used graphics memory and chip. According to our benchmarks (see below), the DDR3 version is very similar to the old 940M (due to only minor increased clock rates). The GDDR5 version however pushes ahead 20% (even 30% if paired with a fast desktop quad-core, but we lack 940M reference scores). Therefore, demanding games from 2015 should run fluently in low to medium settings and WXGA resolution.
The TDP of the card should be rated at about 15 to 30 Watt (depending on the version, clock speeds and memory). Therefore, the GPU is best suited for laptops from 13-inch and up.
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI
► remove from comparisonThe NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI is a high-end DirectX 11-compatible graphics solution for laptops, consisting of two GeForce GT 650M. Each card has a 28nm GK107 core based on the Kepler architecture. With SLI, each card usually renders a single frame (AFR mode). Therefore, it may suffer from micro stuttering in low fps ranges of 30fps. This happens because of different timespans between two frames (e.g., irregular delays between sequential frames). The 650M SLI is currently used only in the Lenovo Y500 with fast GDDR5 graphics memory and clock rates of 790 to 835 MHz (GeForce Boost).
Architecture
The Kepler architecture is the successor to the Fermi architecture that first appeared in laptops with the GeForce 400M series. The GK107 Kepler core offers two shader blocks, called SMX, each with 192 shaders for a total of 384 shader cores that are clocked at the same speed as the central core. Although more shader cores are available in the Kepler architecture as compared to the Fermi design, the Kepler shaders are still expected to be up to twice as power efficient. However, due to the missing hot clock of the shader domain, two shaders of a Kepler chip are about as fast as one shader of a Fermi chip (as the latter is clocked twice as fast). PCIe 3.0 is now supported by the mobile Kepler series and an optional Turbo mode can automatically overclock the Nvidia card by a theoretical 15 percent if the laptop cooling system allows it. The implementation of this boost mode is done in the BIOS, but it is ultimately dependent upon the manufacturer of the laptop.
Performance
The gaming performance of the SLI combination ranges between a GeForce GTX 670MX (maximum, e.g. in 3DMark 11 benchmarks) down to a single GeForce GT 650M (if SLI is not supported by the game). On average the 650M SLI could therefore be placed a bit above a Geforce GTX 660M in the high-end class. Modern games of 2012 should therefore be playable with high detail settings.
Features
The improved feature set now includes support for up to 4 active displays. Furthermore, high resolution monitors of up to 3840x2160 pixels can now be connected using DisplayPort 1.2 or HDMI 1.4a if available. HD-Audio codecs, such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD, can be transmitted via bitstream mode through the HDMI port. However, as most laptops will feature Optimus, the integrated GPU will likely have direct control over the display ports and may limit the feature set available by the Nvidia Kepler cards.
The 5th generation PureVideo HD video processor (VP5) is also integrated in the GK107 core and offers hardware decoding of HD videos. Common codecs such as MPEG-1/2, MPEG-4 ASP, H.264 and VC1/WMV9 are fully supported up to 4K resolutions while VC1 and MPEG-4 are supported up to 1080p. Two streams can be decoded in parallel for features such as Picture-in-Picture. Another novelty is the inclusion of a dedicated video encoding engine similar to Intel QuickSync that can be accessed by the NVENC API.
The power consumption of the GeForce GT 650M SLI should double compared to a single GTX 650M. Therefore, only large laptops can handle the heat dissipation.
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX | NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
GeForce GT 600M Series |
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Codename | N16S-GTR-B/S | N13E-GE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Architecture | Maxwell | Kepler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pipelines | 384 - unified | 768 - unified | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TMUs | 42 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ROPs | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Core Speed | 1122 - 1242 (Boost) MHz | 790 - 835 (Boost) MHz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Memory Speed | 4000 effective = 1253 MHz | 4000 MHz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Memory Bus Width | 64 Bit | 2x 128 Bit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Memory Type | DDR3, GDDR5 | GDDR5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Max. Amount of Memory | 4 GB | 2x2048 MB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shared Memory | no | no | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Memory Bandwidth | 40.1 GB/s | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
API | DirectX 12 (FL 11_0), Shader 5.0, OpenGL 4.5 | DirectX 11, Shader 5.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Power Consumption | 15-25 Watt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Transistors | 1.9 Billion | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
technology | 28 nm | 28 nm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
PCIe | 3.0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Features | GPU Boost 2.0, Optimus, PhysX, CUDA, GeForce Experience, GameWorks | Optimus, PhysX, Verde Drivers, CUDA, 3D Vision, 3DTV Play | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notebook Size | medium sized | medium sized | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of Announcement | 10.03.2016 | 22.03.2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Link to Manufacturer Page | www.geforce.com |
Benchmarks
3DM Vant. Perf. total + NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
specvp11 snx-01 + NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
specvp12 sw-03 + NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit + NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
GFXBench T-Rex HD Offscreen C24Z16 + NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
- Average benchmark values for this graphics card
* Smaller numbers mean a higher performance
1 This benchmark is not used for the average calculation
Game Benchmarks
The following benchmarks stem from our benchmarks of review laptops. The performance depends on the used graphics memory, clock rate, processor, system settings, drivers, and operating systems. So the results don't have to be representative for all laptops with this GPU. For detailed information on the benchmark results, click on the fps number.
F1 2020
2020Dirt Rally 2.0
2019Far Cry New Dawn
2019Battlefield V
2018Fallout 76
2018Forza Horizon 4
2018FIFA 19
2018F1 2018
2018Monster Hunter World
2018The Crew 2
2018Far Cry 5
2018X-Plane 11.11
2018Fortnite
2018Call of Duty WWII
2017Destiny 2
2017ELEX
2017The Evil Within 2
2017FIFA 18
2017Ark Survival Evolved
2017F1 2017
2017Team Fortress 2
2017Dirt 4
2017Rocket League
2017Prey
2017For Honor
2017Resident Evil 7
2017Watch Dogs 2
2016Dishonored 2
2016Titanfall 2
2016Farming Simulator 17
2016Battlefield 1
2016Civilization VI
2016Mafia 3
2016FIFA 17
2016No Man's Sky
2016Overwatch
2016Doom
2016Need for Speed 2016
2016Hitman 2016
2016The Division
2016Far Cry Primal
2016XCOM 2
2016Rainbow Six Siege
2015Just Cause 3
2015Fallout 4
2015Anno 2205
2015FIFA 16
2015World of Warships
2015Metal Gear Solid V
2015Mad Max
2015Dota 2 Reborn
2015The Witcher 3
2015Dirt Rally
2015GTA V
2015Battlefield Hardline
2015The Crew
2014Far Cry 4
2014F1 2014
2014The Evil Within
2014Ryse: Son of Rome
2014Alien: Isolation
2014Fifa 15
2014Sims 4
2014Risen 3: Titan Lords
2014GRID: Autosport
2014Watch Dogs
2014Titanfall
2014Thief
2014Battlefield 4
2013F1 2013
2013Total War: Rome II
2013Company of Heroes 2
2013Metro: Last Light
2013BioShock Infinite
2013Tomb Raider
2013Crysis 3
2013Far Cry 3
2012Assassin´s Creed III
2012Hitman: Absolution
2012Dishonored
2012Fifa 13
2012F1 2012
2012Borderlands 2
2012Guild Wars 2
2012Counter-Strike: GO
2012Darksiders II
2012Sleeping Dogs
2012Max Payne 3
2012Dirt Showdown
2012Diablo III
2012Risen 2: Dark Waters
2012Mass Effect 3
2012Alan Wake
2012Anno 2070
2011Battlefield 3
2011Batman: Arkham City
2011Dirt 3
2011Mafia 2
2010Metro 2033
2010Average Gaming NVIDIA GeForce 940MX → 100%
Average Gaming 30-70 fps → 100%
Average Gaming NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI → 156%
Average Gaming 30-70 fps → 129%