
Acer TravelMate P278-MG-76L2 Notebook Review
Intel Core i7-6500U | NVIDIA GeForce 940M | 17.30" | 3 kg
The NVIDIA GeForce 940M is a mid-range DirectX 11-compatible graphics card for laptops unveiled in March 2015. It is based on Nvidia's Maxwell architecture (GM108 chip) and manufactured in 28 nm. The 940M offers 384 shader units as well as 2 GB of DDR3 memory (64 bit, 2000 MHz effective).
Compared to the previous and technically very similar GeForce 840M, the GeForce 940M is clocked just slightly higher.
Architecture
Compared to Kepler, Maxwell has been optimized in several details to increase power efficiency. Smaller Streaming Multiprocessors (SMM) with only 128 ALUs (Kepler: 192) and an optimized scheduler should lead to better utilization of the shaders. Nvidia promises that a Maxwell SMM with 128 ALUs can offer 90 percent of the performance of a Kepler SMX with 192 ALUs. GM108 features 3 SMMs and thus 384 shader cores, 24 TMUs and 8 ROPs (64-bit interface).
Another optimization is the massively enlarged L2 cache. The larger size can process some of the memory traffic to allow for a relatively narrow memory interface without significantly reducing performance.
Similar to Fermi and Kepler, the GM107/GM108 support DirectX 12 with feature level 11_0 only.
Performance
Due to its just 5 percent higher core clock, the GeForce 940M is only marginally faster than the previous GeForce 840M and similar to the older GeForce GT 750M (DDR3 version). Many games of 2014/2015 can be played fluently in WXGA resolution (1366 x 768) and medium detail settings. However, very demanding games such as Assassin's Creed Unity will require lower resolutions and/or details.
Features
GM108 integrates the sixth generation of the PureVideo HD video engine (VP6), offering a better decoding performance for H.264 and MPEG-2 videos. Of course, VP6 supports all features of previous generations (4K support, PIP, video encoding via NVENC API). Unfortunately, HDMI 2.0 is still not supported.
Power Consumption
The power consumption of the GeForce 940M should be about 30 Watts or lower. Therefore, the GPU is best suited for laptops 13 - 14 inches in size and above. The 900M series also supports Optimus to automatically switch between an integrated graphics card and the Nvidia GPU.
GeForce 900M Series
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Codename | N16S-GT-S/B | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Architecture | Maxwell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pipelines | 384 - unified | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Core Speed | 1072 - 1176 (Boost) MHz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Memory Speed | 2000 MHz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Memory Bus Width | 64 Bit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Memory Type | DDR3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Max. Amount of Memory | 4 GB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shared Memory | no | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
API | DirectX 12 (FL 11_0), Shader 5.0, OpenGL 4.5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Power Consumption | 25 Watt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
technology | 28 nm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Features | GPU Boost 2.0, Optimus, PhysX, CUDA, GeForce Experience | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notebook Size | medium sized | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of Announcement | 12.03.2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Link to Manufacturer Page | www.geforce.com |
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.
For more games that might be playable and a list of all games and graphics cards visit our Gaming List
HP Pavilion 17-g120ng: Intel Core i7-6500U, 17.30", 2.7 kg
Review » HP Pavilion 17-g120ng Notebook Review
Asus Zenbook UX303UB-R4100T: Intel Core i7-6500U, 13.30", 1.5 kg
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Nexoc M731III W670RBQ: Intel Core i5-6440HQ, 17.30", 3.1 kg
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Acer TravelMate P277-MG-7474: Intel Core i7-5500U, 17.30", 3 kg
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Nexoc M512 III W650RB (i3,940M): Intel Core i3-6100H, 15.60", 2.6 kg
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Lenovo Yoga 500-15IBD: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.1 kg
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Acer Aspire E5-473G-59QT: Intel Core i5-5200U, 14.00", 2 kg
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HP Pavilion 17-g013ng: Intel Core i7-5500U, 17.30", 2.8 kg
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HP Pavilion 15-ab022ng: Intel Core i7-5500U, 15.60", 2.2 kg
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Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE: Intel Core i5-5200U, 14.00", 1.7 kg
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Acer Aspire E5-772G-70VP: Intel Core i7-5500U, 17.30", 3 kg
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Lenovo U41-70: Intel Core i7-5500U, 14.00", 1.6 kg
Review » Lenovo U41-70 Notebook Review
Acer Aspire E5-573G-5785: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
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Acer Aspire V3-574G-59MA: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
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Asus Zenbook UX303LB-R4079H: Intel Core i5-5200U, 13.30", 1.5 kg
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Asus F751LB-T4030H: Intel Core i7-5500U, 17.30", 2.8 kg
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Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS1UT00: Intel Core i5-5200U, 14.00", 1.8 kg
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Microsoft Surface Book, Core i5-6300U: Intel Core i5-6300U, 13.50", 1.7 kg
External Review » Microsoft Surface Book, Core i5-6300U
Lenovo Yoga 700-14ISK-80QD0088SP: Intel Core i7-6500U, 14.00", 1.6 kg
External Review » Lenovo Yoga 700-14ISK-80QD0088SP
HP Star Wars Special Edition 15-an000nd: Intel Core i5-6200U, 15.60", 2.1 kg
External Review » HP Star Wars Special Edition 15-an000nd
Asus ZenBook UX303LB-90NB08R1-M02910: Intel Core i5-5200U, 13.30", 1.5 kg
External Review » Asus ZenBook UX303LB-90NB08R1-M02910
Wortmann Terra Mobile 360-15: Intel Core i5-6200U, 15.60", 2.2 kg
External Review » Wortmann Terra Mobile 360-15
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15ISK 80SR00EAMH: Intel Core i7-6500U, 15.00", 2.2 kg
External Review » Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15ISK 80SR00EAMH
HP Pavilion 15-au013ng: Intel Core i7-6500U, 15.60", 2 kg
External Review » HP Pavilion 15-au013ng
Asus Zenbook UX303UB-R4182T: Intel Core i7-6500U, 13.30", 1.4 kg
External Review » Asus Zenbook UX303UB-R4182T
Acer Aspire E5-573G-501Z: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire E5-573G-501Z
Lenovo Yoga 500-15IBD: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.1 kg
External Review » Lenovo Yoga 500-15IBD
Lenovo IdeaPad 700-17ISK-80RV001HMH: Intel Core i5-6300HQ, 17.30", 2.7 kg
External Review » Lenovo IdeaPad 700-17ISK-80RV001HMH
Asus Zenbook UX303UB-R4076T: Intel Core i7-6500U, 13.30", 1.5 kg
External Review » Asus Zenbook UX303UB-R4076T
Lenovo IdeaPad 700-17SK-80RV0031GE: Intel Core i7-6700HQ, 17.30", 2.7 kg
External Review » Lenovo IdeaPad 700-17SK-80RV0031GE
Lenovo Ideapad 700-17ISK-80RV001MGE: Intel Core i7-6700HQ, 17.30", 2.7 kg
External Review » Lenovo Ideapad 700-17ISK-80RV001MGE
HP Envy 17-n105ng: Intel Core i7-6500U, 17.30", 2.8 kg
External Review » HP Envy 17-n105ng
HP Pavilion 17-g115ng: Intel Core i5-6200U, 17.30", 2.8 kg
External Review » HP Pavilion 17-g115ng
Asus K501UB-DM075T: Intel Core i7-6500U, 15.60", 2 kg
External Review » Asus K501UB-DM075T
Asus F555UB-DM154T: Intel Core i5-6200U, 15.60", 2.3 kg
External Review » Asus F555UB-DM154T
Acer Aspire E5-574G-705F: Intel Core i7-6500U, 15.60", 2.2 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire E5-574G-705F
HP Pavilion 15-ab251nl: Intel Core i7-6500U, 15.60", 2.3 kg
External Review » HP Pavilion 15-ab251nl
Asus Zenbook UX303UB-R4076R: Intel Core i7-6500U, 13.30", 1.5 kg
External Review » Asus Zenbook UX303UB-R4076R
Asus X555UB-XO138T: Intel Core i5-6200U, 15.60", 2.3 kg
External Review » Asus X555UB-XO138T
Acer Aspire V3-575G-5093: Intel Core i5-6200U, 15.60", 2.3 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire V3-575G-5093
Lenovo Flex 3 14: Intel Core i7-6500U, 14.00", 2 kg
External Review » Lenovo Flex 3 14
Dell Inspiron 24 7459-4761: Intel Core i5-6300HQ, 23.80", 9.5 kg
External Review » Dell Inspiron 24 7459-4761
Asus K501LB: Intel Core i3-5010U, 15.60", 2 kg
External Review » Asus K501LB
HP Pavilion 15-ab217ng: Intel Core i5-6200U, 15.60", 2.3 kg
External Review » HP Pavilion 15-ab217ng
Asus F555UB-XO043T: Intel Core i5-6200U, 15.60", 2.3 kg
External Review » Asus F555UB-XO043T
Asus X555LB-XO101H: Intel Core i7-5500U, 15.60", 2.3 kg
External Review » Asus X555LB-XO101H
Asus X555UB-DM106T: Intel Core i7-6500U, 15.60", 2 kg
External Review » Asus X555UB-DM106T
Acer Aspire F15 F5-572G-70JY: Intel Core i7-6500U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire F15 F5-572G-70JY
HP Star Wars Special Edition 15-an001na: Intel Core i5-6200U, 15.60", 2.1 kg
External Review » HP Star Wars Special Edition 15-an001na
Lenovo U41-70-80JV00JBGE: Intel Core i5-5200U, 14.00", 1.7 kg
External Review » Lenovo U41-70-80JV00JBGE
Dell XPS 13 9343-4791: Intel Core i7-5500U, 13.30", 1.3 kg
External Review » Dell XPS 13 9343-4791
Acer Aspire V Nitro VN7-571G-516E: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
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HP Pavilion 15-AB206UR: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.3 kg
External Review » HP Pavilion 15-AB206UR
Acer Aspire F5-571G-59XP: Intel Core i5-4210U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire F5-571G-59XP
Asus X556UB: Intel Core i5-6200U, 15.60", 2.3 kg
External Review » Asus X556UB
Asus Zenbook UX303UB-DH74T: Intel Core i7-6500U, 13.30", 1.5 kg
External Review » Asus Zenbook UX303UB-DH74T
HP Star Wars Special Edition 15-an000nf: Intel Core i7-6500U, 15.60", 2.1 kg
External Review » HP Star Wars Special Edition 15-an000nf
HP Star Wars Special Edition 15-an050nr: Intel Core i5-6200U, 15.60", 2.3 kg
External Review » HP Star Wars Special Edition 15-an050nr
Acer Aspire V3-575G-70RJ: Intel Core i7-6500U, 15.60", 2.3 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire V3-575G-70RJ
Acer Aspire V3-574G-77X8: Intel Core i7-5500U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire V3-574G-77X8
Lenovo U41-70-80JV003RGE: Intel Core i7-5500U, 14.00", 1.7 kg
External Review » Lenovo U41-70-80JV003RGE
Acer Extensa 15 EX2511G-58VK: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
External Review » Acer Extensa 15 EX2511G-58VK
Lenovo Yoga 500-14IBD: Intel Core i7-6500U, 14.00", 1.8 kg
External Review » Lenovo Yoga 500-14IBD
Acer Aspire V3-547G (N15Q6) : Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire V3-547G (N15Q6)
Asus Zenbook UX303LB-R4079H: Intel Core i5-5200U, 13.30", 1.5 kg
External Review » Asus Zenbook UX303LB-R4079H
HP Envy 15-AE004NL: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
External Review » HP Envy 15-AE004NL
Acer Aspire E5-573G-56RG: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire E5-573G-56RG
Acer Aspire E5-573G-57HR: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire E5-573G-57HR
Acer Aspire V3-574G-1ZI: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.2 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire V3-574G-1ZI
Acer Aspire V3-574G-51ZI: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire V3-574G-51ZI
HP Envy 17-n000ng: Intel Core i5-5200U, 17.30", 2.8 kg
External Review » HP Envy 17-n000ng
Acer Aspire E5-772G-59AU: Intel Core i5-5200U, 17.30", 2.8 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire E5-772G-59AU
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE: Intel Core i5-5200U, 14.00", 1.7 kg
External Review » Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
Acer Aspire V3-574G-70JA: Intel Core i7-5500U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire V3-574G-70JA
Acer Aspire V3-574G-55SD: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire V3-574G-55SD
Acer Aspire E5-573G-75B3: Intel Core i7-5500U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire E5-573G-75B3
Acer Aspire E5-573G-59C3: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire E5-573G-59C3
Acer Aspire E5-573G-527A: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire E5-573G-527A
Acer Aspire VN7-571G-53N9: Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
External Review » Acer Aspire VN7-571G-53N9
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14: Intel Core i5-5200U, 14.00", 1.9 kg
External Review » Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
» Comparison of GPUs
Detailed list of all laptop GPUs sorted by class and performance.
» Benchmark List
Sort and restrict laptop GPUs based on performance in synthetic benchmarks.
» Notebook Gaming List
Playable games for each graphics card and their average FPS results.
* Approximate position of the graphics adapter
Top 10 Laptops
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