Notebookcheck

NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI

NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI

The 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.

ManufacturerNVIDIA
GeForce GT 600M Series
GeForce GT 650M SLI 768 @ 790 - 835 (Boost) MHz2x 128 Bit @ 4000 MHz
GeForce GT 650M (compare) 384 @ 735 - 900 (Boost) MHz128 Bit @ 1800 - 4000 MHz
GeForce GT 645M (compare) 384 @ 710 MHz128 Bit @ 1800 MHz
GeForce GT 640M (compare) 384 @ 625 - 645 (Boost) MHz128 Bit @ 1800 - 4000 MHz
GeForce GT 640M LE (compare) 384 @ 500 MHz128 Bit @ 1800 - 4000 MHz
GeForce GT 635M (compare) 144 @ 660 - 753 (Boost) MHz128/192 Bit @ 1800 MHz
GeForce GT 630M (compare) 96 @ 672 MHz128 Bit @ 1800 MHz
GeForce GT 625M (compare) 96 @ 625 MHz64 Bit @ 1800 MHz
GeForce GT 620M (compare) 96 @ 625 - 715 (Boost) MHz64 / 128 Bit @ 1800 MHz
CodenameN13E-GE
ArchitectureKepler
Pipelines768 - unified
Core Speed790 - 835 (Boost) MHz
Memory Speed4000 MHz
Memory Bus Width2x 128 Bit
Memory TypeGDDR5
Max. Amount of Memory2x2048 MB
Shared Memoryno
DirectXDirectX 11, Shader 5.0
technology28 nm
FeaturesOptimus, PhysX, Verde Drivers, CUDA, 3D Vision, 3DTV Play
Notebook Sizemedium sized
Date of Announcement22.03.2012

Benchmarks

3DMark 11 - Performance 1280x720
min: 3341     avg: 3546     median: 3621 (12%)     max: 3676 points
+ 3 benchmarks and specifications   + Show comparison chart
3DMark 11 - Performance GPU 1280x720
min: 3533     avg: 3580.7     median: 3597 (7%)     max: 3612 points
+ 3 benchmarks and specifications   - Hide comparison chart
3DMark Vantage
P Result 1280x1024 +
P GPU no PhysX 1280x1024 +
3DMark 03 - Standard 1024x768
57023 Points (30%)
+ 1 benchmarks and specifications   + Show comparison chart
3DMark 05 - Standard 1024x768
24750 Points (53%)
+ 1 benchmarks and specifications   + Show comparison chart
3DMark 06 Standard 1280x1024 +
Unigine Heaven 3.0 - DX 11, Normal Tessellation, High Shaders 1920x1080
35.8 fps (13%)
+ 1 benchmarks and specifications   + Show comparison chart
Unigine Heaven 2.1 - high, Tesselation (normal), DirectX11 1280x1024
47.6 fps (21%)
+ 1 benchmarks and specifications   + Show comparison chart
SPECviewperf 11
Siemens NX 1920x1080 +
Tcvis 1920x1080 +
SolidWorks 1920x1080 +
Pro/ENGINEER 1920x1080 +
Maya 1920x1080 +
Lightwave 1920x1080 +
Ensight 1920x1080 +
Catia 1920x1080 +
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit +
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit +
- Range of benchmark values for this graphics card
- Average benchmark values for this graphics card
* Smaller numbers mean a higher performance

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 detailled information on the benchmark results, click on the fps number.

Far Cry 3

Far Cry 3

2012
low 1024x768
105.7  fps    + Compare
med. 1366x768
88.8  fps    + Compare
high 1366x768
42.6  fps    + Compare
ultra 1920x1080
15.6  fps    + Compare
» With all tested laptops playable in detail settings high.
Assassin´s Creed III

Assassin´s Creed III

2012
med. 1366x768
63  fps    + Compare
high 1366x768
59.9  fps    + Compare
ultra 1920x1080
22.2  fps    + Compare
» With all tested laptops playable in detail settings high.
Hitman: Absolution

Hitman: Absolution

2012
low 1024x768
68.4  fps    + Compare
med. 1366x768
59.7  fps    + Compare
high 1366x768
35.8  fps    + Compare
ultra 1920x1080
19.1  fps    + Compare
» With all tested laptops playable in detail settings high.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

2012
low 1024x768
147.7  fps    + Compare
med. 1366x768
121.3  fps    + Compare
high 1366x768
81.8  fps    + Compare
ultra 1920x1080
55.3  fps    + Compare
» With all tested laptops playable in detail settings ultra.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted

Need for Speed: Most Wanted

2012
low 1024x768
59.9  fps    + Compare
med. 1366x768
49.6  fps    + Compare
high 1366x768
29.9  fps    + Compare
ultra 1920x1080
17.4  fps    + Compare
» With all tested laptops playable in detail settings med..
Medal of Honor: Warfighter

Medal of Honor: Warfighter

2012
low 1024x768
118.9  fps    + Compare
med. 1366x768
86.6  fps    + Compare
high 1366x768
71.3  fps    + Compare
ultra 1920x1080
31.2  fps    + Compare
» With all tested laptops playable in detail settings high.
Dishonored

Dishonored

2012
low 1024x768
128.5  fps    + Compare
med. 1366x768
128  fps    + Compare
high 1366x768
123.3  fps    + Compare