GPU Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce 945M and AMD Radeon 540 are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions, but they represent fundamentally different approaches to low-power computing. The 945M is a Maxwell-based part from 2015, while the Radeon 540 is a Polaris-generation chip from 2017. Benchmark data shows the NVIDIA card holds a significant lead in the sole OpenCL test, but the AMD card counters with a superior API feature set and a more modern manufacturing process. This analysis breaks down the architectural differences, benchmark results, and practical use cases for each.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 945M has an average benchmark score of 8099, while the AMD Radeon 540 has an average score of 7673. The 945M sits at the 42nd percentile of all GPUs, and the Radeon 540 is just behind at the 41st percentile.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the head-to-head benchmark?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA GeForce 945M scored 8099 against the AMD Radeon 540's 6184, resulting in a 31% advantage for the NVIDIA part. This is the only head-to-head benchmark recorded, and the 945M wins it outright.

Q: Do these GPUs support the same modern APIs?

A: No. The AMD Radeon 540 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, while the NVIDIA GeForce 945M only supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.4. Both support OpenGL 4.6. This means the Radeon 540 is compliant with the full DirectX 12 feature set, whereas the 945M is limited to the earlier 11_0 feature level.

Q: What are the memory configurations of each card?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 945M comes with 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD Radeon 540 has 1024 MB (1 GB) of GDDR5 memory on a 32-bit bus, providing 24.00 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density despite being on an older process?

A: The AMD Radeon 540, built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, has a transistor density of 21.4M / mm². The NVIDIA GeForce 945M, on TSMC's 28 nm node, has a lower density of 12.6M / mm².

Q: Are there any benchmark results where the AMD Radeon 540 is competitive?

A: Yes, in the Geekbench Vulkan test, the AMD Radeon 540 scores 9162. However, no comparable Vulkan score is listed for the NVIDIA GeForce 945M in the data, so a direct head-to-head comparison cannot be made.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is stark, reflecting their different release timelines and design philosophies. The NVIDIA GeForce 945M is built on the Maxwell architecture, using the GM107 chip manufactured by TSMC on a 28 nm process. It packs 1,870 million transistors into a 148 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.6M / mm². In contrast, the AMD Radeon 540 uses the GCN 4.0 architecture with the Lexa chip, produced by GlobalFoundries on a more advanced 14 nm node. This newer process allows AMD to fit 2,200 million transistors into a smaller 103 mm² die, achieving a much higher density of 21.4M / mm².

The core configurations differ significantly. The NVIDIA part boasts 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 raster output units (ROPs). The AMD part has fewer execution resources, with 384 shading units and 24 TMUs, but matches the ROP count at 16. This leads to different theoretical throughput rates: the 945M achieves 1,305.6 GFLOPS of FP32 compute and a texture rate of 40.80 GTexel/s, while the Radeon 540 delivers 908.5 GFLOPS of FP32 and 28.39 GTexel/s. Interestingly, the AMD card also lists FP16 performance at 908.5 GFLOPS (1:1 ratio), a capability not specified for the NVIDIA card.

Memory architecture is another major differentiator. The 945M uses 2 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit interface, clocked at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective), producing 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon 540 uses faster GDDR5 memory, but only 1024 MB on a severely restricted 32-bit bus. Despite the memory clock running at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective), the narrow bus limits bandwidth to 24.00 GB/s, which is actually lower than the NVIDIA card's total.

The API support also diverges. The Radeon 540 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, while the 945M only supports DirectX 12 (11_0) but has a newer Vulkan 1.4 implementation. This means the AMD card is fully compliant with the DirectX 12 feature set, whereas the NVIDIA card is limited to the DirectX 11-era feature level. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Physical and power characteristics differ as well. The 945M is a 75 W MXM Module with no power connectors and a bus interface of MXM-B (3.0). The Radeon 540 is a 50 W single-slot card using a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, also with no power connectors, but AMD recommends a 250 W system PSU. The display outputs also differ: the 945M relies on portable device-dependent outputs, while the Radeon 540 provides 2x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the results heavily favor the NVIDIA GeForce 945M. The NVIDIA card scores 8099, while the AMD Radeon 540 scores 6184. This represents a 31% delta in favor of the 945M. This is a substantial margin that indicates a clear performance advantage in compute workloads that leverage OpenCL.

To put this into perspective, the 945M's score of 8099 places it just above the NVIDIA GRID K2 (8080, 0.2% ahead) and slightly below the AMD Radeon R9 M360 (8129, 0.4% behind). It also edges out the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost (8067, 0.4% ahead) and trails the GeForce GTX 950M (8135, 0.4% behind). This shows that the 945M is operating in a tight cluster of similar-performing GPUs.

The Radeon 540's score of 6184, on the other hand, puts it in a different performance tier. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (7723, 0.6% behind the 540), the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 (7580, 1.2% behind), the AMD Radeon R7 250 (7557, 1.5% behind), and the Intel Arc A310 (7550, 1.6% behind). It is important to note that these rival scores are higher than the Radeon 540's own score, meaning the delta percentages are negative from the 540's perspective, indicating it trails all of them.

While the AMD card has a Vulkan score of 9162, there is no corresponding Vulkan benchmark for the NVIDIA card in the data. Therefore, it is impossible to determine whether the 945M would maintain its lead in a Vulkan workload. The data only supports a victory for the 945M in the OpenCL test.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the data, the NVIDIA GeForce 945M is the clear winner for raw compute performance. Its 31% lead in the Geekbench OpenCL test is decisive and places it in a higher performance bracket relative to its rivals. The 945M's average benchmark score of 8099 is also higher than the Radeon 540's 7673, reinforcing its overall advantage.

However, the choice is not entirely one-sided. The AMD Radeon 540 offers a more modern feature set with full DirectX 12 (12_0) support, which the NVIDIA card lacks. It also has a much newer Vulkan implementation (1.4 on the 945M vs 1.3 on the 540). If you are running applications that require the full DirectX 12 feature level, the Radeon 540 is the only viable option here.

The Radeon 540 also wins on efficiency. It has a lower TDP of 50 W compared to the 945M's 75 W, and it is built on a more power-efficient 14 nm process. It also takes up less space as a single-slot card, whereas the 945M is an MXM Module.

In a direct performance comparison, the 945M is the better GPU. The data shows a significant compute advantage, and its memory configuration with double the capacity and higher bandwidth is more practical for general use. The Radeon 540's appeal is limited to specific scenarios where its API support or lower power draw is the deciding factor.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce 945M | AMD Radeon 540 |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | GM107 | Lexa |

| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 4.0 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | GlobalFoundries |

| Transistors | 1,870 million | 2,200 million |

| Die Size | 148 mm² | 103 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.6M / mm² | 21.4M / mm² |

| Memory Size | 2 GB | 1024 MB |

| Memory Type | DDR3 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 32 bit |

| Memory Clock | 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) | 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 28.80 GB/s | 24.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 640 | 384 |

| TMUs | 40 | 24 |

| ROPs | 16 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 16.32 GPixel/s | 18.93 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 40.80 GTexel/s | 28.39 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 1,305.6 GFLOPS | 908.5 GFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | N/A | 908.5 GFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 75 W | 50 W |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | Single-slot |

| Suggested PSU | N/A | 250 W |

| Bus Interface | MXM-B (3.0) | PCIe 3.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 2x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX Support | 12 (11_0) | 12 (12_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.3 |

Where Each One Wins

NVIDIA GeForce 945M Wins:

• Compute Performance: It dominates the only head-to-head benchmark, scoring 31% higher in Geekbench OpenCL. This indicates a substantial advantage in GPU-accelerated compute tasks.
• Memory Capacity: With 2 GB of VRAM versus the Radeon 540's 1024 MB, the 945M can handle larger textures and datasets without running out of memory.
• Memory Bandwidth: Despite using slower DDR3, the 128-bit bus gives it 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth, which is 20% higher than the Radeon 540's 24.00 GB/s.
• Texture Throughput: The 945M's 40 TMUs deliver a texture rate of 40.80 GTexel/s, significantly outpacing the Radeon 540's 28.39 GTexel/s. This translates to better performance in texture-heavy workloads.

AMD Radeon 540 Wins:

• API Feature Level: It supports DirectX 12 (12_0), which is a full-feature implementation. The NVIDIA card is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0), which may cause compatibility issues with newer games or applications.
• Power Efficiency: The Radeon 540 has a 50 W TDP, which is 33% lower than the 945M's 75 W. This makes it more suitable for compact systems with limited cooling and power budgets.
• Manufacturing Process: The 14 nm node is significantly more advanced than the 28 nm node, leading to higher transistor density (21.4M / mm² vs 12.6M / mm²) and potentially better performance-per-watt.
• Pixel Fill Rate: The Radeon 540 achieves an 18.93 GPixel/s pixel rate, which is higher than the 945M's 16.32 GPixel/s, despite having the same number of ROPs. This could give it an edge in certain fill-rate-bound scenarios.
• Display Connectivity: It offers dedicated 2x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, whereas the 945M's outputs are dependent on the portable device, making the Radeon 540 a more predictable choice for multi-monitor setups.