AMD Radeon 540 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M Comparison

The AMD Radeon 540 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M are two end-of-life graphics solutions from different eras, and the benchmark data shows that their overall performance is surprisingly close despite their architectural gaps. The GTX 675M wins the single available head-to-head benchmark, but the Radeon 540 has a higher average score across its tested workloads, making this a nuanced comparison rather than a clear-cut victory for either side.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M takes the win. It scores 6946 points against the AMD Radeon 540’s 6184 points, a delta of -11% for the AMD card. This means the GTX 675M is roughly 12.3% faster in this specific compute workload, a significant margin that reflects the older Fermi architecture’s strength in raw OpenCL execution.

However, the broader picture shifts when looking at each card’s average benchmark score. The Radeon 540 has an average score of 7673 across its tested workloads, while the GTX 675M averages 6946. This puts the Radeon 540 about 10.5% ahead of the GTX 675M in general performance, even though it lost the specific OpenCL test. The discrepancy suggests that the Radeon 540 performs better in other benchmark scenarios, particularly Vulkan, where it scores 9162 — a figure that the GTX 675M cannot match because it has no Vulkan support listed.

Looking at the nearest rivals provides additional context. The Radeon 540’s average score of 7673 places it 0.6% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (7723), 1.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 (7580), and 1.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 250 (7557). The GTX 675M’s 6946 average puts it 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon R5 M240 (6975), 1.1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M (7023), and 1.7% ahead of the AMD FirePro M5100 (6830). These figures show that both cards sit in a similar performance tier, but the Radeon 540 punches slightly higher relative to its competition.

The percentile rankings reinforce this. The Radeon 540 sits at the 41st percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 675M sits at the 39th. That two-point gap is small but consistent with the Radeon 540’s higher average score. In practical terms, the data suggests that the Radeon 540 is the better overall performer in mixed workloads, even though the GTX 675M holds a clear edge in the specific OpenCL test.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Radeon 540 uses the Lexa chip based on GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It belongs to the Polaris (RX 500) generation and packs 2,200 million transistors into a 103 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 21.4 million per square millimeter. In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M uses the GF114 chip with Fermi 2.0 architecture, built on TSMC’s 40 nm process. It has 1,950 million transistors spread across a much larger 332 mm² die, resulting in a density of just 5.9 million per square millimeter.

The memory subsystems differ drastically. The Radeon 540 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 32-bit bus, delivering 24.00 GB/s of bandwidth at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective). The GTX 675M has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, providing 96.00 GB/s at 750 MHz (3 Gbps effective). That is four times the raw bandwidth, which explains why the GTX 675M can win compute-heavy tests despite its older architecture.

Compute resources are mixed. Both cards have 384 shading units, but the GTX 675M has 64 texture mapping units (TMUs) and 32 render output units (ROPs), while the Radeon 540 has just 24 TMUs and 16 ROPs. The GTX 675M’s texture rate of 39.68 GTexel/s is higher than the Radeon 540’s 28.39 GTexel/s, and its pixel rate of 9.920 GPixel/s is lower than the Radeon 540’s 18.93 GPixel/s. The Radeon 540 compensates with a higher FP32 throughput of 908.5 GFLOPS versus 952.3 GFLOPS, and it offers FP16 performance at 908.5 GFLOPS (1:1), while the GTX 675M has no FP16 capability listed.

Power and physical design also diverge. The Radeon 540 is a 50 W single-slot card with no power connectors and a suggested 250 W PSU. The GTX 675M is a 100 W MXM module, also with no power connectors, but designed for portable devices. The Radeon 540 uses PCIe 3.0 x8 and outputs 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the GTX 675M uses MXM-B (3.0) and its display outputs are described as "Portable Device Dependent."

API support is another differentiator. The Radeon 540 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The GTX 675M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but lists no Vulkan support. This is a critical feature gap for modern workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 675M wins in raw compute tasks, as evidenced by its OpenCL benchmark victory. Its 96.00 GB/s memory bandwidth and 64 TMUs give it an edge in texture-heavy and bandwidth-bound workloads. It also offers double the memory capacity at 2 GB, which helps in larger datasets. For older games or applications optimized for Fermi, this card holds its own.

The Radeon 540 wins in broader compatibility and modern API support. Its Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_0) support make it viable for contemporary software. Its higher pixel rate of 18.93 GPixel/s suggests better fill-rate performance in certain rendering scenarios. The Radeon 540 also has a higher average benchmark score (7673 vs 6946) and a higher percentile ranking (41st vs 39th), indicating it performs better across a wider range of tests.

The Radeon 540’s lower power draw of 50 W versus 100 W makes it a better fit for systems with limited power budgets, even though the GTX 675M’s MXM form factor targets laptops rather than desktops. The Radeon 540’s smaller die and newer 14 nm process also suggest better efficiency per transistor, though the data does not directly measure this.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon 540, with an average score of 7673, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M’s 6946.

Q: Does the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M support Vulkan?

A: No. The GTX 675M lists no Vulkan support in its specifications, while the Radeon 540 supports Vulkan 1.3.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two cards?

A: The GTX 675M has 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth, which is four times the Radeon 540’s 24.00 GB/s.

Q: How do the two cards compare in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The GTX 675M scores 6946, beating the Radeon 540’s 6184 by 11% in that specific test.

Q: Which card has more texture mapping units?

A: The GTX 675M has 64 TMUs, compared to the Radeon 540’s 24 TMUs.

Q: Are both cards end-of-life products?

A: Yes, both the AMD Radeon 540 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M are listed as end-of-life.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the data, the choice depends on the workload. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M is the pick for OpenCL compute tasks, where it leads by 11% in the direct head-to-head benchmark. It also offers 2 GB of memory and 96.00 GB/s bandwidth, which are superior for memory-intensive operations. However, its lack of Vulkan support and lower average score (6946) make it a poor fit for modern gaming or applications that rely on newer APIs.

The AMD Radeon 540 is the better all-around card. Its average score of 7673 is about 10.5% higher than the GTX 675M’s, and it sits at a higher percentile (41st vs 39th). It supports Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_0), making it more future-proof for current software. Its 50 W power draw is half that of the GTX 675M, and its 14 nm process is far newer than the 40 nm Fermi design.

For a desktop user seeking compatibility with modern APIs and better overall performance, the Radeon 540 is the safer recommendation. For a legacy system or a workload specifically reliant on OpenCL and high memory bandwidth, the GTX 675M has a clear advantage. The data does not support a universal winner, but it does show that the Radeon 540 is the stronger general-purpose solution.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon 540 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M |

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

| Architecture | GCN 4.0 | Fermi 2.0 |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 40 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | TSMC |

| Transistors | 2,200 million | 1,950 million |

| Die Size | 103 mm² | 332 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 21.4M / mm² | 5.9M / mm² |

| Memory Size | 1024 MB | 2 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 32 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 24.00 GB/s | 96.00 GB/s |

| Memory Clock | 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) | 750 MHz (3 Gbps effective) |

| TMUs | 24 | 64 |

| ROPs | 16 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 18.93 GPixel/s | 9.920 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 28.39 GTexel/s | 39.68 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 908.5 GFLOPS | 952.3 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | 908.5 GFLOPS (1:1) | null |

| TDP | 50 W | 100 W |

| Slot Width | Single-slot | MXM Module |

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

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

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

| Vulkan | 1.3 | null |

| Release Date | 2017-04-19 | 2012-03-21 |

| Predecessor | Arctic Islands | GeForce 500M |

| Successor | Vega | GeForce 700M |