AMD Radeon 540 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX Comparison

# NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX vs AMD Radeon 540

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX and AMD Radeon 540 are both end-of-life mobile and low-profile desktop graphics solutions, but they target different eras and use cases. The GTX 675MX is a 2012-era Kepler part designed for high-performance laptops, while the Radeon 540 is a 2017 GCN 4.0 part aimed at basic desktop output and light acceleration. Benchmark data shows the GTX 675MX holds a decisive lead in the only shared test, but the Radeon 540 counters with a much newer feature set and dramatically lower power draw. The GTX 675MX sits at the 43rd percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 8427, while the Radeon 540 sits at the 41st percentile with an average score of 7673 — a gap of roughly 9.8% in favor of the older NVIDIA part.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 675MX wins the only head-to-head benchmark available, and it wins by a wide margin. In Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA card scores 10723 against the Radeon 540's 6184, a delta of 73.4%. That single result drives its higher average benchmark score of 8427 versus 7673 for the AMD card. For any compute-oriented workload that leverages OpenCL — such as physics simulation, video encoding assist, or general-purpose GPU compute — the GTX 675MX is clearly the stronger performer, despite being five years older in release date.

The Radeon 540, however, wins where the GTX 675MX cannot compete: API support and efficiency. It supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, whereas the GTX 675MX is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. That means the Radeon 540 can run modern Vulkan titles and DirectX 12 feature-level 12_0 applications natively, while the GTX 675MX must fall back to older API paths. The Radeon 540 also draws half the power — 50 W TDP versus 100 W — and uses a single-slot form factor with no power connectors, making it a drop-in option for small office desktops that lack auxiliary power headers. The GTX 675MX, by contrast, is an MXM module, which requires a compatible laptop or MXM-based workstation chassis.

Architecture Differences

These two GPUs come from completely different architectural generations and manufacturers. The GTX 675MX uses the GK104 chip built on TSMC's 28 nm process, implementing NVIDIA's Kepler architecture. It packs 3,540 million transistors onto a 294 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.0 million per square millimeter. The Radeon 540 uses AMD's Lexa chip on GlobalFoundries' 14 nm process, implementing GCN 4.0 (part of the Polaris/RX 500 generation). It contains 2,200 million transistors on a much smaller 103 mm² die, giving it a higher density of 21.4 million per square millimeter.

The compute layout differs substantially. The GTX 675MX has 960 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The Radeon 540 has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Despite having fewer of every execution resource, the Radeon 540 achieves a higher pixel rate — 18.93 GPixel/s versus 13.08 GPixel/s — thanks to its newer architecture and higher clock efficiency. However, the GTX 675MX dominates texture rate at 52.32 GTexel/s versus 28.39 GTexel/s, and FP32 throughput at 1,255.7 GFLOPS versus 908.5 GFLOPS. The Radeon 540 does offer FP16 at 908.5 GFLOPS (1:1 ratio), while the GTX 675MX has no FP16 capability listed.

Memory configurations also diverge sharply. The GTX 675MX uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 115.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon 540 uses only 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 32-bit bus, yielding just 24.00 GB/s. That 4.8x bandwidth advantage for the NVIDIA card is a major factor in its benchmark dominance. The Radeon 540 compensates with faster effective memory clocks — 6 Gbps versus 3.6 Gbps — but the narrow bus cannot overcome the deficit.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single shared benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is not close. The GTX 675MX scores 10723, while the Radeon 540 scores 6184. That is a 73.4% advantage for the NVIDIA card. To put that in context, the GTX 675MX's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 880M at 8436 (-0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 at 8458 (-0.4%), and the AMD Radeon HD 8870M at 8462 (-0.4%). The Radeon 540's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti at 7723 (-0.6%), the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 at 7580 (+1.2%), and the AMD Radeon R7 250 at 7557 (+1.5%). The GTX 675MX's OpenCL score is roughly 27% higher than the Radeon 540's average benchmark score across all tests, underscoring how much faster the older NVIDIA part is at compute tasks.

The Radeon 540 has no benchmark wins against the GTX 675MX in the data. In the one test where both were measured, the NVIDIA card wins outright. That said, the Radeon 540 does have a Geekbench Vulkan score of 9162 — a test the GTX 675MX did not run — which shows it is capable of strong performance in modern graphics APIs. For legacy OpenCL workloads, however, the GTX 675MX is the clear choice.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX, with an average benchmark score of 8427 compared to the AMD Radeon 540's 7673. That places the GTX 675MX at the 43rd percentile of all GPUs and the Radeon 540 at the 41st percentile.

Q: How much faster is the GTX 675MX in OpenCL?

A: The GTX 675MX scores 10723 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 6184 for the Radeon 540, a 73.4% advantage for the NVIDIA card.

Q: Does the Radeon 540 support newer graphics APIs?

A: Yes. The Radeon 540 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, while the GTX 675MX is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Q: What are the memory bus widths of these two GPUs?

A: The GTX 675MX uses a 256-bit memory bus with 2 GB of GDDR5, while the Radeon 540 uses a 32-bit bus with 1024 MB of GDDR5. The GTX 675MX delivers 115.2 GB/s of bandwidth versus 24.00 GB/s for the Radeon 540.

Q: Which GPU consumes more power?

A: The GTX 675MX has a TDP of 100 W, exactly double the Radeon 540's 50 W. The Radeon 540 also lists a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the GTX 675MX uses an MXM module with no separate power connectors.

Q: What form factors do these GPUs use?

A: The GTX 675MX is an MXM-B (3.0) module designed for laptops or MXM-based systems, with display outputs described as "Portable Device Dependent." The Radeon 540 is a single-slot PCIe 3.0 x8 card with 2x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every measurable specification. The GTX 675MX uses the GK104 chip on a 28 nm TSMC process, while the Radeon 540 uses the Lexa chip on a 14 nm GlobalFoundries process. Transistor counts are 3,540 million versus 2,200 million, and die sizes are 294 mm² versus 103 mm², giving transistor densities of 12.0M/mm² and 21.4M/mm² respectively. The GTX 675MX has 960 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs; the Radeon 540 has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs.

Pixel rates favor the Radeon 540 at 18.93 GPixel/s versus 13.08 GPixel/s, but texture rates favor the GTX 675MX at 52.32 GTexel/s versus 28.39 GTexel/s. FP32 throughput is 1,255.7 GFLOPS for NVIDIA and 908.5 GFLOPS for AMD, with the Radeon 540 also offering FP16 at 908.5 GFLOPS (1:1). Memory configurations are starkly different: 2 GB GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus at 3.6 Gbps effective (115.2 GB/s) for the GTX 675MX, versus 1024 MB GDDR5 on a 32-bit bus at 6 Gbps effective (24.00 GB/s) for the Radeon 540.

TDP is 100 W for the GTX 675MX and 50 W for the Radeon 540. The GTX 675MX uses an MXM-B (3.0) interface with no power connectors and portable-device-dependent outputs; the Radeon 540 uses PCIe 3.0 x8, a single-slot cooler, no power connectors, a 250 W suggested PSU, and 2x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. API support differs as noted: DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175 for NVIDIA, versus DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3 for AMD. Release dates are September 2012 for the GTX 675MX and April 2017 for the Radeon 540. The NVIDIA card's predecessor is GeForce 500M and its successor is GeForce 700M; the AMD card's predecessor is Arctic Islands and its successor is Vega.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture: the GTX 675MX is the faster GPU by a substantial margin in compute workloads, and it offers far more memory bandwidth and texture throughput. Its 73.4% OpenCL lead and 9.8% average benchmark score advantage make it the better choice for anyone who needs raw performance from a legacy mobile GPU. The Radeon 540, however, is the better fit for modern systems that require current API support — its Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_0) capabilities mean it can run software the GTX 675MX simply cannot. It also consumes half the power, fits in a standard single-slot PCIe slot, and outputs to DisplayPort 1.4a, making it a pragmatic choice for a low-end desktop build or a basic workstation. If performance is the only criterion, the GTX 675MX wins outright. If compatibility with modern APIs, lower power draw, and ease of installation matter more, the Radeon 540 is the rational pick — just be prepared for its significantly narrower memory bus and lower compute throughput.