AMD Radeon R5 Graphics vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 740 Comparison

The GeForce GT 740 and the Radeon R5 Graphics are closely matched in average benchmark scores, but they achieve parity through entirely different strengths. The NVIDIA card wins decisively in Vulkan compute, while the AMD integrated part dominates OpenCL. The data shows a split decision that hinges on which API workload matters more to you.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two GPUs split their head-to-head matchups exactly one win apiece, with the average benchmark scores reflecting that balance. The GeForce GT 740 posts an average benchmark score of 3431, while the Radeon R5 Graphics averages 3883. That places the GT 740 in the 21st percentile of all GPUs and the R5 Graphics in the 23rd percentile — a narrow gap in overall standing.

The biggest single victory belongs to the Radeon R5 Graphics in the Geekbench OpenCL test. It scores 5183 against the GT 740’s 3847, a margin of 25.8 percent. This is not a small edge; it is a dominant performance gap in this compute workload. The R5 Graphics outperforms the GT 740 by over 1300 points in OpenCL, which is a substantial difference for two parts that otherwise sit at similar percentile rankings.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 740 answers back in the Geekbench Vulkan test with a commanding win. It scores 4083 versus the R5 Graphics’ 2582, a delta of 58.1 percent in NVIDIA’s favor. This is the largest relative margin in the entire comparison — the GT 740 is more than one and a half times faster than the R5 Graphics in Vulkan compute. The 1501-point gap in this test more than compensates for the AMD part’s OpenCL advantage in raw scoring, yet the overall averages remain close.

Looking at nearest rivals confirms the context. The GT 740’s closest competitor is the NVIDIA Quadro 2000M with an average score of 3434, a delta of -0.1 percent — essentially a tie. The Radeon R5 Graphics’ nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro 2000 at 3898, a delta of -0.4 percent. Both parts sit in a cluster of similar-performing hardware, but their benchmark distributions are polar opposites. The GT 740 is consistent across Vulkan and OpenCL (3847 and 4083), while the R5 Graphics shows extreme variance (5183 OpenCL versus 2582 Vulkan).

The data reveals a clear pattern: the R5 Graphics is an OpenCL specialist that falls apart in Vulkan, whereas the GT 740 delivers balanced compute performance with a strong Vulkan tilt. The GeForce GT 740 also holds an edge in percentile placement relative to its own scoring distribution, but the R5 Graphics’ higher average score is driven entirely by its OpenCL outlier result.

The Verdict

The verdict from the benchmark data is straightforward: choose the GeForce GT 740 if you target Vulkan compute workloads, and choose the Radeon R5 Graphics if OpenCL is your primary API. The GT 740 wins the Vulkan test by 58.1 percent — a margin that is impossible to ignore for any Vulkan-based application. The R5 Graphics wins OpenCL by 25.8 percent, which is equally decisive for that API.

For general-purpose use, the R5 Graphics has the higher average benchmark score (3883 versus 3431) and the higher percentile rank (23rd versus 21st). But that advantage is fragile, resting entirely on one OpenCL result. The GT 740’s Vulkan score of 4083 is closer to its OpenCL score of 3847, indicating more predictable performance across workloads.

The GT 740 is a discrete card with its own memory, while the R5 Graphics is an integrated processor (IGP). If your workload is Vulkan-centric, the GT 740 is the clear winner. If OpenCL dominates, the R5 Graphics is the better performer. There is no overall champion — the data splits down API lines, and the correct pick depends entirely on which software environment you use.

The GT 740 also offers a more stable compute experience. Its Vulkan score (4083) exceeds its OpenCL score (3847), showing it can handle both modern APIs well. The R5 Graphics’ Vulkan score (2582) is less than half its OpenCL score (5183), which signals a severe weakness in that API. For future-proofing, the GT 740’s stronger Vulkan showing is a meaningful consideration.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural lineages. The GeForce GT 740 uses the GK107 chip based on NVIDIA’s Kepler architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The Radeon R5 Graphics uses the Spectre SL chip based on AMD’s GCN 2.0 architecture, also on a 28 nm process but fabricated at GlobalFoundries. Both parts use the same process node, but the underlying designs diverge significantly.

The transistor counts and die sizes tell a story of different design philosophies. The GT 740 packs 1,270 million transistors into a 118 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 10.8M per mm². The R5 Graphics contains 2,410 million transistors across a 245 mm² die, but its density is lower at 9.8M per mm². The AMD chip is nearly twice as large in both transistor count and die area, reflecting its integration into a larger APU package.

The R5 Graphics is part of the GCN 2.0 IGP generation (Kaveri), meaning it is integrated into a processor rather than existing as a standalone card. It has a 15 W TDP and no power connectors, as it draws power from the motherboard. The GT 740 is a discrete card with a 64 W TDP, a single-slot design, and a 1x 6-pin power connector requiring a 250 W suggested PSU. The GT 740 also has a 145 mm length, while the R5 Graphics has no physical dimensions because it is an IGP.

Memory architecture differs fundamentally. The GT 740 has 1024 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 80.19 GB/s of bandwidth. The R5 Graphics uses System Shared memory with a System Dependent bandwidth — it has no dedicated VRAM and relies on the host system’s memory. This is a critical architectural distinction: the GT 740 never competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth, while the R5 Graphics always does.

The compute resources also differ. The GT 740 has 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The R5 Graphics has 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and only 4 ROPs. These numbers explain the performance patterns: the GT 740’s higher ROP count (16 versus 4) and texture units (32 versus 16) give it more pixel and texture throughput (7.944 GPixel/s and 31.78 GTexel/s versus 3.032 GPixel/s and 12.13 GTexel/s). The R5 Graphics counters with a higher OpenCL score despite fewer shaders, suggesting architectural efficiency in that specific workload.

API support shows another divergence. The GT 740 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The R5 Graphics supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The AMD part has a higher DirectX feature level (12_0 versus 11_0), while the NVIDIA part has a slightly newer Vulkan version. Neither has ray tracing or tensor cores.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics has an average benchmark score of 3883, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740 scores 3431. The R5 Graphics also ranks higher in percentile at 23 versus the GT 740’s 21.

Q: How big is the Vulkan performance gap?

A: The GeForce GT 740 scores 4083 in the Geekbench Vulkan test, which is 58.1 percent higher than the Radeon R5 Graphics’ score of 2582. This is the largest margin in the entire comparison.

Q: Does the Radeon R5 Graphics win any benchmarks?

A: Yes, the R5 Graphics wins the Geekbench OpenCL test decisively with a score of 5183 versus the GT 740’s 3847. That represents a 25.8 percent advantage for the AMD part.

Q: What memory does each GPU use?

A: The GeForce GT 740 has 1024 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 80.19 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon R5 Graphics uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The GeForce GT 740 has 384 shading units, compared to 256 on the Radeon R5 Graphics. The GT 740 also has more TMUs (32 versus 16) and ROPs (16 versus 4).

Q: What is the DirectX support difference?

A: The Radeon R5 Graphics supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the GeForce GT 740 supports DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the GT 740 has Vulkan 1.2.175 compared to the R5 Graphics’ Vulkan 1.2.170.

Where Each One Wins

The GeForce GT 740 wins in Vulkan compute workloads by a massive 58.1 percent, making it the clear choice for any application that uses the Vulkan API. It also has dedicated memory with 80.19 GB/s of bandwidth, which eliminates the system memory contention that plagues the integrated R5 Graphics. The GT 740’s higher ROP count (16 versus 4) and texture rate (31.78 GTexel/s versus 12.13 GTexel/s) give it a strong advantage in pixel-heavy tasks. Its single-slot design and 64 W TDP make it a straightforward discrete card installation with a 250 W suggested PSU.

The Radeon R5 Graphics wins in OpenCL compute by 25.8 percent, making it the better choice for OpenCL-based applications. Its higher average benchmark score (3883 versus 3431) and higher percentile rank (23rd versus 21st) indicate better overall performance in the tested workloads. The R5 Graphics also has a lower TDP at 15 W versus 64 W, which means it requires no power connectors and no extra cooling — it is an IGP that uses system power entirely. Its DirectX 12 (12_0) support is more advanced than the GT 740’s DirectX 12 (11_0), which could matter for newer DirectX titles.

The GT 740 is the pick for discrete graphics needs with its own VRAM and stronger Vulkan performance. The R5 Graphics is the pick for low-power integrated systems where OpenCL performance is the priority and dedicated graphics is not an option. The data does not favor one over the other globally; it favors each in its respective API domain.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GT 740 | AMD Radeon R5 Graphics |

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

| Chip | GK107 | Spectre SL |

| Architecture | Kepler | GCN 2.0 |

| Generation | GeForce 700 | GCN 2.0 IGP (Kaveri) |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | GlobalFoundries |

| Transistors | 1,270 million | 2,410 million |

| Die Size | 118 mm² | 245 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 10.8M / mm² | 9.8M / mm² |

| Memory | 1024 MB GDDR5 | System Shared |

| Memory Bus | 128 bit | System Shared |

| Bandwidth | 80.19 GB/s | System Dependent |

| Shading Units | 384 | 256 |

| TMUs | 32 | 16 |

| ROPs | 16 | 4 |

| Pixel Rate | 7.944 GPixel/s | 3.032 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 31.78 GTexel/s | 12.13 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 762.6 GFLOPS | 388.1 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 64 W | 15 W |

| Slot Width | Single-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 250 W | None |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | IGP |

| Display Outputs | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.4a | Motherboard Dependent |

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

| Vulkan | 1.2.175 | 1.2.170 |

| Release Date | 2014-05-28 | 2014-09-16 |

| Launch MSRP | 89 USD | None |