AMD Radeon R7 M340 vs NVIDIA GeForce 940M Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce 940M and AMD Radeon R7 M340 are two end-of-life mobile GPUs aimed at the entry-level laptop segment, and the benchmark data splits their victories evenly. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the 940M decisively outperforms the R7 M340, while the R7 M340 strikes back with a significant win in the Geekbench Vulkan test. This makes the choice between them highly dependent on which workloads or API a user prioritizes, as neither card offers a universal advantage.

Where Each One Wins

The GeForce 940M establishes its dominance in compute-heavy, general-purpose tasks that leverage OpenCL. Its benchmark score of 6018 in Geekbench OpenCL represents a 22% lead over the R7 M340’s 4932 in the same test. This is a substantial margin, indicating that the NVIDIA card is better suited for applications that use OpenCL for acceleration, such as older game engines, physics simulations, and some productivity or content-creation tools. The 940M’s average benchmark score of 5284 also edges out the R7 M340’s 5063, reinforcing its overall lead in raw compute performance.

Conversely, the AMD Radeon R7 M340 wins in the modern Vulkan graphics API. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 5193 is 12.4% higher than the 940M’s 4549. This is a critical win for AMD in newer game titles and applications that are built on Vulkan, as it suggests the R7 M340 can handle modern, low-level API workloads more efficiently. While the 940M wins on legacy compute, the R7 M340 is the better choice for users whose primary concern is playing contemporary games that utilize Vulkan. The data shows a clear split: NVIDIA for OpenCL compute, AMD for Vulkan graphics.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and design philosophies. The NVIDIA GeForce 940M is built on the Maxwell architecture, using the GM107 chip produced on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This chip packs 1,870 million transistors on a 148 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 12.6M / mm². In contrast, the AMD Radeon R7 M340 uses the GCN 3.0 architecture, featuring the Meso chip, also on a 28 nm TSMC process. The Meso chip contains 1,550 million transistors on a smaller 125 mm² die, resulting in a slightly lower transistor density of 12.4M / mm².

These architectural differences lead to vastly different core configurations. The 940M is equipped with 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 raster operation units (ROPs). The R7 M340, by comparison, has fewer of all three: 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and only 8 ROPs. This disparity in core counts is a primary reason for the 940M’s superior fill rates and raw computational throughput. The NVIDIA card achieves a pixel rate of 17.57 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 35.14 GTexel/s, far outpacing the R7 M340’s 8.168 GPixel/s and 20.42 GTexel/s. Furthermore, the 940M’s FP32 performance is 1,124.4 GFLOPS, almost double the R7 M340’s 653.4 GFLOPS. The AMD card does have a 1:1 FP16 ratio at 653.4 GFLOPS, but the NVIDIA card’s FP32 compute is the dominant statistic here.

Memory configuration is another point of divergence, though both cards have similar constraints. Both feature 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus. However, the clocks differ: the 940M runs its memory at an effective 1800 Mbps, yielding 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth, while the R7 M340 runs at 2000 Mbps effective, yielding a slightly higher 16.00 GB/s. The R7 M340 also has a different bus interface, using PCIe 3.0 x8, whereas the 940M uses an MXM-B (3.0) module interface. Feature support also differs, with the 940M supporting DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.4, while the R7 M340 supports a higher DirectX 12 (12_0) but an older Vulkan 1.2.170.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark results provide a clear, if split, picture of performance. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA GeForce 940M scores 6018 compared to the AMD Radeon R7 M340’s 4932. This is a 22% advantage for NVIDIA, a substantial gap that highlights the 940M’s superior compute resources. The higher shading unit count and clock speeds directly translate to better performance in this general-purpose compute benchmark, making it the clear winner for OpenCL-accelerated tasks.

The tables turn in the Geekbench Vulkan test. Here, the AMD Radeon R7 M340 scores 5193, while the NVIDIA GeForce 940M falls behind at 4549. This represents a 12.4% win for AMD, showing that the R7 M340’s architecture handles the low-level Vulkan API more effectively than NVIDIA’s Maxwell. This result is particularly relevant for gaming, as modern titles increasingly rely on Vulkan. The data suggests that while the 940M is a compute powerhouse, the R7 M340 offers a better experience in Vulkan-based applications.

Looking at the broader context, the 940M’s average benchmark score is 5284, placing it in the 31st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, with an average score of 5308, a negligible 0.4% difference. The R7 M340’s average score is 5063, placing it in the 30th percentile. Its closest competitor is the AMD Radeon R7 240, which has an identical average score of 5063. These figures show that while the 940M holds a small overall edge in average performance, both cards sit at a similar, low tier of the GPU market.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute tasks?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 940M is significantly faster, scoring 6018 in Geekbench OpenCL compared to the AMD Radeon R7 M340’s 4932, a 22% difference.

Q: Which GPU is better for Vulkan-based applications?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M340 wins in Vulkan, scoring 5193 in Geekbench Vulkan versus the 940M’s 4549, which is a 12.4% advantage for AMD.

Q: What are the core count differences between the two?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 940M has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 has fewer, with 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs.

Q: Do both GPUs have the same memory configuration?

A: Both have 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, but memory speeds differ. The 940M has a bandwidth of 14.40 GB/s, while the R7 M340 has a slightly higher 16.00 GB/s.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 940M has a higher average benchmark score of 5284, placing it in the 31st percentile, while the AMD Radeon R7 M340 averages 5063, placing it in the 30th percentile.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 940M has a much higher pixel rate of 17.57 GPixel/s, compared to the AMD Radeon R7 M340’s 8.168 GPixel/s.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce 940M | AMD Radeon R7 M340 |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Chip | GM107 | Meso |

| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 3.0 |

| Transistors | 1,870 million | 1,550 million |

| Die Size | 148 mm² | 125 mm² |

| Base Clock | 1020 MHz | 943 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1098 MHz | 1021 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1800 Mbps effective | 2 Gbps effective |

| Memory Bandwidth | 14.40 GB/s | 16.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 512 | 320 |

| TMUs | 32 | 20 |

| ROPs | 16 | 8 |

| Pixel Rate | 17.57 GPixel/s | 8.168 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 35.14 GTexel/s | 20.42 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 1,124.4 GFLOPS | 653.4 GFLOPS |

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

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

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.2.170 |

The Verdict

The data presents a clear choice based on workload. For users who prioritize compute performance and OpenCL-accelerated tasks, the NVIDIA GeForce 940M is the superior option. Its 22% lead in Geekbench OpenCL, coupled with higher pixel and texture rates and nearly double the FP32 performance, makes it the more capable card for general-purpose GPU computing.

However, for users focused on modern gaming, the AMD Radeon R7 M340 is the better pick. Its 12.4% victory in Geekbench Vulkan indicates stronger performance in contemporary game engines that leverage this API. While the 940M offers more raw compute power, the R7 M340’s Vulkan advantage is a more practical benefit for gaming workloads. The R7 M340 also has a slight edge in memory bandwidth, which can help in texture-heavy scenes. Ultimately, the 940M is the compute workhorse, while the R7 M340 is the modern gaming specialist.