AMD Radeon Vega 3 vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 3 records an average benchmark score of 4268, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M scores 3717. This places the AMD part in the 25th percentile of all GPUs, compared to the 22nd percentile for the NVIDIA part.

Q: How does the Vega 3 compare to its nearest rival in average score?

A: The Vega 3's closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M, which scores 4282. The Vega 3 trails by only 0.3%. It also sits 0.6% behind the AMD FirePro W2100 and 1.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6, while leading the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M by 0.6%.

Q: What is the GT 740M's closest rival and what is the margin?

A: The GT 740M's nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro 3000M, which matches its average score of 3718 with a 0% delta. The GT 740M leads the NVIDIA GeForce 825M by 0.6% and the AMD Radeon HD 6770 by 1.9%, but trails the NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M by 0.6%.

Q: Which GPU wins in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M wins in Geekbench OpenCL, scoring 3974 versus the AMD Radeon Vega 3's 3963. The margin is a narrow 0.3% in favor of the NVIDIA part.

Q: Which GPU wins in Geekbench Vulkan?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 3 wins in Geekbench Vulkan, scoring 3961 versus the GT 740M's 3459. This is a substantial 14.5% advantage for the AMD part.

Q: What are the process nodes for these two GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 3 is built on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M uses a 28 nm process at TSMC.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon Vega 3 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M represent fundamentally different design philosophies and eras. The Vega 3 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Picasso chip and GCN 5.0 architecture, manufactured on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It integrates 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 23.5 million per mm². The GT 740M, by contrast, is a discrete mobile GPU built on the GK208 chip with Kepler 2.0 architecture, produced on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,020 million transistors on an 87 mm² die, giving a density of 11.7 million per mm². The Vega 3's newer process node and substantially higher transistor count reflect a generational leap in manufacturing technology.

The Vega 3 features 192 shading units, 12 texture mapping units, and 4 raster output pipelines. The GT 740M offers 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. Despite having half the shading units, the Vega 3's architecture is designed for efficiency within a 15 W TDP, whereas the GT 740M draws 33 W. The Vega 3 operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1100 MHz, while the GT 740M runs at a 980 MHz base and 1033 MHz boost. The AMD part's higher boost clock partially compensates for its lower shader count, though the NVIDIA part maintains higher raw throughput rates.

Memory handling differs significantly. The Vega 3 uses system-shared memory, meaning its memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all system-dependent. The GT 740M has dedicated 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, delivering 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth. This dedicated memory gives the GT 740M a deterministic memory performance profile, while the Vega 3's performance depends entirely on the host system's memory configuration.

In terms of API support, the Vega 3 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The GT 740M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The Vega 3's higher DirectX feature level and newer Vulkan version indicate more modern API readiness.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data covers two benchmarks: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. Each GPU claims one victory, but the margins differ dramatically.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M edges out the AMD Radeon Vega 3 by a razor-thin margin. The GT 740M scores 3974, while the Vega 3 scores 3963, a delta of just 0.3%. This near-tie suggests that in compute workloads based on OpenCL, the two GPUs are effectively interchangeable in performance. The Vega 3's smaller shader count but higher boost clock, combined with system-shared memory, essentially neutralizes the GT 740M's larger shader array and dedicated memory. The result is a statistical dead heat.

The Geekbench Vulkan benchmark tells a different story. Here, the AMD Radeon Vega 3 wins decisively, scoring 3961 against the GT 740M's 3459. That is a 14.5% advantage for the AMD part. This substantial margin indicates that the Vega 3's Vulkan driver implementation and architectural support for Vulkan 1.3 provide a meaningful performance edge over the GT 740M's older Vulkan 1.2.175 support. The result suggests that modern graphics APIs favor the newer AMD architecture, even though the GT 740M has more raw shading hardware.

The overall win count is split at one apiece, but the magnitude of the Vulkan victory outweighs the narrow OpenCL margin. In weighted terms, the AMD part demonstrates a stronger performance profile in modern API workloads, while the NVIDIA part holds a slight edge in legacy compute scenarios.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every hardware specification. The manufacturing process sees the Vega 3 at 12 nm versus the GT 740M at 28 nm, with corresponding transistor counts of 4,940 million versus 1,020 million and die sizes of 210 mm² versus 87 mm². Transistor density is 23.5M per mm² for the AMD part and 11.7M per mm² for the NVIDIA part.

Clock speeds differ notably: the Vega 3 has a 300 MHz base and 1100 MHz boost, while the GT 740M runs at 980 MHz base and 1033 MHz boost. The memory subsystems are entirely different: the Vega 3 uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, while the GT 740M has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth.

Compute resources favor the NVIDIA part: 384 shading units versus 192, 32 TMUs versus 12, and 8 ROPs versus 4. The GT 740M also posts higher pixel rate (8.264 GPixel/s versus 4.400 GPixel/s), texture rate (33.06 GTexel/s versus 13.20 GTexel/s), and FP32 throughput (793.3 GFLOPS versus 422.4 GFLOPS). The Vega 3 supports FP16 at 844.8 GFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, while the GT 740M has no listed FP16 capability.

Power and form factor differ: the Vega 3 is an IGP with 15 W TDP and no power connectors, while the GT 740M is an MXM Module with 33 W TDP and no power connectors. The Vega 3 uses an IGP bus interface, while the GT 740M uses PCIe 3.0 x8. Display outputs are motherboard-dependent for the AMD part and portable-device-dependent for the NVIDIA part. The Vega 3 was released in November 2019, while the GT 740M launched in June 2013.

The Verdict

The data presents a nuanced picture. The AMD Radeon Vega 3 holds a clear advantage in average benchmark score, 4268 versus 3717, a difference of roughly 14.8%. It also sits higher in the overall GPU percentile ranking at 25 versus 22. In the direct head-to-head, the Vega 3's 14.5% Vulkan victory is the single largest margin recorded, while the GT 740M's OpenCL win is negligible at 0.3%.

However, the GT 740M is not without merit. It offers substantially higher raw compute rates, including 793.3 GFLOPS FP32 versus 422.4 GFLOPS, and nearly double the pixel and texture throughput. For workloads that leverage OpenCL, the two are effectively tied, meaning the GT 740M's higher theoretical throughput does not translate into a practical advantage in that specific benchmark.

The Vega 3's modern architecture and newer API support make it the stronger choice for Vulkan-based applications and for overall average performance. Its lower TDP of 15 W versus 33 W also positions it as a more power-efficient solution. The GT 740M's dedicated 2 GB memory and higher raw throughput may appeal in scenarios where consistent memory bandwidth is required, but the recorded benchmark data does not show a decisive win in its favor outside of the narrow OpenCL margin.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Vega 3 wins in modern API workloads. Its 14.5% Vulkan benchmark victory demonstrates that its GCN 5.0 architecture and Vulkan 1.3 support deliver tangible benefits in contemporary graphics and compute applications. The Vega 3 also wins on overall average performance, with its 4268 average score outpacing the GT 740M's 3717 by a significant margin. Its higher percentile ranking (25 versus 22) reinforces this position.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M wins in raw compute capability. Its 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 8 ROPs give it substantially higher theoretical throughput: 793.3 GFLOPS FP32, 33.06 GTexel/s texture rate, and 8.264 GPixel/s pixel rate. In OpenCL workloads, it holds a narrow but measurable lead of 0.3% over the Vega 3. Its dedicated 2 GB DDR3 memory with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth provides a fixed memory resource that does not depend on system configuration, which may be preferable in environments where system memory performance is inconsistent.

For users prioritizing modern API compatibility, power efficiency, and overall benchmark scores, the AMD Radeon Vega 3 is the data-supported choice. For users who need maximum raw throughput and dedicated memory, or who primarily run OpenCL-based workloads, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M holds the edge. The decision ultimately hinges on whether the workload leans toward Vulkan (favoring AMD) or OpenCL and raw shader throughput (favoring NVIDIA).