NVIDIA GeForce 930A vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M Comparison

NVIDIA GeForce 930A and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M occupy very different tiers within the GeForce 900 series, and the recorded benchmark data reflects a wide performance gulf. The GeForce 930A is a low-power, entry-level mobile GPU, while the GTX 970M is a high-end mobile part designed for demanding gaming and compute workloads. The database contains one direct head-to-head benchmark, which provides a clear starting point for comparing these two GPUs across architecture, specifications, and practical use cases.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single overlapping benchmark in the database is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results are decisive. The GTX 970M scores 18,946 points, while the GeForce 930A scores 5,317 points. That is a difference of 71.9%, with the GTX 970M being the winner. In absolute terms, the GTX 970M delivers roughly 3.6 times the OpenCL performance of the GeForce 930A. This is not a close contest; the delta is larger than any of the nearest-rival gaps for either GPU.

To put the GeForce 930A's score in context, its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce 840M at 5,322 points, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M at 5,308 points, the NVIDIA GeForce 940M at 5,284 points, and the AMD Radeon R7 M445 at 5,358 points. The 930A's score of 5,317 sits within 8 points of the 840M, which means the two are effectively identical in OpenCL performance. Against the GTX 980M, the 930A trails by only 0.2%, which is a statistical tie. Against the 940M, the 930A leads by 0.6%. Against the R7 M445, it trails by 0.8%. These rival deltas are all under one percentage point, indicating that the 930A is clustered with other entry-level mobile GPUs, none of which come close to the GTX 970M's OpenCL output.

For the GTX 970M, its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M3000M at 4,621 points, the AMD Radeon R5 M320 at 4,657 points, the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB at 4,657 points, and the AMD Radeon R5 M230 at 4,577 points. The GTX 970M's average benchmark score is 4,628, which puts it 0.2% ahead of the Quadro M3000M, 0.6% behind the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB, and 1.1% ahead of the Radeon R5 M230. The average score of 4,628 is much lower than its OpenCL score of 18,946 because it includes multiple other benchmark types, such as PassMark tests, where the GTX 970M scores 5,704 in G3D, 381 in G2D, and 2,289 in GPU compute. The OpenCL score is the outlier on the high end, while the PassMark DirectX 9 score of 99 and DirectX 10 score of 28 pull the average down.

In the head-to-head test, the delta of 71.9% is definitive. No other benchmark in the database pits these two directly, but the gap in OpenCL alone is sufficient to establish the GTX 970M as the substantially faster part. The GeForce 930A's percentile rank is 31, meaning it outperforms 31% of all GPUs in the database, while the GTX 970M sits at the 27th percentile. The lower percentile for the GTX 970M is counterintuitive given its higher raw scores, but it reflects the fact that its average benchmark score includes several low PassMark results, which depress its overall standing relative to other GPUs.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different generations of the Maxwell architecture. The GeForce 930A is built on the original Maxwell architecture, while the GTX 970M uses Maxwell 2.0. This is a meaningful distinction: Maxwell 2.0 introduced feature-level improvements in DirectX support, among other changes. The 930A supports DirectX 12 (11_0), whereas the GTX 970M supports DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

The underlying chips are entirely different. The 930A uses the GM108 chip, a small die measuring 77 mm² with 1,020 million transistors. The GTX 970M uses the GM204 chip, which is a much larger die at 398 mm² and contains 5,200 million transistors. Both are manufactured by TSMC on a 28 nm process, and the transistor density is nearly identical: 13.2 million transistors per mm² for the 930A and 13.1 million per mm² for the GTX 970M. The difference in die size explains the massive gap in compute resources.

The compute configuration diverges sharply. The GeForce 930A has 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The GTX 970M has 1,280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. That is more than three times the shading units, more than three times the TMUs, and six times the ROPs. The pixel rate for the 930A is 7.528 GPixel/s, while the GTX 970M achieves 49.82 GPixel/s. The texture rate is 22.58 GTexel/s for the 930A versus 83.04 GTexel/s for the GTX 970M. FP32 compute is 722.7 GFLOPS for the 930A and 2.657 TFLOPS for the GTX 970M, the latter being roughly 3.7 times higher.

Clock speeds are similar at the base level: 928 MHz for the 930A and 924 MHz for the GTX 970M. The boost clocks differ more, with the 930A boosting to 941 MHz and the GTX 970M boosting to 1,038 MHz. Memory clocks are also different: the 930A runs at 1,001 MHz (2 Gbps effective), while the GTX 970M runs at 1,253 MHz (5 Gbps effective). These clock differences contribute to the performance gap but are secondary to the massive difference in core counts and memory bandwidth.

The 930A has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, and neither does the GTX 970M, as both predate those hardware features. The GTX 970M has a successor listed as GeForce 10 Mobile, while the 930A has no successor in the database. Both are marked as end-of-life production status.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 970M wins in every measurable benchmark category where data exists. Beyond the OpenCL head-to-head, the GTX 970M also has recorded scores for Vulkan, PassMark DirectX 9, 10, 11, 12, G2D, G3D, and GPU compute. Its Vulkan score is 18,292, its PassMark G3D score is 5,704, and its GPU compute score is 2,289. The GeForce 930A has no such scores in the database, meaning the GTX 970M's advantage extends across multiple API and workload types. The GTX 970M is the clear choice for any application that leverages OpenCL, Vulkan, or DirectX, which covers the vast majority of modern gaming and compute tasks.

The GeForce 930A is not without context. Its 5,317 OpenCL score is competitive with its direct entry-level peers, and its percentile rank of 31 is only four points below the GTX 970M's 27. However, those percentiles are based on average benchmark scores, which for the GTX 970M include several low PassMark DirectX results. The 930A has only one benchmark in the database, so its average is exactly its OpenCL score. This means the 930A's percentile is not a reflection of overall capability but rather of a single test. In real-world terms, the 930A is suited for basic graphics acceleration, light media playback, and older or less demanding titles, while the GTX 970M is built for higher-resolution gaming, VR-class workloads, and compute-intensive applications.

The use-case split is straightforward. The GTX 970M wins in every scenario that requires sustained GPU throughput, whether that is modern DirectX 12 titles, Vulkan-based games, or OpenCL compute workloads. The 930A's only advantage is its lower power draw: it has a TDP of 33 W, while the GTX 970M has no listed TDP in the database. That absence of a TDP figure for the GTX 970M means the 930A is the more power-efficient option, but the performance trade-off is enormous. The 930A also uses a simpler bus interface (PCIe 3.0 x8) versus the GTX 970M's MXM-B (3.0), which reflects its role as an integrated or low-profile mobile GPU rather than a discrete module.

Specification Differences

The specification differences between the two GPUs are extensive and can be summarized across several key dimensions. The process node is identical at 28 nm, and both use TSMC as the foundry. The die size differs significantly: 77 mm² for the 930A versus 398 mm² for the GTX 970M. Transistor count follows the same pattern: 1,020 million versus 5,200 million. Transistor density is nearly identical at 13.2M/mm² versus 13.1M/mm².

Memory is a major differentiator. The 930A has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, yielding 16.02 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 970M has 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, yielding 120.3 GB/s of bandwidth. That is a 7.5 times increase in bandwidth, which heavily impacts high-resolution textures and memory-bound workloads. The memory clock is 1,001 MHz (2 Gbps effective) for the 930A versus 1,253 MHz (5 Gbps effective) for the GTX 970M.

Core counts differ as follows: shading units 384 versus 1,280, TMUs 24 versus 80, ROPs 8 versus 48. Pixel rate is 7.528 GPixel/s versus 49.82 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 22.58 GTexel/s versus 83.04 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 722.7 GFLOPS versus 2.657 TFLOPS. Base clocks are close (928 MHz versus 924 MHz), but boost clocks favor the GTX 970M (941 MHz versus 1,038 MHz).

Power and form factor also differ. The 930A has a 33 W TDP and is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors, while the GTX 970M is an MXM Module with no power connectors listed and no TDP recorded. The bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x8 for the 930A and MXM-B (3.0) for the GTX 970M. Both have display outputs listed as "Portable Device Dependent." The 930A was released on 2015-03-12, while the GTX 970M was released earlier on 2014-10-06. The 930A's predecessor is the GeForce 800A, while the GTX 970M's predecessor is the GeForce 800M, and its successor is the GeForce 10 Mobile. Neither has a launch MSRP in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL score?

A: The GTX 970M scores 18,946 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the GeForce 930A scores 5,317. The GTX 970M leads by 71.9%.

Q: How does the GeForce 930A compare to its nearest rivals in OpenCL?

A: The 930A scores 5,317, which is 0.1% behind the GeForce 840M (5,322), 0.2% ahead of the GTX 980M (5,308), 0.6% ahead of the GeForce 940M (5,284), and 0.8% behind the AMD Radeon R7 M445 (5,358).

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The 930A has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 16.02 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 970M has 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 120.3 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU supports a higher DirectX feature level?

A: The GTX 970M supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the GeForce 930A supports DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Are there any ray tracing or tensor cores on either GPU?

A: No. Both the GeForce 930A and the GTX 970M have no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores listed in the database.

Q: What is the transistor density of each chip?

A: The 930A has a transistor density of 13.2M/mm², and the GTX 970M has a density of 13.1M/mm². Both are fabricated on a 28 nm TSMC process.