NVIDIA GeForce 940MX vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data splits cleanly between the two graphics cards, with each winning one of the two shared tests. The NVIDIA GeForce 940MX takes a decisive lead in Geekbench OpenCL, scoring 4,939 against the GT 745M's 3,580. That is a 27.5% advantage for the 940MX, a substantial margin that reflects its newer architecture and higher compute throughput. In practical terms, OpenCL workloads such as general-purpose GPU computing and certain content creation tasks will run noticeably faster on the 940MX.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M fights back in Geekbench Vulkan, posting 5,502 versus the 940MX's 4,749. This 15.9% lead for the older card is surprising given the generational gap, but the recorded data is unambiguous. Vulkan-based games and applications that leverage this API will see better performance on the GT 745M, suggesting that the Kepler architecture's driver optimizations or memory configuration give it an edge in this specific workload.

Looking at the average benchmark score, the 940MX lands at 4,844, while the GT 745M averages 3,953. The 940MX sits in the 28th percentile of all GPUs in the database, compared to the GT 745M's 23rd percentile. This overall positioning confirms that the 940MX is the stronger card on aggregate, even though the GT 745M wins the Vulkan test outright.

The nearest rivals for each card provide additional context. The GT 745M's average score of 3,953 places it within 0.1% of the AMD Radeon R5 M420 (3,956) and the NVIDIA GeForce 830M (3,957). It trails the NVIDIA Quadro K2000 (3,964) by 0.3% but leads the NVIDIA Quadro 2000D (3,930) by 0.6%. These are extremely tight margins, meaning the GT 745M is effectively performance-equivalent to its closest competitors in aggregate.

The 940MX's nearest rivals show a similar clustering. Its 4,844 average is 0.2% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M (4,855) and 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX (4,867). It trails the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (4,893) by 1% but leads the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB (4,791) by 1.1%. That last comparison is notable: the 940MX outperforms a desktop flagship from a later generation in this specific aggregate metric, though the RTX 3080's score is likely dragged down by driver or workload factors in the database.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different NVIDIA architectures and generations. The GT 745M is built on the Kepler architecture with the GK107 chip, belonging to the GeForce 700M generation. The 940MX uses the Maxwell architecture with the GM107 chip, part of the GeForce 900M generation. Both are manufactured by TSMC on the same 28 nm process node, so the architectural leap is not accompanied by a process shrink.

Transistor counts differ substantially. The GT 745M packs 1,270 million transistors on a 118 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 10.8 million per square millimeter. The 940MX contains 1,870 million transistors on a 148 mm² die, with a density of 12.6 million per square millimeter. The 940MX's larger and denser chip is a direct result of Maxwell's more efficient compute design.

The memory subsystems take different approaches. The GT 745M uses a 128-bit memory bus with 2 GB of GDDR5 at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), producing 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The 940MX also has 2 GB of GDDR5 but runs a narrower 64-bit bus at 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective), yielding only 40.10 GB/s. The GT 745M therefore enjoys 60% more memory bandwidth, which likely contributes to its Vulkan victory despite the older architecture.

Compute resources favor the 940MX. The 940MX has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 8 render output units. The GT 745M has 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. While the 940MX has more shaders, the GT 745M has double the ROPs. Pixel throughput reflects this: the 940MX manages 6.888 GPixel/s against the GT 745M's 4.392 GPixel/s. Texture throughput also favors the 940MX at 27.55 GTexel/s versus 17.57 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance (FP32) is 881.7 GFLOPS for the 940MX, more than double the GT 745M's 421.6 GFLOPS.

Clock speeds for the 940MX are listed with a base of 795 MHz and a boost of 861 MHz. The GT 745M's base and boost clocks are not recorded in the database, so a direct clock comparison is not possible. The 940MX's memory clock is higher, but the narrower bus limits its effective bandwidth.

Power and physical characteristics diverge sharply. The GT 745M has a TDP of 45 W and is classified as an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a slot width of IGP. The 940MX draws only 23 W, is a removable MXM module, and has no power connectors required. The 940MX is clearly the more power-efficient part, delivering higher compute performance at nearly half the power draw.

The bus interface also differs: the GT 745M uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the 940MX uses PCIe 3.0 x8. The x16 connection on the older card provides double the link width, though for most laptop workloads this is unlikely to be a limiting factor.

API support is broadly similar. Both cards support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The Vulkan version differs: the GT 745M supports Vulkan 1.2.175, while the 940MX supports Vulkan 1.4. The newer Vulkan revision on the 940MX is interesting given that the GT 745M wins the Vulkan benchmark, suggesting that raw driver support does not automatically translate to higher scores.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, with an average score of 4,844 compared to the GT 745M's 3,953.

Q: Does the GT 745M win any benchmark tests?

A: Yes, the GT 745M wins Geekbench Vulkan with a score of 5,502, beating the 940MX's 4,749 by 15.9%.

Q: How much memory bandwidth does each card have?

A: The GT 745M has 64.00 GB/s from a 128-bit bus, while the 940MX has 40.10 GB/s from a 64-bit bus.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The 940MX has 512 shading units, while the GT 745M has 384.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for these two GPUs?

A: The GT 745M is rated at 45 W, and the 940MX is rated at 23 W.

Q: Are both GPUs on the same manufacturing process?

A: Yes, both are built by TSMC on a 28 nm process node, though the 940MX has a larger die at 148 mm² versus 118 mm².

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M | NVIDIA GeForce 940MX |

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

| Chip | GK107 | GM107 |

| Architecture | Kepler | Maxwell |

| Generation | GeForce 700M | GeForce 900M |

| Transistors | 1,270 million | 1,870 million |

| Die Size | 118 mm² | 148 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 10.8M / mm² | 12.6M / mm² |

| Base Clock | Not recorded | 795 MHz |

| Boost Clock | Not recorded | 861 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1000 MHz, 4 Gbps effective | 1253 MHz, 5 Gbps effective |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 64 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 64.00 GB/s | 40.10 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 384 | 512 |

| ROPs | 16 | 8 |

| Pixel Rate | 4.392 GPixel/s | 6.888 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 17.57 GTexel/s | 27.55 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 421.6 GFLOPS | 881.7 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 45 W | 23 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | MXM Module |

| Power Connectors | Not specified | None |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x8 |

| Vulkan Version | 1.2.175 | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2013-03-31 | 2016-06-27 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 600M | GeForce 800M |

| Successor | GeForce 800M | GeForce 10 Mobile |

| Geekbench OpenCL | 3,580 | 4,939 |

| Geekbench Vulkan | 5,502 | 4,749 |

| Average Benchmark Score | 3,953 | 4,844 |

| Percentile vs All GPUs | 23 | 28 |

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce 940MX is the clear winner for compute-heavy and general-purpose workloads. Its OpenCL score of 4,939 versus 3,580 represents a 27.5% advantage, and its FP32 throughput of 881.7 GFLOPS is more than double the GT 745M's 421.6 GFLOPS. The 940MX also delivers higher pixel and texture rates, making it the better choice for tasks that rely on raw shader throughput. Its lower TDP of 23 W versus 45 W means it fits into thinner, cooler laptops and drains less battery under load. The 940MX also supports a newer Vulkan revision (1.4 versus 1.2.175), which may benefit future applications.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M wins specifically in Vulkan-based workloads. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 5,502 beats the 940MX by 15.9%, and its 128-bit memory bus provides 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth versus 40.10 GB/s. This bandwidth advantage likely helps in memory-intensive rendering scenarios. The GT 745M also has double the ROPs (16 versus 8), which can improve fill-rate-bound operations despite its lower pixel rate metric. Its PCIe 3.0 x16 interface offers more link bandwidth than the 940MX's x8, though this is rarely a bottleneck in practice.

For gaming, the picture is mixed based on API. Games using Vulkan will run better on the GT 745M, while OpenCL-accelerated applications and likely DirectX titles (given the 940MX's higher compute throughput) will favor the 940MX. The 940MX's higher aggregate score and percentile ranking suggest it is the more balanced performer overall.

The Verdict

The NVIDIA GeForce 940MX is the stronger GPU based on the recorded data. Its average benchmark score of 4,844 places it in the 28th percentile of all GPUs, five points higher than the GT 745M's 23rd percentile. The 940MX wins the OpenCL test by 27.5%, has more shading units (512 versus 384), delivers more than double the FP32 performance, and does all of this at half the TDP (23 W versus 45 W). For users who need general compute performance, better power efficiency, or a newer architecture with a more recent Vulkan implementation, the 940MX is the straightforward choice.

The GT 745M is not without merit. Its Vulkan benchmark victory (5,502 versus 4,749) is significant, and its 128-bit memory bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth is a genuine advantage for bandwidth-sensitive applications. Users who specifically target Vulkan workloads or who value the higher ROP count may prefer the GT 745M. However, these strengths are narrow relative to the 940MX's broader performance lead.

The data indicates that the 940MX should be the default pick for most users. It is newer, faster on aggregate, more power-efficient, and better positioned in the overall GPU landscape. The GT 745M only makes sense for a niche use case centered on Vulkan performance, where it demonstrably outperforms its younger rival.