NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M Comparison

The GeForce GT 745M and GeForce GT 545 are two end-of-life NVIDIA parts separated by a generation and a process node, yet their benchmark results show a remarkably close contest. The data indicates a near-tie in raw compute, with the older GT 545 edging out the newer GT 745M by a razor-thin margin in the only directly comparable test. However, architectural differences and platform positioning create distinct use cases that go beyond the single score.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it delivers a photo finish. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 scores 3594, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M scores 3580. This gives the GT 545 a win with a delta of -0.4 percent, meaning the GT 745M trails by less than half a percentage point. In practical terms, this is a statistical dead heat; the 14-point difference is negligible in real-world workloads.

The GT 745M’s average benchmark score, however, tells a broader story. Across all its tested workloads—including Geekbench Metal at 2777 and Geekbench Vulkan at 5502—it achieves an average of 3953. The GT 545’s average score is 3594, which is derived solely from its single OpenCL result. This means the GT 745M holds a 9.1 percent advantage in overall average performance, driven largely by its strong Vulkan showing. The GT 545 has no Vulkan score listed, so that entire workload category belongs to the newer chip.

Looking at percentile placement, the GT 745M sits in the 23rd percentile of all GPUs, while the GT 545 sits in the 21st. This two-percentile gap reinforces the idea that the GT 745M is marginally better positioned overall, despite losing the head-to-head OpenCL test. The nearest rival data confirms the tight grouping: the GT 745M’s closest competitor, the AMD Radeon R5 M420, scores 3956 with a delta of -0.1 percent, while the GT 545’s closest rival, the NVIDIA RTX 5000 Mobile Ada Generation, scores 3596 with a delta of -0.1 percent. Both cards are clustered with peers that are within one percent either way.

Where Each One Wins

The GT 545 wins the OpenCL compute race outright. Its 3594 score beats the GT 745M’s 3580, and this is the only benchmark where both cards have a common data point. For applications that rely on OpenCL—such as certain video encoding tasks or physics simulations—the GT 545 is the safer bet, even if the margin is thin.

The GT 745M wins on versatility and modern API support. Its Vulkan score of 5502 is a standout figure, and it also posts a Metal score of 2777. The GT 545 has no Vulkan or Metal results in the data, meaning it cannot leverage those modern graphics APIs at all. The GT 745M also leads in average benchmark score (3953 vs 3594) and percentile rank (23rd vs 21st). For any workload that can use Vulkan or Metal, the GT 745M is the only choice between the two.

The GT 745M also wins on efficiency and platform flexibility. Its TDP is 45 W compared to the GT 545’s 70 W, and it is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, whereas the GT 545 is a single-slot card with a PCIe 2.0 x16 interface. The GT 745M’s mobile-oriented design means it can fit into laptops and compact systems, while the GT 545 requires a dedicated slot and a 250 W suggested PSU.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is substantial. The GT 745M uses the GK107 chip built on Kepler architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,270 million transistors into a 118 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 10.8 million per mm². The GT 545 uses the GF116 chip on Fermi 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 40 nm process, also at TSMC. It contains 1,170 million transistors on a much larger 238 mm² die, resulting in a density of just 4.9 million per mm².

The GT 745M’s shader configuration is dramatically different: it has 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The GT 545 has 144 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Despite having 2.67 times more shading units, the GT 745M’s FP32 performance is only 421.6 GFLOPS versus 414.7 GFLOPS for the GT 545—a difference of just 1.7 percent. This suggests the Kepler architecture’s shader efficiency is not translating into raw compute wins at this tier, or that clock speeds (not listed in the data) are significantly different.

Memory subsystems also diverge. The GT 745M uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The GT 545 uses 1536 MB of DDR3 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 38.40 GB/s. The GT 745M’s bandwidth advantage is 66.7 percent, which is substantial for texture-heavy workloads. The GT 545’s memory clock is 800 MHz (1600 Mbps effective), while the GT 745M’s is 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective).

Additional features set them apart. The GT 745M supports Vulkan 1.2.175, while the GT 545 has no Vulkan support listed. Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The GT 745M is from the GeForce 700M generation, while the GT 545 is from the GeForce 500 generation. Their release dates are also distinct: the GT 745M launched on 2013-03-31, and the GT 545 on 2011-05-13.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M, with an average score of 3953 across three tests (Geekbench Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan), compared to the GT 545’s 3594 from a single OpenCL test.

Q: Does the GT 545 have any performance advantage?

A: Yes, in the direct OpenCL comparison, the GT 545 scores 3594 versus 3580 for the GT 745M, a 0.4 percent lead. It also has a higher pixel rate (4.320 GPixel/s vs 4.392 GPixel/s, though this is actually lower—the GT 545 wins on texture rate at 17.28 GTexel/s vs 17.57 GTexel/s, which is also lower; the GT 745M leads both rates).

Q: Which card supports Vulkan?

A: Only the GT 745M supports Vulkan, with a version of 1.2.175. The GT 545 has no Vulkan support listed in the data.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The GT 745M has 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth with 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus. The GT 545 has 38.40 GB/s with 1536 MB of DDR3 on a 192-bit bus, giving the GT 745M a 66.7 percent bandwidth advantage.

Q: Which card is more power-efficient?

A: The GT 745M, with a TDP of 45 W versus 70 W for the GT 545. The GT 745M is also an IGP, while the GT 545 is a single-slot card requiring a 250 W PSU.

Q: How do their transistor counts compare?

A: The GT 745M has 1,270 million transistors on a 118 mm² die, while the GT 545 has 1,170 million on a 238 mm² die. The GT 745M’s density is 10.8M / mm² versus 4.9M / mm² for the GT 545.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M | NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 |

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

| Chip | GK107 | GF116 |

| Architecture | Kepler | Fermi 2.0 |

| Generation | GeForce 700M | GeForce 500 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 40 nm |

| Transistors | 1,270 million | 1,170 million |

| Die Size | 118 mm² | 238 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 10.8M / mm² | 4.9M / mm² |

| Memory Clock | 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) | 800 MHz (1600 Mbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 2 GB | 1536 MB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | DDR3 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 64.00 GB/s | 38.40 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 384 | 144 |

| TMUs | 32 | 24 |

| ROPs | 16 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 4.392 GPixel/s | 4.320 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 17.57 GTexel/s | 17.28 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 421.6 GFLOPS | 414.7 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 45 W | 70 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Single-slot |

| Power Connectors | None listed | None |

| Suggested PSU | None listed | 250 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 2.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, 1x VGA |

| Vulkan | 1.2.175 | None |

| Release Date | 2013-03-31 | 2011-05-13 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 600M | GeForce 400 |

| Successor | GeForce 800M | GeForce 600 |

| Launch MSRP | None listed | 149 USD |

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split decision. If raw OpenCL compute is the sole criterion, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 wins, but only by 0.4 percent—a margin that will be imperceptible in any real workload. The GT 545’s 3594 OpenCL score versus the GT 745M’s 3580 is a statistical tie, and its 21st percentile ranking versus the GT 745M’s 23rd shows it is slightly less competitive in the broader GPU landscape.

The GT 745M is the better overall product. Its average benchmark score of 3953 is 9.1 percent higher than the GT 545’s 3594, driven by a dominant Vulkan result of 5502. It also offers 66.7 percent more memory bandwidth (64.00 GB/s vs 38.40 GB/s), double the shading units (384 vs 144), and a 45 W TDP that is 35.7 percent lower. Its 28 nm process node and Kepler architecture are two generations ahead of the GT 545’s 40 nm Fermi design.

The GT 545’s only practical advantages are its 149 USD launch MSRP (which the data lists, and which the GT 745M lacks entirely) and its desktop-oriented form factor with dedicated display outputs. For a user with a modern workload that can leverage Vulkan or Metal, the GT 745M is the only option. For a legacy OpenCL-only task on a desktop system, the GT 545 is adequate, but it offers no meaningful performance edge to justify its age. The verdict is straightforward: the GT 745M wins on capability and efficiency, while the GT 545 wins only on the narrowest of compute margins.