NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The data shows a clear sweep for the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M in the recorded head-to-head tests. The GT 745M wins both shared benchmark entries, and the GT 730M does not register a single victory in any overlapping test. The most striking advantage appears in the Vulkan workload, where the GT 745M scores 5,502 against the GT 730M's 3,524, a delta of 56.1%. That is not a marginal lead; it is a dominant gap in a modern graphics API.

The OpenCL result tells a different story in magnitude. Here the GT 745M posts 3,580 versus 3,107, a 15.2% victory. This is a meaningful but far narrower margin, suggesting that the two parts are closer in compute-oriented tasks than in driver-optimized or API-specific scenarios. The GT 730M's only consolation is that it avoids a complete blowout in OpenCL, but the overall pattern is unambiguous: the GT 745M is the faster mobile GPU in every measured discipline.

Looking at the broader database context, the GT 745M sits at the 23rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 3,953. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R5 M420 (3,956, a 0.1% difference) and the NVIDIA GeForce 830M (3,957, also 0.1% away). The GT 730M, by contrast, lands at the 20th percentile, averaging 3,316, and its closest competitor is the Intel HD Graphics 530 (3,332, 0.5% higher). The percentile gap of three points may sound small, but the raw score difference of 637 points (19.2%) between the two NVIDIA parts is substantial.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the same fundamental silicon: the GK107 chip, built on TSMC's 28 nm process, with 1,270 million transistors and a die size of 118 mm². The transistor density is identical at 10.8 million per square millimeter. They both belong to the Kepler architecture, the GeForce 700M generation, and use a PCIe 3.0 x16 bus interface. The API support is also identical: DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175.

The real divergence lies in memory and clock behavior. The GT 745M uses 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a memory clock of 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), yielding 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The GT 730M uses 2 GB of DDR3 on the same 128-bit bus, but the memory clock drops to 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective), producing only 28.80 GB/s. That is a 55% reduction in memory bandwidth, and it is the single largest architectural factor behind the performance gap.

Clock speeds also differ. The GT 730M has a base and boost clock of 725 MHz, while the GT 745M's base and boost clocks are not recorded in the database (listed as null). However, the pixel rate and texture rate tell the story: the GT 745M achieves 4.392 GPixel/s and 17.57 GTexel/s, while the GT 730M reaches 5.800 GPixel/s and 23.20 GTexel/s. This is counterintuitive: the GT 730M actually has higher fill rates despite lower memory bandwidth. The shading unit count is identical at 384, as are the TMUs (32) and ROPs (16). The FP32 compute is 421.6 GFLOPS for the GT 745M and 556.8 GFLOPS for the GT 730M, meaning the GT 730M should theoretically be faster in pure math.

Yet the benchmark data shows the opposite. The explanation lies in memory: the GT 745M's GDDR5 bandwidth (64.00 GB/s) is more than double the GT 730M's DDR3 (28.80 GB/s), and real-world workloads are often memory-bound. The GT 730M's higher clock and fill rates cannot compensate for the crippling bandwidth deficit in practical tests. The power envelopes also differ: the GT 745M is rated at 45 W and is an IGP (integrated graphics processor, likely soldered), while the GT 730M draws 33 W and comes as an MXM module with no power connectors. The GT 730M is more power-efficient on paper, but that efficiency does not translate into performance wins.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M, with 64.00 GB/s from GDDR5 at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The GT 730M has 28.80 GB/s from DDR3 at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective), less than half the bandwidth.

Q: Are the core configurations identical?

A: Yes, both have 384 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. They also share the same GK107 chip, 28 nm process, 1,270 million transistors, and 118 mm² die size.

Q: Why does the GT 730M have higher pixel and texture rates?

A: The GT 730M runs at 725 MHz base and boost, yielding 5.800 GPixel/s and 23.20 GTexel/s. The GT 745M's clocks are not listed, but its rates are 4.392 GPixel/s and 17.57 GTexel/s. The GT 730M wins on these fill-rate metrics due to its higher operating frequency.

Q: How big is the performance gap in Vulkan?

A: The GT 745M scores 5,502 against the GT 730M's 3,524, a 56.1% advantage. This is the largest recorded delta between the two in any shared benchmark.

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The GT 745M averages 3,953 across all recorded tests, placing it at the 23rd percentile. The GT 730M averages 3,316, placing it at the 20th percentile. The GT 745M is 19.2% higher on average.

Q: Do they support the same graphics APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. There is no API-level differentiation between the two.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M | NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M |

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

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | DDR3 |

| Memory Clock | 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) | 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 64.00 GB/s | 28.80 GB/s |

| Base Clock | Not recorded | 725 MHz |

| Boost Clock | Not recorded | 725 MHz |

| Pixel Rate | 4.392 GPixel/s | 5.800 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 17.57 GTexel/s | 23.20 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Compute | 421.6 GFLOPS | 556.8 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 45 W | 33 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | MXM Module |

| Power Connectors | Not specified | None |

| Release Date | 2013-03-31 | 2013-01-19 |

The memory subsystem is the defining difference. Both use a 128-bit bus and 2 GB capacity, but the GT 745M's GDDR5 nearly doubles the bandwidth. The GT 730M counters with higher clocks and fill rates, plus a lower TDP and a modular form factor. The GT 745M was released about two months later, but both are end-of-life products from the GeForce 700M generation.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two shared tests between these GPUs, and the GT 745M wins both. The Vulkan test is the headline result: 5,502 versus 3,524, a 56.1% delta. This is a massive lead that suggests the GT 745M is far better suited to modern graphics workloads. The OpenCL test is closer but still decisive: 3,580 versus 3,107, a 15.2% advantage. In raw numbers, that is a 473-point gap.

Interpreting these results requires looking at the memory architecture. The GT 730M's theoretical FP32 advantage (556.8 GFLOPS versus 421.6 GFLOPS) and higher fill rates do not translate into real-world wins. The GT 745M's GDDR5 bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s appears to be the critical factor, allowing it to feed the 384 shading units more effectively. In Vulkan, the GT 730M falls behind by more than half, indicating that the API's lower overhead exposes the memory bottleneck more severely. In OpenCL, the gap narrows, likely because compute kernels can be scheduled to hide some latency, but the GT 745M still pulls ahead by a comfortable margin.

The average benchmark scores corroborate this. The GT 745M's 3,953 average places it within 0.1% of the AMD Radeon R5 M420 and the NVIDIA GeForce 830M, while the GT 730M's 3,316 sits just 0.5% below the Intel HD Graphics 530 and 0.9% above the NVIDIA GeForce 920M. The GT 745M is effectively in a higher performance tier, matching more recent entry-level discrete GPUs, whereas the GT 730M is bracketed by integrated graphics and older low-end parts.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M is the superior GPU for any performance-sensitive workload. It wins both shared benchmarks, has a higher average score, and sits three percentile points higher in the global ranking. The 56.1% Vulkan advantage is the standout figure, indicating that the GT 745M is not just faster, but disproportionately faster in modern APIs. The 15.2% OpenCL lead confirms that this is not a single-test fluke.

Who should pick the GT 745M? Anyone running Vulkan-based games or applications, where the bandwidth advantage becomes decisive. The GDDR5 memory and higher effective throughput make it the clear choice for graphics-intensive tasks. The extra 12 W of TDP (45 W versus 33 W) is a reasonable trade-off for the performance gain.

Who should pick the GT 730M? The case is narrower but exists. Its 33 W TDP and MXM module form factor with no power connectors make it attractive for power-constrained or modular systems. Its higher pixel rate (5.800 GPixel/s) and texture rate (23.20 GTexel/s) could theoretically benefit fill-rate-limited scenarios, though the benchmark data does not show any such advantage in practice. The GT 730M also has a higher FP32 compute figure (556.8 GFLOPS), but again, the recorded tests do not reflect this. For users prioritizing low power consumption and upgradeability over raw performance, the GT 730M is the only rational choice. For everyone else, the GT 745M is the measured winner.