GPU Comparison

The GeForce GT 740 and Quadro P1000 are both end-of-life NVIDIA cards, but they serve completely different purposes. The data shows the Quadro P1000 is the overwhelmingly faster GPU, winning both head-to-head benchmarks decisively. However, the GT 740 holds a slight edge in the average benchmark score comparison due to the specific mix of tests run on each card. The GT 740 should only be considered for legacy system builds where its specific display outputs and lower price point are absolute requirements, while the P1000 is the clear choice for any workload involving modern APIs, higher memory capacity, or compute performance.

The Verdict

The Quadro P1000 is the superior product in nearly every measurable way, but the average benchmark score complicates the picture. The GT 740 achieves an average benchmark score of 3431, placing it in the 21st percentile of all GPUs, while the P1000 scores 3163 on average, placing it in the 20th percentile. This apparent contradiction stems from the P1000 being tested across nine different benchmarks, including several Passmark tests where it scores very low (e.g., 19 in DirectX 12, 21 in DirectX 10), which drags down its average. The GT 740 was only tested on three Geekbench compute tests, all of which are relatively strong for its class. If you are looking at raw compute and modern graphics capability, the P1000 is significantly ahead. If you are looking solely at the aggregate score from the database, the GT 740 technically has a higher average.

The GT 740 is an end-of-life card from 2014 with a launch MSRP of 89 USD. The P1000 is an end-of-life card from 2017 with no launch MSRP listed in the data. This makes the P1000 the more modern architecture by a significant margin. The data suggests that the GT 740 is only relevant for extremely old systems that need a cheap, low-profile card with DVI outputs. The P1000, despite its lower average score, is the only rational choice for any modern build, offering quadruple the memory, double the ROPs, and a much higher compute throughput. The verdict is simple: buy the P1000 unless you have a specific legacy requirement for the GT 740's 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI outputs.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two cards is substantial, representing two distinct generations of NVIDIA design. The GT 740 is built on the Kepler architecture using the GK107 chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The P1000 uses the Pascal architecture with the GP107 chip, built on a 14 nm process at Samsung. This process shrink allows the P1000 to pack 3,300 million transistors into a 132 mm² die, compared to the GT 740's 1,270 million transistors on a 118 mm² die. The transistor density tells the story clearly: the P1000 achieves 25.0M transistors per mm², more than double the GT 740's 10.8M / mm².

The execution resources also differ significantly. The GT 740 has 384 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The P1000 nearly doubles these counts with 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. This raw resource advantage translates directly into higher theoretical performance. The P1000 outputs 1.894 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the GT 740 manages just 762.6 GFLOPS. The pixel rate difference is even more pronounced: the P1000 delivers 47.36 GPixel/s versus the GT 740's 7.944 GPixel/s. Texture rate also favors the P1000 at 59.20 GTexel/s compared to 31.78 GTexel/s. The P1000 also supports FP16 compute at 29.60 GFLOPS, a feature the GT 740 lacks entirely.

API support shows another generational leap. The P1000 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the GT 740 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0). Vulkan support is also newer on the P1000 (version 1.4) versus the GT 740 (version 1.2.175). Both cards support OpenGL 4.6. The P1000 also features four mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, while the GT 740 uses older 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.4a. Memory capacity is another major differentiator: the P1000 has 4 GB of GDDR5, while the GT 740 has only 1024 MB. Both use a 128-bit bus and share identical bandwidth at 80.19 GB/s, with the same 1253 MHz memory clock (5 Gbps effective).

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The GeForce GT 740 has a higher average benchmark score of 3431 compared to the Quadro P1000's 3163. However, this is because the P1000 was tested on nine benchmarks including low-scoring Passmark tests, while the GT 740 was only tested on three Geekbench compute tests.

Q: Does the Quadro P1000 support more modern graphics APIs?

A: Yes. The P1000 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the GT 740 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Q: How much more memory does the Quadro P1000 have?

A: The P1000 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, which is four times the 1024 MB found on the GT 740. Both cards use a 128-bit memory bus with identical 80.19 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The Quadro P1000 has a transistor density of 25.0M / mm², which is more than double the GT 740's 10.8M / mm². This is due to the P1000's 14 nm process node compared to the GT 740's 28 nm node.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The GT 740 has a TDP of 64 W and requires a 1x 6-pin power connector with a suggested PSU of 250 W. The P1000 has a lower TDP of 47 W, requires no power connectors, and has a suggested PSU of 200 W.

Q: Are both cards single-slot designs?

A: Yes, both the GT 740 and the Quadro P1000 are single-slot cards. The GT 740 is 145 mm (5.7 inches) long, while the P1000 is 150 mm (5.9 inches) long and 69 mm (2.7 inches) tall.

Specification Differences

The specification sheet shows a clear generational divide. The process node drops from 28 nm on the GT 740 to 14 nm on the P1000, with the foundry changing from TSMC to Samsung. Transistor count more than doubles, from 1,270 million to 3,300 million, while die size grows modestly from 118 mm² to 132 mm². The P1000 has a base clock of 1266 MHz and a boost clock of 1480 MHz, while the GT 740 has no base or boost clock listed in the data. Memory configuration is a major split: 1024 MB on the GT 740 versus 4 GB on the P1000, though both use GDDR5 with a 128-bit bus and identical 80.19 GB/s bandwidth.

Compute resources differ sharply. The GT 740 has 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The P1000 has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Theoretical performance follows: the GT 740 produces 7.944 GPixel/s and 31.78 GTexel/s, while the P1000 produces 47.36 GPixel/s and 59.20 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 762.6 GFLOPS on the GT 740 versus 1.894 TFLOPS on the P1000. Only the P1000 lists FP16 performance at 29.60 GFLOPS (1:64). Power consumption favors the P1000, which has a 47 W TDP with no power connectors and a 200 W suggested PSU, compared to the GT 740's 64 W TDP, 1x 6-pin connector, and 250 W suggested PSU.

Display outputs are completely different. The GT 740 offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.4a, while the P1000 offers 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a. The P1000 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the GT 740 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. The GT 740 was released on 2014-05-28, with the P1000 following on 2017-02-06. The GT 740 has a launch MSRP of 89 USD, while the P1000 has no launch MSRP listed. Both cards use PCIe 3.0 x16 and are single-slot designs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data contains only two Geekbench compute tests, and the Quadro P1000 wins both by wide margins. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the P1000 scores 13584 against the GT 740's 3847, a delta of -71.7% for the GT 740. This means the P1000 is roughly 3.5 times faster in OpenCL compute, which aligns with its higher FP32 throughput of 1.894 TFLOPS versus 762.6 GFLOPS. The P1000's advantage in shading units (640 vs 384) and its newer Pascal architecture clearly drive this result.

The Geekbench Vulkan test shows a narrower but still decisive win for the P1000. The P1000 scores 7739 while the GT 740 scores 4083, a delta of -47.2% for the GT 740. This means the P1000 is nearly 90% faster in Vulkan. The GT 740's Vulkan support is version 1.2.175, while the P1000 supports Vulkan 1.4, which likely contributes to the performance gap. The P1000's higher pixel rate (47.36 GPixel/s vs 7.944 GPixel/s) also plays a role in graphics-heavy Vulkan workloads.

These two tests tell a consistent story: the P1000 dominates in modern compute and graphics APIs. The GT 740 has no wins in the head-to-head comparison, with a wins tally of 0 against the P1000's 2. The average benchmark scores, however, show the GT 740 at 3431 versus the P1000's 3163, which is a result of the P1000's additional Passmark tests. The P1000 scores 4512 in Passmark G3D and 1891 in Passmark GPU Compute, but drags down its average with low DirectX scores of 19 (DX12), 21 (DX10), and 31 (DX11). The GT 740's three Geekbench scores are all above 2300, keeping its average higher.

Where Each One Wins

The Quadro P1000 wins in every compute-intensive scenario tested. Its OpenCL score of 13584 is nearly three and a half times the GT 740's 3847, making it the clear choice for any general-purpose GPU compute workload like rendering, physics simulation, or data processing. Its Vulkan score of 7739 versus 4083 also makes it the better pick for Vulkan-based games or applications. The P1000's 4 GB memory capacity and higher pixel rate of 47.36 GPixel/s further cement its advantage in modern workloads that need more VRAM and faster rasterization. Its lower TDP of 47 W with no power connectors also makes it easier to install in compact systems.

The GeForce GT 740 wins in only one specific context: the aggregate benchmark average. Its average score of 3431 is higher than the P1000's 3163, which means in a pure database ranking, it sits one percentile higher (21st vs 20th). This is a statistical artifact of the different benchmark suites run on each card, but it is the only metric where the GT 740 comes out ahead. The GT 740 also offers 2x DVI outputs, which may be necessary for connecting to older monitors that lack DisplayPort. Its smaller 145 mm length makes it slightly more compact than the P1000's 150 mm length. For legacy systems with only DVI monitors and a need for a very cheap card (launch MSRP of 89 USD), the GT 740 remains a viable option.

For everything else, the P1000 is the answer. Its DirectX 12 (12_1) support ensures compatibility with modern games, while the GT 740's DirectX 12 (11_0) is a feature-limited implementation. The P1000's 4 GB of VRAM is essential for any modern application, as 1024 MB on the GT 740 will quickly become a bottleneck. The P1000's superior transistor density (25.0M / mm² vs 10.8M / mm²) and newer Pascal architecture mean it will handle future software better than the aging Kepler-based GT 740. If you are building a system today, the data overwhelmingly supports choosing the Quadro P1000.