NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded database contains two direct head-to-head benchmark comparisons between the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M. In both instances, the GTX 1050 Ti secures a decisive victory, though the magnitude of the win varies significantly depending on the workload.

In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the GTX 1050 Ti scores 18,129, while the GT 740M manages only 3,974. This translates to a delta of 356.2%, meaning the newer GPU delivers roughly four and a half times the raw compute throughput in this OpenCL workload. The gap is so large that it does not merely represent a generational step, it suggests the GT 740M is operating in an entirely different performance class.

The Vulkan test shows a similar, though slightly less extreme, outcome. The GTX 1050 Ti records 10,001 points against the GT 740M's 3,459, a 189.1% advantage. Vulkan is a lower-level API that tends to scale well with the underlying hardware capabilities, so this result reinforces the notion that the GTX 1050 Ti's architecture is substantially more efficient at extracting performance from modern graphics workloads.

It is notably the GT 740M has only two recorded benchmark entries in the database, both of which are used in this head-to-head comparison. The GTX 1050 Ti, by contrast, has a much wider benchmark footprint, including scores in 3DMark, PassMark suites, and additional Geekbench tests. This means the head-to-head data, while clear in its verdict, is based on a narrower set of measurements than the full performance profile of either card.

The average benchmark score across all recorded tests further underscores the divide. The GTX 1050 Ti averages 4,193 points, while the GT 740M averages 3,717. That is a 12.8% difference in the aggregate, which is notable but far smaller than the individual head-to-head deltas suggest. The reason is that the GTX 1050 Ti's average includes several lower-scoring tests like PassMark DirectX 9 (104) and PassMark DirectX 10 (31), which drag its mean down, while the GT 740M's average is based solely on its two Geekbench results. In isolation, the head-to-head scores are the more reliable indicator of relative performance between these two specific cards.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the GTX 1050 Ti wins both recorded head-to-head benchmarks, and it wins them by margins that are too large to be explained by any single architectural tweak. The OpenCL delta of 356.2% and the Vulkan delta of 189.1% indicate that the GTX 1050 Ti is not merely faster, it is in a different league entirely.

For anyone selecting a GPU strictly based on the recorded measurements, the GTX 1050 Ti is the clear choice. It delivers superior performance in both compute-oriented (OpenCL) and modern graphics API (Vulkan) workloads. The GT 740M, with its 33 W TDP and 2 GB DDR3 memory, may still find a niche in very low-power or legacy portable systems, but the benchmark data shows no scenario where it outperforms the GTX 1050 Ti.

The percentile rankings reinforce this. The GTX 1050 Ti sits at the 25th percentile among all GPUs in the database, meaning it outperforms roughly a quarter of the recorded graphics cards. The GT 740M rests at the 22nd percentile. While both are below the median, the GTX 1050 Ti's higher percentile, combined with its overwhelming head-to-head wins, makes it the superior option in every measured category.

It is also worth remembering the GTX 1050 Ti has a much broader benchmark profile, with 11 recorded tests versus the GT 740M's two. This does not change the head-to-head outcome, but it does mean the GTX 1050 Ti's performance characteristics are better understood across a wider range of workloads, from DirectX 9 legacy titles to compute-heavy tasks.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different architectural eras. The GTX 1050 Ti is built on the Pascal architecture using the GP107 chip, fabricated on a 14 nm process at Samsung. The GT 740M uses the Kepler 2.0 architecture with the GK208 chip, produced on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This process node difference is significant: the 14 nm node allows for much higher transistor density, and the numbers confirm it. The GTX 1050 Ti packs 3,300 million transistors into a die size of 132 mm², yielding a density of 25.0 million transistors per square millimeter. The GT 740M has 1,020 million transistors on an 87 mm² die, which works out to 11.7 million transistors per square millimeter. In other words, the GTX 1050 Ti crams more than twice as many transistors into each square millimeter of silicon.

The memory architecture also diverges sharply. The GTX 1050 Ti uses 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, achieving a bandwidth of 112.1 GB/s. The GT 740M makes do with 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, which yields just 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth. That is a 7.8-fold difference in memory bandwidth, which helps explain the massive OpenCL and Vulkan score gaps. Memory bandwidth is often the bottleneck in compute and graphics workloads, and the GTX 1050 Ti has an overwhelming advantage here.

The chip configurations differ as well. The GTX 1050 Ti has 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output pipelines. The GT 740M has 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and only 8 ROPs. The ROP count difference is particularly stark: the GTX 1050 Ti has four times as many ROPs, which directly impacts pixel fill rate. The recorded pixel rates confirm this: 44.54 GPixel/s for the GTX 1050 Ti versus 8.264 GPixel/s for the GT 740M. Texture rate is similarly lopsided at 66.82 GTexel/s versus 33.06 GTexel/s.

Specification Differences

The most consequential specification differences between these two cards go beyond the obvious performance gap. The GTX 1050 Ti has a base clock of 1291 MHz and a boost clock of 1392 MHz, while the GT 740M runs at 980 MHz base and 1033 MHz boost. The GTX 1050 Ti's memory operates at 1752 MHz with 7 Gbps effective data rate, whereas the GT 740M's memory runs at 900 MHz with 1800 Mbps effective. The GTX 1050 Ti's FP32 compute throughput is 2.138 TFLOPS, versus 793.3 GFLOPS for the GT 740M. The GT 740M has no recorded FP16 capability, while the GTX 1050 Ti shows 33.41 GFLOPS in FP16 with a 1:64 ratio.

Power consumption is a point where the older card actually has an advantage. The GT 740M has a TDP of just 33 W, while the GTX 1050 Ti draws 75 W. The GT 740M is an MXM module, which is a compact form factor designed for laptops, and it has no power connectors. The GTX 1050 Ti is a dual-slot card, also with no power connectors, but it recommends a 250 W system power supply. The GT 740M has no suggested PSU rating recorded.

The bus interface also differs: the GTX 1050 Ti uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the GT 740M uses PCIe 3.0 x8. Display outputs are another differentiator. The GTX 1050 Ti offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the GT 740M's outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent," meaning they vary by the laptop implementation.

API support shows a subtle but important difference. Both cards support DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6, but the GTX 1050 Ti supports DirectX 12 at feature level 12_1, while the GT 740M is limited to 12 (11_0). Vulkan support also differs: the GTX 1050 Ti supports Vulkan 1.4, while the GT 740M is capped at Vulkan 1.2.175. This means the GTX 1050 Ti can handle more advanced DirectX 12 and Vulkan features, which may explain part of the Vulkan benchmark delta.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti averages 4,193 points across all recorded tests, while the GT 740M averages 3,717 points.

Q: How much faster is the GTX 1050 Ti in the OpenCL benchmark?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti scores 18,129 versus the GT 740M's 3,974, a 356.2% advantage.

Q: What memory configuration does each card use?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 112.1 GB/s bandwidth. The GT 740M has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has a lower power draw?

A: The GT 740M has a 33 W TDP, while the GTX 1050 Ti has a 75 W TDP.

Q: Do both cards support DirectX 12?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12, but the GTX 1050 Ti supports feature level 12_1, while the GT 740M supports 12 (11_0).

Q: What is the transistor count difference between the two?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti has 3,300 million transistors, while the GT 740M has 1,020 million transistors.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 1050 Ti wins in every measured benchmark category. In the OpenCL workload, it is 356.2% ahead, which makes it suitable for compute-heavy tasks like GPU-accelerated rendering, physics simulations, or any general-purpose compute work that leverages OpenCL. The Vulkan result, a 189.1% lead, indicates strong performance in modern games and applications that use Vulkan as their rendering API. The 4 GB VRAM and 112.1 GB/s bandwidth also make the GTX 1050 Ti more capable for higher-resolution textures and larger working sets.

The GT 740M's sole advantage from the recorded data is its power efficiency. At 33 W TDP, it consumes less than half the power of the GTX 1050 Ti's 75 W. This makes it a reasonable choice for ultra-portable laptops where battery life and thermal constraints are paramount, and where the user is willing to accept dramatically lower performance. The MXM module form factor also means it can slot into certain laptop designs, though its 2 GB DDR3 memory and 14.40 GB/s bandwidth severely limit its usefulness for anything beyond basic 2D desktop workloads or very light 3D tasks.

The GT 740M's OpenCL score of 3,974 is actually below its own average benchmark score of 3,717, which is unusual and suggests the OpenCL test may not be well-optimized for the Kepler architecture. The GTX 1050 Ti, by contrast, exceeds its average in both head-to-head tests, indicating that Pascal has stronger support for modern compute APIs. For users who need a GPU for gaming, content creation, or any compute-adjacent task, the GTX 1050 Ti is the only rational choice from this data. The GT 740M remains viable only in scenarios where the 33 W power envelope is non-negotiable and performance is a secondary concern.