NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M vs NVIDIA Quadro K3000M Comparison

# Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data shows a single direct benchmark comparison between these two mobile GPUs, and the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M takes the win decisively. In Geekbench OpenCL, the Quadro K3000M scores 4241 against the GeForce GT 745M's 3580, a delta of 18.5%. That is not a marginal edge; it is a substantial gap that places the Quadro comfortably ahead in raw compute throughput.

Looking at the broader benchmark landscape, the Quadro K3000M's average benchmark score of 4241 puts it in the 25th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Vega 3, scores 4268, which is only 0.6% higher. The Quadro K3000M also edges out the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti by 1.2% (4193 vs 4241) while trailing the GeForce GTX 460M by 1% (4282 vs 4241) and the AMD FirePro W2100 by 1.3% (4295 vs 4241). These margins are tight, indicating that the Quadro K3000M sits in a competitive cluster where small score differences separate products.

The GeForce GT 745M, conversely, averages 3953 across its three benchmark results, placing it in the 23rd percentile. Its OpenCL score of 3580 is the lowest of its three recorded tests, while its Vulkan score of 5502 and Metal score of 2777 show it performs better in some APIs than others. The GT 745M's nearest rivals are all within a razor-thin margin: the AMD Radeon R5 M420 scores 3956 (0.1% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce 830M scores 3957 (0.1% higher), the NVIDIA Quadro K2000 scores 3964 (0.3% higher), and the NVIDIA Quadro 2000D scores 3930 (0.6% lower). The GT 745M is essentially tied with these competitors, but it sits roughly 7% behind the Quadro K3000M in the head-to-head OpenCL test.

The head-to-head result is the only direct comparison available, and it favors the Quadro K3000M by a wide margin. The 18.5% delta in OpenCL is substantial enough to matter in real-world compute workloads, though the GT 745M's Vulkan score suggests it has strengths in other API environments.

# Where Each One Wins

The Quadro K3000M wins the only direct benchmark comparison, taking the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 4241 against the GT 745M's 3580. This 18.5% advantage indicates the Quadro is the stronger choice for OpenCL-based workloads, which include general-purpose GPU computing, physics simulations, and certain professional rendering tasks. The Quadro's higher average benchmark score of 4241 versus 3953 further reinforces that it is the more capable GPU overall in compute-centric scenarios.

The GeForce GT 745M, despite losing the head-to-head, shows a different profile when considering its full benchmark suite. Its Vulkan score of 5502 is notably higher than its OpenCL score, suggesting that in Vulkan-based applications, the GT 745M could perform relatively better than the head-to-head result implies. However, without a direct Vulkan comparison against the Quadro K3000M, this remains an inference from the available data rather than a confirmed advantage. The GT 745M's Metal score of 2777 is its weakest result, indicating that Apple's Metal API is not a strength for this GPU.

For users prioritizing raw OpenCL compute, the Quadro K3000M is the clear winner. For users who might run Vulkan workloads, the GT 745M's relatively strong Vulkan showing could narrow the gap, though the Quadro's overall average still leads. The Quadro K3000M also holds a percentile advantage (25th vs 23rd), meaning it ranks higher among all GPUs in the database.

Neither GPU wins in every scenario, but the data favors the Quadro K3000M for compute-heavy tasks. The GT 745M's best case is likely Vulkan-based gaming or lightweight graphics work, where its higher Vulkan score could offset some of the OpenCL deficit.

# Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on NVIDIA's Kepler architecture and manufactured by TSMC on a 28 nm process, but they diverge significantly in their physical implementation. The Quadro K3000M uses the GK104 chip, which packs 3,540 million transistors onto a die size of 294 mm², yielding a transistor density of 12.0 million transistors per mm². The GeForce GT 745M, in contrast, uses the smaller GK107 chip with 1,270 million transistors on a 118 mm² die, for a density of 10.8 million transistors per mm². The Quadro's chip is nearly three times larger in transistor count and more than twice the die area, which explains its higher compute potential.

The Quadro K3000M is part of the Quadro Kepler-M generation, while the GT 745M belongs to the GeForce 700M generation. The Quadro's predecessor is the Quadro Fermi-M and its successor is the Quadro Maxwell-M, whereas the GT 745M follows the GeForce 600M and precedes the GeForce 800M. These generational placements reflect different product lines: Quadro targets professional workstation use, while GeForce targets consumer laptops.

Memory configurations differ markedly. Both have 2 GB of GDDR5, but the Quadro K3000M uses a 256-bit memory bus providing 89.60 GB/s of bandwidth, while the GT 745M has a 128-bit bus delivering 64.00 GB/s. The Quadro's memory clock is 700 MHz with 2.8 Gbps effective speed, whereas the GT 745M runs at 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective. Despite the GT 745M's higher memory clock, the Quadro's wider bus gives it 40% more bandwidth.

Compute resources follow the same pattern. The Quadro K3000M features 576 shading units, 48 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 raster operation units (ROPs). The GT 745M has 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. These translate to a pixel rate of 7.848 GPixel/s and texture rate of 31.39 GTexel/s for the Quadro, versus 4.392 GPixel/s and 17.57 GTexel/s for the GT 745M. The Quadro's FP32 performance is 753.4 GFLOPS, nearly double the GT 745M's 421.6 GFLOPS.

Power consumption and form factor also differ. The Quadro K3000M has a TDP of 75 W and uses an MXM Module slot with an MXM-B (3.0) bus interface, with no power connectors required. The GT 745M draws only 45 W and is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface. Both GPUs have portable-device-dependent display outputs and support DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175.

The Quadro K3000M was released on 2012-05-31, while the GT 745M came later on 2013-03-31. Both are end-of-life products. Neither has a launch MSRP listed.

# The Verdict

The benchmark data clearly favors the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M for compute-intensive workloads. In the only direct comparison, the Quadro beats the GT 745M by 18.5% in Geekbench OpenCL, and its average benchmark score of 4241 exceeds the GT 745M's 3953 by roughly 7%. The Quadro also holds a higher percentile ranking (25th vs 23rd), indicating better standing among all GPUs.

Users who need raw compute performance, particularly in OpenCL environments, should choose the Quadro K3000M. Its 576 shading units, 256-bit memory bus, and 753.4 GFLOPS FP32 performance provide a substantial advantage over the GT 745M's 384 shading units, 128-bit bus, and 421.6 GFLOPS. The Quadro's higher TDP of 75 W versus 45 W reflects its greater capability, though it also means higher power draw.

The GeForce GT 745M is not without merit. Its Vulkan score of 5502 is the highest single benchmark result between the two GPUs, suggesting that in Vulkan-based applications, it may perform competitively or even better than its OpenCL results imply. The GT 745M also consumes less power and uses a standard PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, which could make it easier to integrate into some laptop designs.

For professional or workstation use where OpenCL compute is paramount, the Quadro K3000M is the data-backed choice. For consumer laptops where Vulkan gaming or lighter graphics work is the priority, the GT 745M's Vulkan strength and lower power draw make it a reasonable alternative, though users should expect lower overall compute performance. The data does not support choosing the GT 745M for raw performance; it only wins on efficiency and specific API strengths.

# FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the direct benchmark comparison?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K3000M wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 4241 versus the GeForce GT 745M's 3580, a delta of 18.5%.

Q: How does the Quadro K3000M compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Quadro K3000M's average score of 4241 is 0.6% below the AMD Radeon Vega 3 (4268), 1% below the GeForce GTX 460M (4282), 1.2% above the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (4193), and 1.3% below the AMD FirePro W2100 (4295).

Q: What is the GeForce GT 745M's best benchmark result?

A: The GT 745M's highest score is 5502 in Geekbench Vulkan, followed by 3580 in OpenCL and 2777 in Metal.

Q: How do the memory configurations differ?

A: Both have 2 GB GDDR5, but the Quadro K3000M uses a 256-bit bus with 89.60 GB/s bandwidth, while the GT 745M has a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the power requirements for each GPU?

A: The Quadro K3000M has a TDP of 75 W and uses an MXM Module slot, while the GT 745M has a TDP of 45 W and is an IGP with a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The Quadro K3000M has 576 shading units, compared to the GT 745M's 384 shading units.

# Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA Quadro K3000M | NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M |

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

| Chip | GK104 | GK107 |

| Generation | Quadro Kepler-M (Kx000M) | GeForce 700M |

| Transistors | 3,540 million | 1,270 million |

| Die Size | 294 mm² | 118 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.0M / mm² | 10.8M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 654 MHz | — |

| Boost Clock | 654 MHz | — |

| Memory Clock | 700 MHz (2.8 Gbps effective) | 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 89.60 GB/s | 64.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 576 | 384 |

| TMUs | 48 | 32 |

| ROPs | 32 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 7.848 GPixel/s | 4.392 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 31.39 GTexel/s | 17.57 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 753.4 GFLOPS | 421.6 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 75 W | 45 W |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | IGP |

| Bus Interface | MXM-B (3.0) | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Release Date | 2012-05-31 | 2013-03-31 |

| Predecessor | Quadro Fermi-M | GeForce 600M |

| Successor | Quadro Maxwell-M | GeForce 800M |