GPU Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce MX110 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 are two end-of-life graphics processors that occupy nearly identical positions in the current performance hierarchy, yet they achieve this through fundamentally different design philosophies. The MX110 is a modern, low-power mobile chip from the Maxwell generation, while the GTX 650 is an older, higher-power desktop part from the Kepler generation. Benchmark data shows they are separated by a razor-thin 0.3% in average score, placing them in a dead heat for overall performance, but their underlying characteristics dictate very different use cases.

Where Each One Wins

The performance split between these two is clear-cut when examining individual benchmark results. The GTX 650 wins both head-to-head tests, but the margin of victory varies dramatically by workload. In Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 650 scores 4545 against the MX110's 4255, a 6.4% advantage. This is a modest lead, suggesting that in compute-heavy tasks that scale well across many cores, the GTX 650's larger execution engine provides a tangible, though not overwhelming, edge.

The Vulkan test tells a different story. The GTX 650 scores 4524 while the MX110 manages only 3413, resulting in a substantial 24.6% deficit for the MX110. This large gap likely reflects the GTX 650's superior memory bandwidth and wider memory bus, which are critical for graphics API workloads that frequently access textures and framebuffers. For gaming or any application utilizing Vulkan, the GTX 650 is decisively faster.

However, the MX110 wins where raw benchmark scores do not tell the whole story: integration and power consumption. As an IGP (Integrated Graphics Processor) with a 30 W TDP and no power connectors, the MX110 is designed for portable devices where space and thermal limits are paramount. The GTX 650, with a 65 W TDP, a single-slot cooler, and a required 6-pin power connector, demands a desktop chassis with a power supply rated at 250 W. The MX110's use case is enabling basic graphics acceleration in thin-and-light laptops, whereas the GTX 650's is providing entry-level desktop gaming performance.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent two different architectural generations from NVIDIA. The MX110 is built on the Maxwell architecture using the GM108S chip, while the GTX 650 is based on the older Kepler architecture with the GK106 chip. Both are fabricated by TSMC on the same 28 nm process node, but the similarities end there.

The die sizes and transistor counts are starkly different. The MX110's GM108S chip contains 1,020 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 13.2M per mm². The GTX 650's GK106 chip packs 2,540 million transistors onto a 221 mm² die, yielding a density of 11.5M per mm². The MX110 achieves higher density due to its more modern design, but the GTX 650 uses its larger transistor budget to deploy significantly more execution resources: 384 shading units, 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 render output units (ROPs) versus the MX110's 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and 8 ROPs.

Memory subsystems also diverge sharply. The GTX 650 uses a 128-bit memory bus with 1024 MB of GDDR5, delivering 80.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The MX110 is limited to a 64-bit bus with 2 GB of GDDR5, achieving only 40.10 GB/s. The MX110 compensates with a higher memory clock of 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective), matching the GTX 650's 1250 MHz memory clock, but the half-width bus halves available bandwidth. Clock speeds for the GPU core are only listed for the MX110, which has a base clock of 978 MHz and a boost clock of 1006 MHz, while the GTX 650's core clocks are not provided in the data.

The MX110 compensates for its smaller core with a higher transistor density and reaches a DirectX 12 (11_0) feature level and Vulkan 1.4 API support. The GTX 650 also supports DirectX 12 (11_0) but is limited to Vulkan 1.2.175. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The MX110 has a marginally higher average benchmark score of 3834, compared to the GTX 650's 3823. This represents a 0.3% difference in the MX110's favor, making them statistically equivalent in overall performance.

Q: How much faster is the GTX 650 in Vulkan workloads?

A: The GTX 650 scores 4524 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the MX110 scores 3413. The GTX 650 is 24.6% faster in this specific test, a significant margin for graphics-oriented applications.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two?

A: The GTX 650 provides 80.00 GB/s of bandwidth, exactly double the MX110's 40.10 GB/s. This is due to the GTX 650's 128-bit memory bus versus the MX110's 64-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The GTX 650 features 384 shading units, which is 50% more than the MX110's 256 shading units. This contributes to its higher FP32 performance of 812.5 GFLOPS versus 515.1 GFLOPS.

Q: Can the MX110 be installed in a desktop PC?

A: The data lists the MX110 as an IGP with "Portable Device Dependent" display outputs and no power connectors. It is designed for integration into portable devices, not as a discrete desktop card.

Q: What is the TDP of the GTX 650?

A: The GTX 650 has a TDP of 65 W, requiring a single-slot cooler and a 250 W suggested power supply. It draws a 6-pin power connector for operation.

Specification Differences

The following table highlights only the fields where the two GPUs differ, based on the provided data:

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce MX110 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 |

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

| Chip | GM108S | GK106 |

| Architecture | Maxwell | Kepler |

| Generation | GeForce MX (1xx) | GeForce 600 |

| Transistors | 1,020 million | 2,540 million |

| Die Size | 77 mm² | 221 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 13.2M / mm² | 11.5M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 978 MHz | Not specified |

| Boost Clock | 1006 MHz | Not specified |

| Memory Clock | 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective) | 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 2 GB | 1024 MB |

| Memory Bus Width | 64 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 40.10 GB/s | 80.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 256 | 384 |

| TMUs | 16 | 32 |

| ROPs | 8 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 8.048 GPixel/s | 8.464 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 16.10 GTexel/s | 33.86 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 515.1 GFLOPS | 812.5 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 30 W | 65 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Single-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 6-pin |

| Suggested PSU | Not specified | 250 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x4 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x DVI, 2x DisplayPort 1.2 |

| Vulkan API | 1.4 | 1.2.175 |

| Length | Not specified | 147 mm (5.8 inches) |

| Release Date | 2017-11-16 | 2013-11-26 |

| Predecessor | Not specified | GeForce 500 |

| Successor | Not specified | GeForce 700 |

| Benchmarks (OpenCL) | 4255 | 4545 |

| Benchmarks (Vulkan) | 3413 | 4524 |

| Percentile vs All GPUs | 23 | 22 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test reveals a moderate advantage for the GTX 650. The GTX 650 posts a score of 4545, while the MX110 achieves 4255. This 6.4% difference is consistent with the GTX 650's larger core, which offers 384 shading units and 32 TMUs against the MX110's 256 and 16, respectively. The GTX 650's FP32 throughput of 812.5 GFLOPS is 57.8% higher than the MX110's 515.1 GFLOPS, and this compute advantage shows up in OpenCL, though the gap is softened by the MX110's more efficient Maxwell architecture per clock.

The Geekbench Vulkan test is where the GTX 650 asserts clear dominance. The score differential is 4524 versus 3413, a 24.6% lead for the GTX 650. This is far larger than the OpenCL gap and points directly to memory bandwidth. The GTX 650's 80.00 GB/s bandwidth is double the MX110's 40.10 GB/s, and graphics workloads under Vulkan are heavily bandwidth-limited. The GTX 650 also has twice the ROPs (16 vs 8) and a pixel rate of 8.464 GPixel/s versus 8.048 GPixel/s, which helps with fill-rate-bound scenes.

Despite the GTX 650's 2-0 win record in the head-to-head benchmarks, the aggregate picture is one of near-equality. The MX110's average benchmark score of 3834 is actually 0.3% higher than the GTX 650's 3823, an inversion that occurs because the MX110 only has OpenCL and Vulkan results, while the GTX 650 also includes a Geekbench Metal score of 2400, which drags down its average. Both GPUs sit in the bottom quartile of all GPUs, with the MX110 at the 23rd percentile and the GTX 650 at the 22nd percentile. Their nearest rivals include the Intel UHD Graphics 710, which trails by 1.1% and 0.8% respectively, and the AMD Radeon R5 Graphics, which leads both by 1.2% and 1.5%. The performance envelope here is extremely tight, making the choice between these two GPUs dependent entirely on the platform and form factor, rather than on raw speed.