NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single recorded head-to-head benchmark between these two mobile graphics processors is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the results show a clear, if modest, victory for the older NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX. The GTX 675MX posted a score of 10,723, while the GTX 850M trailed with 9,821. This represents a delta of 8.4 percent in favor of the Keppler-based part. The database records one win for the GTX 675MX and zero for the GTX 850M in direct comparison.

This result is notable because the GTX 850M is the newer part by nearly two years, yet its average benchmark score across all recorded tests is actually lower than its rival's OpenCL result. The GTX 850M's average benchmark score sits at 9,302, while the GTX 675MX's average is 8,427. This discrepancy suggests that while the GTX 675MX wins the specific OpenCL test, the GTX 850M may perform more consistently across other workloads, though no other direct comparison data exists in the database.

Looking at the percentile rankings, the GTX 850M occupies the 46th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 675MX sits at the 43rd percentile. This means the newer Maxwell part places slightly higher in the overall performance distribution, despite losing the head-to-head OpenCL test. The data indicates that the GTX 850M's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 (average score 9,294, delta 0.1 percent), the AMD Radeon R7 M380 (average score 9,313, delta negative 0.1 percent), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (average score 9,273, delta 0.3 percent). The GTX 675MX, by contrast, sits near the AMD Radeon 880M (average score 8,436, delta negative 0.1 percent) and the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 (average score 8,458, delta negative 0.4 percent).

The performance gap in OpenCL is not enormous, but it is consistent with the architectural differences between the two chips. The GTX 675MX carries more shading units, more texture mapping units, and a wider memory bus, all of which can contribute to raw compute throughput. The GTX 850M counters with a more modern architecture and higher memory clock speed, but the sheer parallel resources of the older chip win the day in this particular benchmark.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and use different chip designs. The GTX 850M is built on the Maxwell architecture with the GM107 chip, while the GTX 675MX uses the Kepler architecture with the GK104 chip. Both are manufactured by TSMC on a 28 nm process node, but the transistor counts and die sizes differ substantially. The GTX 675MX packs 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, while the GTX 850M contains just 1,870 million transistors on a 148 mm² die. The transistor density is similar, with the GTX 850M at 12.6 million transistors per square millimeter and the GTX 675MX at 12.0 million per square millimeter, but the overall scale of the Kepler chip is much larger.

The compute resources differ markedly. The GTX 675MX features 960 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 raster operations pipelines. The GTX 850M has 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 raster operations pipelines. This means the older chip has 50 percent more shading units and double the texture and raster resources. The pixel rate favors the GTX 850M at 14.43 gigapixels per second versus 13.08 for the GTX 675MX, but the texture rate heavily favors the Kepler part at 52.32 gigatexels per second versus 36.08. Floating point performance is close, with the GTX 675MX at 1,255.7 GFLOPS and the GTX 850M at 1,154.6 GFLOPS.

Memory architecture is another major differentiator. The GTX 850M uses 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding 32.03 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 675MX uses 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding 115.2 GB/s of bandwidth. That is a 3.6-fold advantage in memory bandwidth for the older chip, which explains its OpenCL victory despite the newer architecture. The memory clock is listed as 1001 MHz (2 Gbps effective) for the GTX 850M and 900 MHz (3.6 Gbps effective) for the GTX 675MX, but the bus width difference is decisive.

Power and form factor also diverge. The GTX 850M has a TDP of 45 watts and is an integrated graphics processor with no power connectors, using a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface. The GTX 675MX has a TDP of 100 watts, uses an MXM module form factor with an MXM-B (3.0) interface, and also requires no power connectors. The GTX 850M's lower power draw makes it suitable for thinner laptops, while the GTX 675MX's higher power envelope suggests a bulkier chassis with more thermal headroom.

API support shows a small difference in Vulkan versions. The GTX 850M supports Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 675MX supports Vulkan 1.2.175. Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The GTX 850M belongs to the GeForce 800M generation and lists the GeForce 700M as its predecessor and GeForce 900M as its successor. The GTX 675MX belongs to the GeForce 600M generation with the GeForce 500M as predecessor and GeForce 700M as successor.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the recorded head-to-head benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 10,723 against the GTX 850M's 9,821, a delta of 8.4 percent.

Q: Why does the GTX 675MX have higher memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 675MX uses a 256-bit memory bus with GDDR5 memory, providing 115.2 GB/s of bandwidth, while the GTX 850M uses a 128-bit bus with DDR3 memory, providing 32.03 GB/s.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The GTX 850M has an average benchmark score of 9,302, and the GTX 675MX has an average benchmark score of 8,427.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The GTX 675MX has 960 shading units, while the GTX 850M has 640 shading units, giving the older Kepler chip a 50 percent advantage in this metric.

Q: What are the power consumption figures for these GPUs?

A: The GTX 850M has a TDP of 45 watts, while the GTX 675MX has a TDP of 100 watts.

Q: How do the Vulkan API versions compare?

A: The GTX 850M supports Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 675MX supports Vulkan 1.2.175.

The Verdict

The data presents a nuanced picture. The GTX 675MX wins the only direct benchmark comparison, posting an OpenCL score 8.4 percent higher than the GTX 850M. Its massive memory bandwidth advantage, 115.2 GB/s versus 32.03 GB/s, and its larger complement of shading units, 960 versus 640, give it a clear edge in compute-heavy workloads. The GTX 675MX also has double the texture mapping units and raster operations pipelines, contributing to a texture rate of 52.32 GTexel/s versus 36.08, though the GTX 850M counters with a slightly higher pixel rate at 14.43 GPixel/s versus 13.08.

However, the GTX 850M holds a higher percentile ranking at 46 versus 43, and its average benchmark score of 9,302 exceeds the GTX 675MX's 8,427. This suggests that in the broader benchmark suite, the newer Maxwell part performs better on average, even if it loses the specific OpenCL test. The GTX 850M also consumes far less power, with a 45 watt TDP versus 100 watts, making it a more efficient option for portable devices.

For users prioritizing raw compute throughput and memory bandwidth, the GTX 675MX is the stronger choice based on the head-to-head data. For those considering overall average performance and efficiency, the GTX 850M appears more balanced. The GTX 850M's nearest rivals, such as the GTX 465 and Radeon R7 M380, sit within 0.1 percent of its average score, indicating a tight competitive cluster. The GTX 675MX's nearest rivals, including the Radeon 880M and MX330, also cluster closely, with deltas under 0.5 percent.

The GTX 675MX is an end-of-life product from the GeForce 600M generation, while the GTX 850M is end-of-life from the GeForce 800M generation. Neither has a launch MSRP listed in the database. The choice between them depends on whether the workload favors memory bandwidth and parallel compute resources or efficiency and average performance. The benchmark data clearly shows the GTX 675MX winning the OpenCL test, but the GTX 850M's higher percentile and average score indicate it is not simply an inferior part. It is a trade-off between peak compute capability and overall consistency.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two GPUs:

• Chip: GM107 for the GTX 850M, GK104 for the GTX 675MX
• Architecture: Maxwell for the GTX 850M, Kepler for the GTX 675MX
• Generation: GeForce 800M for the GTX 850M, GeForce 600M for the GTX 675MX
• Transistors: 1,870 million for the GTX 850M, 3,540 million for the GTX 675MX
• Die Size: 148 mm² for the GTX 850M, 294 mm² for the GTX 675MX
• Transistor Density: 12.6M / mm² for the GTX 850M, 12.0M / mm² for the GTX 675MX
• Memory Clock: 1001 MHz (2 Gbps effective) for the GTX 850M, 900 MHz (3.6 Gbps effective) for the GTX 675MX
• Memory Type: DDR3 for the GTX 850M, GDDR5 for the GTX 675MX
• Memory Bus Width: 128 bit for the GTX 850M, 256 bit for the GTX 675MX
• Memory Bandwidth: 32.03 GB/s for the GTX 850M, 115.2 GB/s for the GTX 675MX
• Shading Units: 640 for the GTX 850M, 960 for the GTX 675MX
• Texture Mapping Units: 40 for the GTX 850M, 80 for the GTX 675MX
• Raster Operations Pipelines: 16 for the GTX 850M, 32 for the GTX 675MX
• Pixel Rate: 14.43 GPixel/s for the GTX 850M, 13.08 GPixel/s for the GTX 675MX
• Texture Rate: 36.08 GTexel/s for the GTX 850M, 52.32 GTexel/s for the GTX 675MX
• FP32 Performance: 1,154.6 GFLOPS for the GTX 850M, 1,255.7 GFLOPS for the GTX 675MX
• TDP: 45 W for the GTX 850M, 100 W for the GTX 675MX
• Slot Width: IGP for the GTX 850M, MXM Module for the GTX 675MX
• Bus Interface: PCIe 3.0 x16 for the GTX 850M, MXM-B (3.0) for the GTX 675MX
• Vulkan Version: 1.4 for the GTX 850M, 1.2.175 for the GTX 675MX
• Release Date: 2014-03-11 for the GTX 850M, 2012-09-30 for the GTX 675MX
• Predecessor: GeForce 700M for the GTX 850M, GeForce 500M for the GTX 675MX
• Successor: GeForce 900M for the GTX 850M, GeForce 700M for the GTX 675MX
• Average Benchmark Score: 9,302 for the GTX 850M, 8,427 for the GTX 675MX
• Percentile vs All GPUs: 46 for the GTX 850M, 43 for the GTX 675MX