NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M vs NVIDIA Quadro K2200 Comparison

The NVIDIA Quadro K2200 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M share the same GM107 chip and Maxwell architecture, but they are built for entirely different worlds: professional workstations versus mobile gaming. The benchmark data reveals a clear hierarchy, with the Quadro K2200 outperforming the GTX 850M in every recorded test, yet the story is more nuanced when examining their respective market positions and hardware configurations.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains two direct comparison points between these GPUs, and the Quadro K2200 wins both. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the K2200 scores 11,431 points against the GTX 850M's 9,821 points. That is a 16.4% advantage for the workstation card. The Vulkan test shows a similar pattern: the K2200 scores 10,090 points, while the GTX 850M trails at 8,782 points, a 14.9% gap. These are not marginal differences; the K2200 is consistently ahead by roughly 15% across both compute APIs.

Looking at the broader dataset, the K2200's average benchmark score is 10,761 points, placing it in the 49th percentile of all GPUs. The GTX 850M averages 9,302 points, which lands it in the 46th percentile. The 1,459-point difference in average scores reinforces the head-to-head results, but the percentile ranking shows that both cards sit in the mid-range of the performance spectrum. Neither is a top-tier part, but the K2200 sits slightly higher.

The rival comparisons provide additional context. The K2200's nearest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro 450, which averages 10,804 points, a mere 0.4% behind. The NVIDIA GeForce MX350 scores 10,883 points, placing it 1.1% ahead of the K2200. Meanwhile, the GTX 850M's closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 at 9,294 points, a 0.1% difference. The AMD Radeon R7 M380 is 0.1% behind the 850M, and the GeForce GTX 960 is 0.3% behind. These tight margins suggest that both cards are well-positioned within their respective performance tiers, but the K2200's absolute scores are higher.

The delta percentages in the head-to-head tests are significant. A 16.4% lead in OpenCL and a 14.9% lead in Vulkan indicate that the K2200's higher clock speeds and memory bandwidth translate into real-world compute advantages. The GTX 850M is not a weak performer, but it is clearly outmatched in these specific workloads.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Quadro K2200 is the faster GPU in every benchmark recorded. It wins both head-to-head tests, has a higher average score, and sits in a higher performance percentile. For users who need maximum compute throughput in OpenCL or Vulkan workloads, the K2200 is the superior choice. The 16.4% and 14.9% deltas are substantial enough to matter in professional applications that leverage these APIs.

However, the GTX 850M is not without its merits. It operates at a lower power envelope, drawing 45 W compared to the K2200's 68 W. It is also an integrated GPU (IGP) for portable devices, meaning it requires no slot width and has no power connectors. The K2200 is a single-slot card that needs a 250 W suggested power supply. For a laptop user, the 850M is the only viable option, as the K2200 is a desktop card with dimensions of 202 mm in length and 111 mm in height.

The GTX 850M also supports PCIe 3.0 x16, while the K2200 is limited to PCIe 2.0 x16. This could affect data transfer speeds in certain scenarios, though the benchmark scores do not show a penalty for the K2200. The 850M has 2 GB of DDR3 memory, which is less than the K2200's 4 GB of GDDR5. In memory-intensive tasks, the K2200's larger and faster memory pool is a clear advantage.

The choice comes down to use case and form factor. For desktop workstations running professional applications, the K2200 is the data-backed winner. For mobile gaming and general laptop use, the GTX 850M is the only option, and its performance is respectable within its context.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on the same GM107 chip, which is a Maxwell architecture design fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. The die size is identical at 148 mm², and both pack 1,870 million transistors. This means the core logic is essentially the same, but the surrounding implementation differs significantly.

The K2200 has a base clock of 1,046 MHz and a boost clock of 1,124 MHz. The GTX 850M has no recorded base or boost clocks in the database, which suggests its clock speeds are variable or not fixed in the same way. The memory clocks are also different: the K2200 runs at 1,253 MHz with 5 Gbps effective data rate, while the 850M runs at 1,001 MHz with 2 Gbps effective. This is a massive difference in memory speed.

The memory type is the other major divergence. The K2200 uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 80.19 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 850M uses 2 GB of DDR3 on the same 128-bit bus, but only achieves 32.03 GB/s. The K2200 has more than double the memory bandwidth, which directly explains its higher compute scores. The shading units (640), texture mapping units (40), and ROPs (16) are identical, so the performance gap comes from clock speeds and memory.

The pixel rate for the K2200 is 17.98 GPixel/s, while the 850M manages 14.43 GPixel/s. The texture rate is 44.96 GTexel/s for the K2200 versus 36.08 GTexel/s for the 850M. The FP32 throughput is 1,438.7 GFLOPS for the K2200 and 1,154.6 GFLOPS for the 850M. These are all proportional differences stemming from the clock and memory advantages.

The bus interface differs: the K2200 uses PCIe 2.0 x16, while the 850M uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs also differ, with the K2200 offering 1x DVI and 2x DisplayPort 1.2, while the 850M relies on portable device dependent outputs. The TDP is 68 W for the K2200 and 45 W for the 850M, reflecting the desktop versus mobile design philosophy.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K2200 averages 10,761 points across all recorded benchmarks, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M averages 9,302 points. The K2200 is ahead by 1,459 points.

Q: How much faster is the Quadro K2200 in OpenCL?

A: The K2200 scores 11,431 points in Geekbench OpenCL, while the GTX 850M scores 9,821 points. This gives the K2200 a 16.4% lead.

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

A: The Quadro K2200 has 80.19 GB/s of bandwidth using 4 GB of GDDR5, while the GTX 850M has 32.03 GB/s using 2 GB of DDR3. The K2200 has more than double the bandwidth.

Q: Do these GPUs share the same architecture?

A: Yes, both are based on the GM107 chip using the Maxwell architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. They have identical transistor counts of 1,870 million and die sizes of 148 mm².

Q: What is the FP32 performance difference?

A: The Quadro K2200 delivers 1,438.7 GFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the GTX 850M delivers 1,154.6 GFLOPS. The K2200 is approximately 24.6% faster in raw single-precision throughput.

Q: Which GPU has a higher power draw?

A: The Quadro K2200 has a TDP of 68 W, while the GTX 850M has a TDP of 45 W. The desktop workstation card consumes more power, as expected.

Where Each One Wins

The Quadro K2200 wins in all compute-heavy scenarios. Its higher FP32 throughput (1,438.7 GFLOPS versus 1,154.6 GFLOPS) makes it better suited for scientific simulations, CAD workloads, and any OpenCL or Vulkan compute tasks. The 4 GB of GDDR5 memory with 80.19 GB/s bandwidth provides ample headroom for large datasets, while the 128-bit bus is the same as the 850M, but the faster memory clock makes the difference. The K2200 also wins in pixel rate (17.98 GPixel/s versus 14.43 GPixel/s) and texture rate (44.96 GTexel/s versus 36.08 GTexel/s), which matters for rendering and visual effects.

The GTX 850M wins in portability and efficiency. With a 45 W TDP, it fits into laptop designs without dedicated power connectors or slot space. It is an IGP, meaning it is integrated into the mobile platform, and its display outputs are portable device dependent, which is expected for a laptop GPU. The PCIe 3.0 x16 interface is newer than the K2200's PCIe 2.0 x16, which could offer faster data transfer in some system configurations. However, the benchmark data does not show this translating into a performance win.

The 850M also has a higher percentile rank relative to its nearest rivals: it sits in the 46th percentile, while its closest competitor, the GTX 465, is only 0.1% behind. The K2200 sits in the 49th percentile, with its closest rival, the Radeon Pro 450, just 0.4% behind. Both cards are competitive within their peer groups, but the K2200's absolute scores are higher.

For users with a desktop workstation, the K2200 is the clear choice based on every recorded metric. For laptop users, the 850M is the only option, and its performance is adequate for its class, though it trails the K2200 by margins that cannot be ignored.

Specification Differences

The most significant specification differences between the two GPUs are in memory and clocks. The K2200 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the 850M has 2 GB of DDR3. The K2200's memory runs at 1,253 MHz (5 Gbps effective), while the 850M runs at 1,001 MHz (2 Gbps effective). This results in a bandwidth of 80.19 GB/s for the K2200 versus 32.03 GB/s for the 850M.

Clock speeds are another differentiator: the K2200 has a base clock of 1,046 MHz and a boost of 1,124 MHz, while the 850M has no recorded base or boost clocks. The pixel rate is 17.98 GPixel/s for the K2200 and 14.43 GPixel/s for the 850M. The texture rate is 44.96 GTexel/s versus 36.08 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 1,438.7 GFLOPS versus 1,154.6 GFLOPS.

The TDP differs: 68 W for the K2200 and 45 W for the 850M. The K2200 is a single-slot card with no power connectors and a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the 850M is an IGP with no slot width and no power connectors. The bus interface is PCIe 2.0 x16 for the K2200 and PCIe 3.0 x16 for the 850M. Display outputs are 1x DVI and 2x DisplayPort 1.2 for the K2200, versus portable device dependent for the 850M.

The K2200 has dimensions of 202 mm length and 111 mm height, while the 850M has no recorded dimensions since it is an integrated part. The K2200 was released on 2014-07-21, while the 850M was released on 2014-03-11. Their generations differ: the K2200 is from the Quadro Kepler (Kx200) series, while the 850M is from the GeForce 800M series. The K2200's predecessor is Quadro Fermi and its successor is Quadro Maxwell, while the 850M's predecessor is GeForce 700M and its successor is GeForce 900M. Both are end-of-life products, share the same DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 API support, and have identical shading units, TMUs, and ROPs.