NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce MX330 Comparison

# NVIDIA GeForce MX330 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti

The NVIDIA GeForce MX330 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti represent two very different eras of GPU design, and the benchmark data reflects a closer contest than the generational gap might suggest. The MX330 edges out the older GTX 650 Ti in both available head-to-head tests, but the margin is thin in one workload and substantial in another. The MX330 wins 2 benchmarks to 0, yet the GTX 650 Ti holds its own in raw compute despite being nearly eight years older.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two GeForce cards face off in exactly two benchmark tests: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. In the OpenCL test, the MX330 scores 7896 against the GTX 650 Ti’s 7877, a razor-thin 0.2% victory. This is effectively a statistical tie — the kind of margin that could flip with driver updates or thermal conditions. Both cards deliver nearly identical compute throughput in this API, suggesting that the architectural advantages of the newer Pascal chip are largely neutralized by the older Kepler card’s wider memory bus and higher shading unit count.

The Vulkan test tells a very different story. The MX330 posts 9019, while the GTX 650 Ti manages 8229. That is a 9.6% win for the MX330 — a decisive margin that highlights how modern API efficiency favors newer architectures. Vulkan’s lower overhead and better multi-threading characteristics appear to benefit the Pascal design disproportionately. The MX330’s average benchmark score across all tests sits at 8458, placing it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 650 Ti averages 8053 and sits in the 42nd percentile. These aggregate numbers reinforce the head-to-head results: the MX330 is slightly ahead overall, but neither card is breaking new ground in the broader GPU landscape.

The MX330’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 8870M (8462 average, 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon 880M (8436, 0.3% delta), while the GTX 650 Ti’s closest competitors include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost (8067, -0.2%) and the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 (8039, 0.2%). The 9.6% Vulkan advantage is the single largest gap in any head-to-head metric, and it is the primary reason the MX330 claims the overall victory.

Architecture Differences

The architectural chasm between these two GPUs is vast. The MX330 uses the GP108B chip built on a 14 nm process from Samsung, while the GTX 650 Ti uses the GK106S chip on TSMC’s 28 nm process. This node difference is dramatic: the MX330 packs 1,800 million transistors into a 74 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 24.3 million per square millimeter. The GTX 650 Ti, by contrast, crams 2,540 million transistors into 221 mm², for a density of just 11.5 million per square millimeter. The MX330 is more than twice as dense, evidence of seven years of process technology advancement.

The shading unit counts flip the expected narrative. The GTX 650 Ti has 768 shading units and 64 texture mapping units, while the MX330 has only 384 shading units and 24 TMUs. Both have 16 ROPs. This means the older card has twice the shader count and 2.67 times the texture units. Yet the MX330 still wins in overall compute — its FP32 throughput is 1,224.2 GFLOPS versus the GTX 650 Ti’s 1,425.4 GFLOPS. Wait, that means the GTX 650 Ti actually has higher raw FP32. The MX330 counters with a much higher pixel rate: 25.50 GPixel/s versus 14.85 GPixel/s, and a lower texture rate: 38.26 GTexel/s versus 59.39 GTexel/s. The MX330’s boost clock of 1594 MHz (base 1531 MHz) helps compensate for its fewer cores, while the GTX 650 Ti has no listed base or boost clock — only a memory clock of 1350 MHz (5.4 Gbps effective).

The memory subsystems are also fundamentally different. The MX330 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus, yielding 56.06 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 650 Ti uses 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, achieving 86.40 GB/s — 54% more bandwidth. This partially explains why the older card remains competitive in compute-heavy workloads. The GTX 650 Ti also supports PCIe 3.0 x16, while the MX330 is limited to PCIe 3.0 x4, which could bottleneck data transfer in some scenarios.

Where Each One Wins

The MX330 wins decisively in Vulkan-based workloads, as shown by the 9.6% lead. This suggests it is better suited for modern game engines and applications that leverage Vulkan’s explicit multi-threading and reduced driver overhead. Its newer Pascal architecture also brings support for Vulkan 1.4, versus the GTX 650 Ti’s Vulkan 1.2.175 — a meaningful API version gap that could affect compatibility with future software. The MX330 also supports DirectX 12_1, while the GTX 650 Ti only reaches DirectX 12 (11_0), meaning the MX330 can handle more advanced DX12 features like conservative rasterization and rasterizer-ordered views.

The GTX 650 Ti’s wins are more subtle. Its higher FP32 throughput (1,425.4 GFLOPS vs 1,224.2 GFLOPS), double the shading units, and 54% more memory bandwidth make it theoretically stronger for raw compute tasks that don’t rely on modern API features. Its 59.39 GTexel/s texture rate is 55% higher than the MX330’s, which could benefit texture-heavy workloads. The GTX 650 Ti also has a wider 128-bit memory bus and more total memory bandwidth, which matters for large data sets that exceed the MX330’s 64-bit bus capacity. However, the MX330’s 2 GB frame buffer doubles the GTX 650 Ti’s 1 GB, which is critical for modern games that exceed 1 GB of VRAM usage.

Power consumption is another differentiator. The MX330 draws just 10 W TDP and requires no power connectors, while the GTX 650 Ti consumes 110 W and needs a single 6-pin connector plus a 300 W suggested PSU. The MX330 is an IGP-class chip with portable-device-dependent outputs, whereas the GTX 650 Ti is a single-slot card with 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI outputs.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The MX330 wins by a narrow 0.2% margin, scoring 7896 versus the GTX 650 Ti’s 7877. This is effectively a tie.

Q: How large is the Vulkan performance gap?

A: The MX330 leads by 9.6% in Geekbench Vulkan, scoring 9019 against 8229 for the GTX 650 Ti.

Q: Does the GTX 650 Ti have more shading units?

A: Yes, the GTX 650 Ti has 768 shading units, exactly double the MX330’s 384.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The GTX 650 Ti provides 86.40 GB/s over a 128-bit bus, while the MX330 offers 56.06 GB/s over a 64-bit bus.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The MX330, at 24.3 million transistors per mm², compared to the GTX 650 Ti’s 11.5 million per mm².

Q: What are the power requirements?

A: The MX330 draws 10 W with no connectors; the GTX 650 Ti draws 110 W with a 6-pin connector and a 300 W suggested PSU.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce MX330 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti |

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

| Chip | GP108B | GK106S |

| Architecture | Pascal | Kepler |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 28 nm |

| Foundry | Samsung | TSMC |

| Transistors | 1,800 million | 2,540 million |

| Die Size | 74 mm² | 221 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 24.3M / mm² | 11.5M / mm² |

| Memory Size | 2 GB | 1024 MB |

| Memory Bus Width | 64 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 56.06 GB/s | 86.40 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 384 | 768 |

| TMUs | 24 | 64 |

| Pixel Rate | 25.50 GPixel/s | 14.85 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 38.26 GTexel/s | 59.39 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1,224.2 GFLOPS | 1,425.4 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 10 W | 110 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Single-slot |

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

| Suggested PSU | N/A | 300 W |

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

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.4a |

| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 (11_0) |

| Vulkan | 1.4 | 1.2.175 |

| Length | N/A | 145 mm (5.7 inches) |

| Launch MSRP | N/A | 149 USD |

| Release Date | 2020-02-09 | 2012-10-08 |

The Verdict

The data points to a clear but nuanced conclusion. The MX330 wins both head-to-head benchmarks, making it the better choice for anyone prioritizing modern API support and overall benchmark performance. Its 9.6% Vulkan advantage is the kind of margin that translates to real-world gaming improvements in titles that use Vulkan, and its 2 GB frame buffer is essential for contemporary workloads. The 43rd percentile ranking versus the GTX 650 Ti’s 42nd, combined with the 2-0 win record, makes the MX330 the objectively better performer in the measured tests.

However, the GTX 650 Ti is far from obsolete. Its higher FP32 throughput, double the shading units, and superior memory bandwidth mean it can still out-muscle the MX330 in compute-heavy tasks that don’t benefit from architectural improvements. The 0.2% OpenCL margin suggests that in legacy APIs, these cards are nearly interchangeable. The GTX 650 Ti’s 110 W TDP and 6-pin power requirement make it a desktop-only proposition, while the MX330’s 10 W TDP and IGP form factor target thin-and-light laptops. The choice ultimately comes down to platform: the MX330 is the better mobile solution, while the GTX 650 Ti remains a serviceable desktop card for older titles or compute workloads. For modern software and efficiency, the MX330 is the data-backed winner; for raw shader throughput and memory bandwidth on a desktop, the GTX 650 Ti still has arguments in its favor.