NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M vs NVIDIA Quadro 2000D Comparison

NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M and NVIDIA Quadro 2000D are two end-of-life graphics solutions from different generations of NVIDIA’s lineup, with the GT 745M being a Kepler-based mobile part and the Quadro 2000D a Fermi-based desktop workstation card. While both GPUs land at the 23rd percentile among all GPUs in the database, their architectural differences and benchmark results reveal distinct strengths. The single head-to-head benchmark available favors the Quadro 2000D, though the GT 745M holds advantages in memory capacity and interface generation.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M has an average benchmark score of 3953, while the NVIDIA Quadro 2000D scores 3930. The difference is minimal, with the GT 745M leading by roughly 0.6% as indicated in the nearestRivals data.

Q: How do the two compare in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The Quadro 2000D wins the only head-to-head benchmark, scoring 3930 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 3580 for the GT 745M. This represents an 8.9% advantage for the Quadro 2000D in that specific test.

Q: What are the memory specifications of each card?

A: The GeForce GT 745M has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The Quadro 2000D has 1024 MB (1 GB) of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, with 41.60 GB/s of bandwidth. The GT 745M provides double the capacity and roughly 54% more bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU uses a newer process node?

A: The GeForce GT 745M is fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC, while the Quadro 2000D uses a 40 nm process at the same foundry. The smaller node allows the GT 745M to pack 1,270 million transistors into a 118 mm² die, compared to 1,170 million transistors on a 238 mm² die for the Quadro 2000D.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same APIs?

A: Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. However, the GeForce GT 745M supports Vulkan 1.2.175, while the Quadro 2000D has no Vulkan support listed. This makes the GT 745M more capable for modern cross-platform graphics workloads.

Q: What is the form factor difference between the two?

A: The GeForce GT 745M is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) designed for portable devices, with display outputs described as "Portable Device Dependent." The Quadro 2000D is a single-slot desktop card measuring 178 mm in length and 111 mm in height, with two DVI display outputs.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent distinct NVIDIA architectures. The GeForce GT 745M uses the GK107 chip based on the Kepler architecture, part of the GeForce 700M generation. The Quadro 2000D uses the GF106 chip based on the older Fermi architecture, belonging to the Quadro Fermi (x000) generation. This generational gap is reflected in several key design parameters.

The manufacturing process differs significantly: the GT 745M uses a 28 nm node from TSMC, while the Quadro 2000D uses a 40 nm node. This has a dramatic impact on transistor density. The GT 745M crams 1,270 million transistors into a 118 mm² die, yielding a density of 10.8 million transistors per square millimeter. The Quadro 2000D has slightly fewer transistors at 1,170 million, but they occupy a much larger 238 mm² die, resulting in a density of just 4.9 million per square millimeter. The Kepler part is therefore more than twice as dense.

The shader configuration also differs. The GT 745M has 384 shading units, 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 raster operation pipelines (ROPs). The Quadro 2000D has exactly half the shading units at 192, but matches the GT 745M with 32 TMUs and 16 ROPs. This means the GT 745M has a higher compute potential per clock, though clock speeds and other factors affect real-world performance.

Memory clocks also diverge. The GT 745M runs its GDDR5 at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), while the Quadro 2000D runs at 650 MHz (2.6 Gbps effective). Combined with the same 128-bit bus width, this yields the bandwidth advantage for the GT 745M noted earlier. Both cards use GDDR5, but the newer Kepler memory controller operates at a higher data rate.

The bus interface differs as well: the GT 745M uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the Quadro 2000D uses PCIe 2.0 x16. This provides the mobile part with double the interconnect bandwidth potential, though actual system-level impact depends on the platform. The Quadro 2000D’s TDP of 62 W is higher than the GT 745M’s 45 W, reflecting its desktop-oriented power envelope.

Where Each One Wins

The data shows a clear split in strengths. The Quadro 2000D wins the only direct benchmark comparison, taking Geekbench OpenCL with a score of 3930 against the GT 745M’s 3580 — an 8.9% margin. This suggests the Fermi architecture, despite its age, retains an edge in OpenCL compute workloads at this performance tier. The Quadro 2000D also has a higher pixel rate (5.000 GPixel/s vs 4.392 GPixel/s) and texture rate (20.00 GTexel/s vs 17.57 GTexel/s), along with higher FP32 throughput (480.0 GFLOPS vs 421.6 GFLOPS). For raw rasterization and compute throughput, the Quadro 2000D is the stronger part.

Conversely, the GeForce GT 745M wins on memory capacity and bandwidth. With 2 GB versus 1 GB of GDDR5, the GT 745M can handle larger working sets without spilling to system memory. Its 64.00 GB/s bandwidth versus 41.60 GB/s gives it a 54% advantage in memory throughput, which can be decisive in bandwidth-bound scenarios. The GT 745M also supports Vulkan 1.2.175, whereas the Quadro 2000D has no Vulkan support, making the Kepler part more versatile for modern cross-platform applications.

The GT 745M also holds advantages in process technology and power efficiency. Its 28 nm node and 45 W TDP contrast with the Quadro 2000D’s 40 nm node and 62 W TDP. The GT 745M achieves comparable average performance (3953 vs 3930) while consuming less power and occupying a smaller die area. For portable or thermally constrained systems, the GT 745M is the more practical choice.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across multiple specification fields. The most obvious distinction is in memory capacity: the GT 745M offers 2 GB, while the Quadro 2000D offers 1024 MB. Memory bandwidth also differs significantly, with the GT 745M at 64.00 GB/s versus 41.60 GB/s for the Quadro 2000D. The memory clock is higher on the GT 745M (1000 MHz vs 650 MHz, or 4 Gbps vs 2.6 Gbps effective).

Shading unit count differs by a factor of two: 384 on the GT 745M versus 192 on the Quadro 2000D. TMU and ROP counts are identical at 32 and 16, respectively. Process node differs (28 nm vs 40 nm), as does die size (118 mm² vs 238 mm²) and transistor density (10.8M vs 4.9M per mm²). Total transistor count is close but not identical: 1,270 million versus 1,170 million.

Pixel rate and texture rate both favor the Quadro 2000D: 5.000 GPixel/s versus 4.392 GPixel/s, and 20.00 GTexel/s versus 17.57 GTexel/s. FP32 performance also favors the Quadro 2000D at 480.0 GFLOPS versus 421.6 GFLOPS. TDP differs, with the GT 745M at 45 W and the Quadro 2000D at 62 W. The Quadro 2000D requires a 250 W suggested PSU and has no power connectors, while the GT 745M has no PSU requirement listed due to its IGP form factor.

Slot width, dimensions, and display outputs all differ. The GT 745M is an IGP with portable-device-dependent outputs; the Quadro 2000D is a single-slot card at 178 mm by 111 mm with 2x DVI. Bus interface also differs: PCIe 3.0 x16 for the GT 745M versus PCIe 2.0 x16 for the Quadro 2000D. API support matches on DirectX and OpenGL but diverges on Vulkan, which the GT 745M supports and the Quadro 2000D does not. Release dates differ by roughly 18 months, with the GT 745M launching in March 2013 and the Quadro 2000D in October 2011.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark data consists of a single test: Geekbench OpenCL. In this test, the Quadro 2000D achieves a score of 3930 against the GT 745M’s 3580, marking a victory for the Quadro 2000D with a delta of -8.9% from the perspective of the GT 745M. This means the Quadro 2000D outperforms the GT 745M by nearly nine percent in OpenCL compute performance.

This result is consistent with the raw throughput numbers. The Quadro 2000D’s higher FP32 rating (480.0 GFLOPS vs 421.6 GFLOPS) gives it a theoretical advantage of about 13.8% in peak compute, and the OpenCL benchmark reflects a portion of that advantage. The Quadro 2000D also has higher pixel and texture rates, suggesting its Fermi architecture is more efficient at executing the fixed-function and compute workloads that OpenCL exercises.

The GT 745M does not win any head-to-head benchmark in the available data. WinsA is 0, while winsB is 1. However, the GT 745M’s average benchmark score across all tests (3953) is actually higher than the Quadro 2000D’s (3930), driven by the GT 745M’s additional benchmarks in Geekbench Metal (2777) and Geekbench Vulkan (5502). These additional scores pull the GT 745M’s average above that of the Quadro 2000D, which only has the OpenCL result recorded.

The deltaPct values in the nearestRivals data confirm the closeness of these two parts. The GT 745M is listed as 0.6% faster than the Quadro 2000D in average score, while the Quadro 2000D is listed as -0.6% relative to the GT 745M. Both sit alongside the AMD Radeon R5 M420 and NVIDIA GeForce 830M within a 0.7% band, indicating that all four GPUs are effectively performance peers in aggregate. The single OpenCL test, however, gives a decisive edge to the Quadro 2000D, making it the better choice for compute-focused applications that rely on OpenCL.