NVIDIA GeForce 945A
NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
NVIDIANVIDIA GeForce 945A Specifications
GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The NVIDIA GeForce 945A GPU core specifications define its raw processing power for graphics and compute workloads. Shading units (also called CUDA cores, stream processors, or execution units depending on manufacturer) handle the parallel calculations required for rendering. TMUs (Texture Mapping Units) process texture data, while ROPs (Render Output Units) handle final pixel output. Higher shader counts generally translate to better GPU benchmark performance, especially in demanding games and 3D applications.
945A Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the GeForce 945A's performance in GPU benchmarks and real-world gaming. The base clock represents the minimum guaranteed frequency, while the boost clock indicates peak performance under optimal thermal conditions. Memory clock speed affects texture loading and frame buffer operations. The GeForce 945A by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
NVIDIA's GeForce 945A Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The GeForce 945A's memory capacity determines how well it handles high-resolution textures and multiple displays. Memory bandwidth, measured in GB/s, affects how quickly data moves between the GPU and VRAM. Higher bandwidth improves performance in memory-intensive scenarios like 4K gaming. The memory bus width and type (GDDR6, GDDR6X, HBM) significantly influence overall GPU benchmark scores.
GeForce 945A by NVIDIA Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the 945A, reducing the need to fetch data from slower VRAM. L1 and L2 caches store frequently accessed data close to the compute units. AMD's Infinity Cache (L3) dramatically increases effective bandwidth, improving GPU benchmark performance without requiring wider memory buses. Larger cache sizes help maintain high frame rates in memory-bound scenarios and reduce power consumption by minimizing VRAM accesses.
945A Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA GeForce 945A against other graphics cards. FP32 (single-precision) performance, measured in TFLOPS, indicates compute capability for gaming and general GPU workloads. FP64 (double-precision) matters for scientific computing. Pixel and texture fill rates determine how quickly the GPU can render complex scenes. While real-world GPU benchmark results depend on many factors, these specifications help predict relative performance levels.
Maxwell Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The NVIDIA GeForce 945A is built on NVIDIA's Maxwell architecture, which defines how the GPU processes graphics and compute workloads. The manufacturing process node affects power efficiency, thermal characteristics, and maximum clock speeds. Smaller process nodes pack more transistors into the same die area, enabling higher performance per watt. Understanding the architecture helps predict how the 945A will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the NVIDIA GeForce 945A determine PSU requirements and thermal management needs. TDP (Thermal Design Power) indicates the heat output under typical loads, guiding cooler selection. Power connector requirements ensure adequate power delivery for stable operation during demanding GPU benchmarks. The suggested PSU wattage accounts for the entire system, not just the graphics card. Efficient power delivery enables the GeForce 945A to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
GeForce 945A by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA GeForce 945A are critical for case compatibility. Card length, height, and slot width determine whether it fits in your chassis. The PCIe interface version affects bandwidth for communication with the CPU. Display outputs define monitor connectivity options, with modern cards supporting multiple high-resolution displays simultaneously. Verify these specifications against your case and motherboard before purchasing to ensure a proper fit.
NVIDIA API Support
Graphics and compute APIs
API support determines which games and applications can fully utilize the NVIDIA GeForce 945A. DirectX 12 Ultimate enables advanced features like ray tracing and variable rate shading. Vulkan provides cross-platform graphics capabilities with low-level hardware access. OpenGL remains important for professional applications and older games. CUDA (NVIDIA) and OpenCL enable GPU compute for video editing, 3D rendering, and scientific applications. Higher API versions unlock newer graphical features in GPU benchmarks and games.
GeForce 945A Product Information
Release and pricing details
The NVIDIA GeForce 945A is manufactured by NVIDIA as part of their graphics card lineup. Release date and launch pricing provide context for comparing GPU benchmark results with competing products from the same era. Understanding the product lifecycle helps evaluate whether the GeForce 945A by NVIDIA represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
About NVIDIA GeForce 945A
How It Compares
The NVIDIA GeForce 945A occupies a peculiar spot in the GeForce 900A generation. Its benchmark data shows no direct rivals listed within the nearestRivals field, meaning the comparative analysis must rely on architectural positioning rather than head-to-head scores. The GPU sits at the 50th percentile against all GPUs in the database, placing it squarely in the mid-pack — neither a performance outlier nor a laggard. This percentile rank suggests a card that delivers predictable, modest results without challenging higher-tier parts.
The GM108 chip, built on TSMC's 28 nm process, represents the entry point of the Maxwell architecture within the 900A family. With 1,020 million transistors packed into a 77 mm² die, the transistor density of 13.2M per mm² reflects the efficiency-focused design philosophy of this generation. The card's predecessor, the GeForce 800A, set a baseline that the 945A improves upon through architectural refinements rather than dramatic specification leaps. Without nearestRivals data, the interpretation must center on what the silicon itself offers: a compact, low-power part with balanced compute capabilities.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The GeForce 945A does not include dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores — these fields are null in the specification data. This absence is consistent with its Maxwell architecture, which predates the RTX line's hardware-accelerated ray tracing capabilities. The card's rendering approach relies entirely on traditional rasterization techniques, with shading units handling all visual calculations.
API support tells a more nuanced story. The card lists DirectX 12 (11_0), meaning it supports the DirectX 12 feature level 11_0 rather than the full DirectX 12 Ultimate feature set. This distinction matters for modern game compatibility — titles requiring higher feature levels may not run optimally. OpenGL 4.6 support is current, while Vulkan 1.4 indicates reasonable forward compatibility with modern engines that leverage this low-overhead API. The feature set is adequate for its era, but the lack of RT and tensor cores limits its appeal for contemporary workloads that increasingly depend on these accelerators.
Benchmark Performance
The benchmark data for the GeForce 945A is sparse — the avgBenchmarkScore field reads 0, and the benchmarks array is empty. This absence of quantitative results makes direct performance comparisons impossible from the fact pack alone. The percentileVsAllGpus value of 50 provides the only positional reference, indicating the card performs at the median level across all GPUs tracked in the database.
Interpreting this percentile requires context. A 50th percentile ranking means half of all GPUs in the database perform better, and half perform worse. For a card with 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output units, this mid-pack placement aligns with its hardware configuration. The FP32 compute throughput of 913.2 GFLOPS supports this positioning — it is a capable entry-level compute device but far from high-end territory. The pixel rate of 9.512 GPixel/s and texture rate of 28.54 GTexel/s indicate the card can handle 1080p gaming at moderate settings, though demanding titles will strain its capabilities.
Without nearestRivals data, the analysis must rely on the architectural context. The Maxwell architecture's efficiency advantage over older Kepler parts is well documented, and the 945A benefits from these improvements in instruction scheduling and power management. The card's performance profile suggests it was designed for lightweight gaming and multimedia tasks rather than competitive esports at high refresh rates.
Power and Cooling
The GeForce 945A's thermal design power is remarkably low at 33 W. This figure places it among the most power-efficient GPUs in the database, requiring minimal cooling infrastructure. The card ships as an MXM Module, a form factor designed for laptops and compact systems rather than desktop towers. This slots into proprietary mobile platforms, and the cooling solution is entirely dependent on the host device's thermal design.
The power connector field reads "None," meaning the card draws all its power from the MXM slot itself — no auxiliary PCIe power cables are required. This simplifies installation in compatible systems and reduces cabling complexity. The suggested PSU field is null, but given the 33 W TDP, any system with a functioning power supply can accommodate this card's demands. The 28 nm manufacturing process contributes to this efficiency, as does the modest chip size of 77 mm².
The low power draw has practical implications. Systems with small power supplies or limited thermal headroom can run this card without modification. The absence of power connectors also means no adapter cables are needed, which is beneficial for space-constrained mobile chassis. However, the MXM form factor limits upgrade paths — the card is only compatible with systems designed for this specific module standard.
FAQ
Q: Does the GeForce 945A support hardware ray tracing?
A: No. The specification data lists no ray tracing cores, and the Maxwell architecture does not include this hardware. Ray tracing workloads would be handled through software fallbacks, which are computationally expensive.
Q: What is the memory configuration of this card?
A: The card features 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 64-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 40.10 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 1253 MHz, with an effective data rate of 5 Gbps.
Q: Is this card suitable for modern games?
A: The DirectX 12 (11_0) support and OpenGL 4.6 compatibility allow it to run many games, but the 1 GB VRAM capacity and mid-range compute performance will limit settings and resolutions. The 50th percentile ranking suggests it can handle older or less demanding titles at 1080p with reduced quality settings.
Q: What power supply is required for this card?
A: The card has a 33 W TDP and requires no power connectors, drawing all power from the MXM slot. Any functioning system power supply can support it, though the MXM form factor means it is not a standard desktop component.
Q: What is the production status of this GPU?
A: The card is marked as end-of-life. Its release date is March 12, 2015, and it has been discontinued. The predecessor is the GeForce 800A, with no successor listed in the data.
Q: Does the card support modern graphics APIs?
A: Yes, within limits. It supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The DirectX 12 support is at feature level 11_0, which is not the full DirectX 12 feature set but does provide compatibility with most games.
Who Should Consider It
The GeForce 945A's performance profile, anchored by its 50th percentile ranking and 913.2 GFLOPS FP32 throughput, targets a specific user: those running lightweight applications at 1080p with modest settings. The 8 ROPs and 24 TMUs handle pixel and texture processing at rates sufficient for casual gaming and media consumption, but the card will struggle with high-resolution textures or demanding post-processing effects.
Users playing esports titles like older first-person shooters or MOBAs at 1080p with low-to-medium settings will find the card adequate. The 40.10 GB/s memory bandwidth is sufficient for these workloads, though it becomes a bottleneck in games that stream large texture assets. At 1440p or higher, the 1 GB VRAM capacity will quickly exhaust, causing texture pop-in or reduced detail levels.
The card's primary strength lies in its efficiency. The 33 W TDP makes it ideal for thin-and-light laptops where thermal constraints are severe. Users who prioritize battery life and quiet operation over raw performance will appreciate the balance this card offers. For those seeking higher frame rates or resolution scaling, the data suggests looking toward more powerful GPUs in the database, as the 945A's mid-pack position limits its headroom.
Memory Subsystem
The memory configuration of the GeForce 945A is both modest and telling. The 1024 MB GDDR5 VRAM, paired with a 64-bit bus width, produces a bandwidth of 40.10 GB/s. This is a deliberately constrained design — the narrow bus limits memory throughput, which in turn caps the card's ability to handle large textures and high-resolution framebuffers.
The memory clock runs at 1253 MHz, with the effective data rate of 5 Gbps achieved through double data rate transfer. The 64-bit bus width is the critical limitation here, as it halves the data path compared to mainstream desktop cards of the same era. This design choice prioritizes power efficiency over bandwidth, aligning with the card's low 33 W TDP and mobile-oriented MXM form factor.
For high-resolution workloads, the memory subsystem presents a clear bottleneck. The 40.10 GB/s bandwidth means that at 1440p or 4K, the card will struggle to feed its 384 shading units with sufficient texture data. The 1 GB capacity further compounds this issue, as modern games at high resolutions often require 2 GB or more for optimal texture streaming. The effective result is a card that performs best at 1080p with reduced texture quality settings, where the memory bandwidth and capacity are sufficient for the workload. The pixel rate of 9.512 GPixel/s and texture rate of 28.54 GTexel/s provide additional context — these figures indicate the card's rendering throughput is balanced with its memory capabilities, creating a cohesive but limited overall package.
Detailed benchmark scores and charts for the NVIDIA GeForce 945A are below.
Benchmark Scores
No benchmark data available for this GPU.
Compare with Other GPUs
Select another GPU to compare specifications and benchmarks side-by-side.
Browse GPUs