NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M
NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
NVIDIANVIDIA GeForce GT 425M Specifications
GeForce GT 425M GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M 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.
GT 425M Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the GeForce GT 425M'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 GT 425M by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
NVIDIA's GeForce GT 425M Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The GeForce GT 425M'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 GT 425M by NVIDIA Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the GT 425M, 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.
GT 425M Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M 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.
Fermi Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M is built on NVIDIA's Fermi 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 GT 425M will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
NVIDIA's GeForce GT 425M Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M 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 GT 425M to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
GeForce GT 425M by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M 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 GT 425M. 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 GT 425M Product Information
Release and pricing details
The NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M 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 GT 425M by NVIDIA represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
GeForce GT 425M Benchmark Scores
geekbench_openclSource
Geekbench OpenCL tests GPU compute performance using the cross-platform OpenCL API. This shows how NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M handles parallel computing tasks like video encoding and scientific simulations. OpenCL is widely supported across different GPU vendors and platforms.
Top 5 Performers
Top 5 PerformersNearby Performers
Nearby PerformersAbout NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M
The NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M is a legacy mobile graphics processor from the Fermi architecture, positioned at the bottom of the performance spectrum with a benchmark score of 1869 points, placing it in the 10th percentile of all GPUs. This is a part for basic laptop functionality, not for serious gaming or creative workloads. The data indicates that the GT 425M is best suited for users who need a discrete GPU for everyday tasks like video playback, legacy applications, and light multitasking, where the integrated graphics of the era would struggle. At lower resolutions, such as 1366x768, it can handle older or less demanding titles with reduced detail settings, but any expectation of smooth performance at 1080p or with modern game engines will be met with disappointment. This GPU is fundamentally a stopgap solution for a notebook that needed a bit more graphical headroom than the CPU alone could provide, making it suitable for a secondary machine or a retro computing project rather than a primary driver.
Who Should Consider It
Based on the benchmark results, the GeForce GT 425M is only viable for users with extremely modest expectations. The 10th percentile ranking confirms it is among the slowest GPUs in the database, meaning it should be considered exclusively for legacy software and non-gaming tasks. For gaming, the data suggests this is limited to pre-2010 titles at low resolutions and minimum settings; attempting to run anything released after 2012 will likely result in unplayable frame rates. The 215.0 GFLOPS of FP32 compute power is a clear indicator that it lacks the raw throughput for any modern shader-heavy workloads. This is a chip for a productivity laptop where the user needs basic hardware acceleration for video streaming or office suites, not for a gaming rig. If the target is 720p gaming with all settings on low, the GT 425M can manage some older esports titles, but the 4 ROPs will bottleneck fill-rate-heavy effects, so shadow quality and anti-aliasing should be avoided. In short, consider this only if the alternative is no discrete GPU at all, and the workload is strictly casual.
Memory Subsystem
The GT 425M is equipped with 1024 MB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 25.60 GB/s. This configuration is severely constrained by modern standards, and the data shows it is a primary bottleneck. The 25.60 GB/s bandwidth is insufficient for high-resolution textures, and the 1024 MB capacity means that any game using more than 1 GB of VRAM will either fail to load textures or stutter heavily as data swaps to system memory. At 1080p, the memory subsystem will be saturated, causing significant frame drops even in lighter scenes. The 128-bit bus width is narrow, and the memory clock of 800 MHz (1600 Mbps effective) is low, compounding the throughput problem. For the user, this means texture quality must be set to low or medium in any 3D application, and high-resolution display scaling should be avoided. The pixel rate of 2.240 GPixel/s further limits how much data can be written to the framebuffer, making 4K output entirely out of the question. The memory subsystem is adequate for the desktop environment and 2D acceleration, but it is a definitive wall for gaming.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The GT 425M has no dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as these features did not exist in the Fermi architecture. The chip relies on 96 shading units and 16 texture mapping units to handle all graphics calculations, which means ray tracing is not supported in any form. The API support is listed as DirectX 12 (11_0), which is a compatibility feature rather than a performance one; the hardware is technically able to run DirectX 12 applications, but it will be limited to the feature level of DirectX 11.0, missing out on many modern rendering techniques like mesh shaders and variable rate shading. OpenGL 4.6 is supported, which is useful for older professional applications, but Vulkan support is absent, cutting off access to modern cross-platform APIs that could offer better CPU overhead. The texture rate of 8.960 GTexel/s is low, so any game that relies heavily on texture sampling will see reduced performance. In practice, this means the GT 425M is locked out of modern graphics features entirely; any game with mandatory ray tracing or advanced DirectX 12 Ultimate features will not run. The feature set is strictly for the legacy software landscape, where DirectX 9 and OpenGL 3.3-era titles were the norm.
FAQ
Q: What is the benchmark score of the GeForce GT 425M?
A: The GeForce GT 425M scores 1869 points in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, placing it in the 10th percentile of all GPUs.
Q: How does it compare to the ATI Radeon HD 5870?
A: The GT 425M is 1.1% faster than the ATI Radeon HD 5870, which scores 1848 points, making the two effectively identical in performance.
Q: Can it run games with ray tracing?
A: No. The GT 425M lacks any ray tracing cores or tensor cores, and its DirectX 12 support is limited to the 11_0 feature level, so hardware ray tracing is not possible.
Q: What is the maximum memory bandwidth available?
A: The memory bandwidth is 25.60 GB/s, derived from a 128-bit bus and 800 MHz DDR3 memory running at 1600 Mbps effective.
Q: Is this GPU faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M?
A: The GT 425M is 1.2% faster than the GeForce GT 525M, which scores 1846 points, a negligible difference.
Q: What power connector does it require?
A: The GT 425M has a TDP of 23 W and uses no power connectors, as it is an MXM module designed for laptops where power is supplied through the motherboard.
How It Compares
The GeForce GT 425M sits in a tight cluster of similarly performing parts. Against the ATI Radeon HD 5870, the GT 425M is 1.1% faster, with the Radeon scoring 1848 points. This is a statistical tie, meaning that in real-world usage, there is no perceivable difference between the two; both will struggle with the same workloads and succeed at the same tasks. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M is next, trailing by 1.2% with a score of 1846. The GT 425M and GT 525M are essentially the same GPU, likely sharing the same silicon, with minor clock differences accounting for the delta. The NVIDIA Quadro K420 also scores 1846, putting it 1.3% behind the GT 425M. This is a professional workstation card that offers no advantage in gaming but matches the GT 425M in raw compute benchmarks. The only rival that beats the GT 425M is the AMD Radeon HD 6670, which scores 1894 points, making it 1.3% faster. This is a small margin, but it indicates that the Radeon has a slight edge in sustained compute tasks. Overall, the GT 425M is not meaningfully better or worse than any of its direct competitors; it is a mid-pack performer within a very low-performance tier.
Power and Cooling
The GeForce GT 425M has a TDP of 23 W, which is extremely low for a discrete GPU, even by the standards of 2010. This low power draw means that the chip does not require any external power connectors, as it is an MXM module that draws all its power from the laptop's motherboard. The cooling requirements are minimal; a simple heat pipe and small fan are sufficient to keep the chip within operating temperatures. The absence of a suggested PSU in the data is expected, as this is not a desktop component. For a user, this translates to a laptop that runs cool and quiet during normal operation, but the low TDP also explains the lack of performance headroom. The 23 W limit constrains the clock speeds and voltages, ensuring that the chip cannot boost beyond its modest capabilities. The slot width is listed as MXM Module, meaning it is a replaceable component in some laptops, but the cooling solution is proprietary to the laptop chassis. In practice, the GT 425M will not contribute significantly to heat or battery drain, making it a suitable choice for a thin-and-light notebook that needed a discrete GPU for marketing purposes rather than actual performance.
Benchmark Performance
The benchmark performance of the GT 425M is defined by its 1869 score in Geekbench OpenCL, which is a compute-oriented test. This score places the GPU at the 10th percentile of all GPUs, indicating that it is slower than 90% of the hardware in the database. The data shows a very tight race with its nearest rivals. It is 1.1% ahead of the ATI Radeon HD 5870 (1848), 1.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M (1846), and 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro K420 (1846). These deltas are within the margin of error for most workloads, so the GT 425M does not offer a tangible advantage over any of these parts. The only rival it loses to is the AMD Radeon HD 6670, which is 1.3% faster with a score of 1894. In terms of raw numbers, the GT 425M delivers 215.0 GFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is the fundamental metric behind the benchmark score. The 2.240 GPixel/s pixel rate and 8.960 GTexel/s texture rate are correspondingly low, meaning that fill-rate-bound scenarios will expose the GPU's weaknesses more than compute-bound scenarios. The benchmark results indicate that this is a GPU for basic tasks only; any application that heavily utilizes the shader units for more than a few seconds will cause the performance to drop to unplayable levels. The 10th percentile ranking is the key takeaway: this is bottom-tier hardware, and the benchmark score confirms it.
The AMD Equivalent of GeForce GT 425M
Looking for a similar graphics card from AMD? The AMD Radeon RX 480 offers comparable performance and features in the AMD lineup.
Popular NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M Comparisons
See how the GeForce GT 425M stacks up against similar graphics cards from the same generation and competing brands.
Compare GeForce GT 425M with Other GPUs
Select another GPU to compare specifications and benchmarks side-by-side.
Browse GPUs