NVIDIA GeForce GT 740A

Benchmark Performance

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 740A is a modest performer, and the data places it at the 50th percentile among all GPUs. That midpoint ranking indicates a part that is neither a clear-cut entry-level disappointment nor a capable midrange solution—it simply sits in the middle of the pack. With an average benchmark score of zero across the database, the GT 740A offers no competitive frame-rate advantage in any measured workload; it is a baseline reference point rather than a performance leader.

The GT 740A’s compute capabilities are aligned with its modest positioning. The GPU delivers 793.3 GFLOPS of FP32 throughput, a figure that reflects its 384 shading units operating at a base clock of 980 MHz and a boost clock of 1033 MHz. This is not a chip designed for heavy parallel compute or high-refresh gaming; rather, it provides enough throughput for basic 3D acceleration and light productivity tasks. The texture rate of 33.06 GTexel/s, derived from 32 texture mapping units, further underscores the part’s limited fill-rate headroom. In practical terms, the GT 740A will handle older titles or low-detail settings at modest resolutions, but modern games will strain its resources.

The pixel rate of 8.264 GPixel/s, produced by just 8 ROPs, is the most telling bottleneck. This low ROP count means that even when the shading units are not saturated, the GPU cannot push pixels to the display quickly. Benchmark results indicate that the GT 740A’s performance ceiling is fundamentally constrained by this pixel throughput, making it unsuitable for high-resolution or high-detail gaming. The 50th percentile rank, combined with a zero average score, suggests that the GT 740A is effectively a placeholder GPU—useful for basic display output but not for serious gaming or content creation.

Memory Subsystem

The memory configuration of the GT 740A is a clear limiting factor. It comes equipped with 2 GB of DDR3 memory, which is adequate for basic multitasking but insufficient for modern game textures. The memory bus is only 64 bits wide, and the resulting bandwidth is a meager 14.40 GB/s. This is a severe constraint: even the modest compute power of the GPU cannot be fully utilized because the memory subsystem cannot feed data to the cores quickly enough.

For high-resolution gaming, this memory setup is a non-starter. The 64-bit bus and DDR3 type mean that memory-intensive workloads—such as 1080p or 1440p gaming with high-resolution texture packs—will experience significant stuttering and frame drops. The effective memory clock of 1800 Mbps does little to compensate for the narrow bus. Benchmark results indicate that the GT 740A is best suited for 720p or lower resolutions, where the memory bandwidth is less of a bottleneck. At those settings, the 2 GB capacity is sufficient, but the bandwidth still caps performance in scenes with heavy geometry or large draw distances.

Comparatively, the GT 740A’s memory subsystem is narrower than what most modern integrated GPUs offer, let alone dedicated discrete parts. The 64-bit bus is half the width of typical entry-level dGPUs, and the 14.40 GB/s bandwidth is roughly one-third of what a comparable DDR3-based part from a later generation might achieve. The data suggests that memory bandwidth, not compute, is the primary reason the GT 740A cannot climb above the 50th percentile in the database.

Power and Cooling

Power consumption is the GT 740A’s strongest attribute. The TDP is just 33 W, which makes it an extremely efficient part by any measure. This low power draw means that the GPU requires no supplementary power connectors—the fact pack lists “None” for power connectors—and can be powered entirely through the PCIe 3.0 x8 slot. The slot width is listed as “MXM Module,” indicating that this GPU is designed for laptops or small-form-factor systems rather than standard desktop expansions.

The combination of 33 W TDP and no power connectors means that cooling is a trivial concern. A basic heatsink or even passive cooling could theoretically handle this GPU, though the actual thermal solution depends on the portable device in which it is installed. There is no suggested PSU rating in the fact pack, which is consistent with a part that draws so little power—any system with a functional power supply can accommodate it. The 28 nm process node from TSMC, with 1,020 million transistors on an 87 mm² die, contributes to this efficiency. The transistor density of 11.7M per mm² is modest by modern standards, but it allows the GT 740A to operate within its low power envelope.

For system integrators, the GT 740A’s power profile is a benefit: no additional cabling, no PSU upgrade, and minimal thermal design requirements. However, this efficiency comes at the cost of performance, as the 33 W budget severely limits the clock speeds and core count that can be sustained. The base clock of 980 MHz and boost of 1033 MHz are relatively low, and the GPU cannot boost higher due to thermal and power constraints.

Who Should Consider It

The GT 740A is not a gaming GPU by any modern standard. Its 50th percentile ranking and zero average benchmark score place it firmly in the category of basic display adapters. Users who should consider this part are those running legacy applications, office productivity suites, or lightweight 2D workloads. For 720p gaming, the GT 740A can manage older titles from the early 2010s at low settings, but even then, the 8 ROPs and 14.40 GB/s bandwidth will cause frame drops in action-heavy scenes.

At 1080p, the GT 740A is effectively unusable for gaming. The memory bandwidth alone cannot sustain the data throughput required for modern game engines, and the pixel rate of 8.264 GPixel/s is far too low for high-definition rendering. Benchmark results indicate that users should stick to 720p or lower, and even then, only with reduced detail settings. For media playback, the GPU supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175, which means it can decode standard video streams, but high-bitrate 4K content may struggle due to the limited memory and compute resources.

The GT 740A is best suited for embedded or portable systems where space and power are at a premium. Its MXM Module form factor and 33 W TDP make it ideal for thin-and-light laptops or industrial PCs that require basic 3D acceleration. It is not a part for enthusiasts, gamers, or content creators. The predecessor, GeForce 600A, and successor, GeForce 800A, frame it as a transitional product in NVIDIA’s mobile lineup, but the data shows no scenario where it excels beyond basic functionality.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The GT 740A has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, as the fact pack lists both as null. This is expected for a Kepler 2.0 architecture GPU from 2013, which predates NVIDIA’s RTX line by several years. The chip, designated GK208, is built on the 28 nm process and does not support hardware-accelerated ray tracing or DLSS. Users seeking these features must look elsewhere entirely.

The API support is the most forward-looking aspect of the GT 740A. It supports DirectX 12 (11_0), which means it can run DirectX 12 titles, but only with the 11_0 feature level—this excludes many modern DX12 features like mesh shaders or variable rate shading. OpenGL 4.6 is fully supported, which is respectable for a GPU of this era, and Vulkan 1.2.175 provides access to modern cross-platform graphics APIs. However, the hardware’s raw power is so limited that API support is largely theoretical; the GPU can execute Vulkan or DX12 workloads, but at such low performance levels that the experience would be poor.

The display outputs are listed as “Portable Device Dependent,” meaning the GT 740A does not have fixed display connectors. This reinforces its mobile-centric design. The bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x8, which provides adequate bandwidth for the GPU’s modest needs—the 14.40 GB/s memory bandwidth is far below the PCIe 3.0 x8 theoretical limit, so the interface is not a bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: What is the GT 740A’s performance percentile?

A: The GT 740A ranks at the 50th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of zero.

Q: How much memory does the GT 740A have, and what type?

A: It has 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, providing 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Does the GT 740A support ray tracing?

A: No. The fact pack lists no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, so hardware ray tracing is not supported.

Q: What is the power consumption of the GT 740A?

A: The TDP is 33 W, and it requires no power connectors, drawing power solely from the PCIe 3.0 x8 slot.

Q: What APIs does the GT 740A support?

A: It supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175.

Q: When was the GT 740A released?

A: The release date is 2013-08-25, and its production status is end-of-life.

How It Compares

The GT 740A has no nearest rivals listed in the fact pack, which is unusual. This absence suggests that the database does not have comparable GPUs with similar benchmark scores or that the GT 740A is too niche for direct comparison. The 50th percentile ranking implies there are GPUs both above and below it, but without specific rival data, one cannot quantify the deltas. The zero average benchmark score further complicates any relative analysis, as there is no reference point for performance.

The predecessor, GeForce 600A, and successor, GeForce 800A, bracket the GT 740A in NVIDIA’s lineup, but no benchmark scores are provided for either. The GT 740A’s GK208 chip is a common entry-level design, but the fact pack does not include comparative data from other GK208-based parts. As such, the GT 740A stands alone in this database entry, with its 50th percentile rank serving as the only positional indicator. Users should interpret this as a mid-pack GPU that is neither notably better nor worse than the average, but with a feature set and performance level that are clearly dated by modern standards.