NVIDIA GeForce GTX 775M Mac Edition

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 775M Mac Edition is a mobile graphics solution from the Kepler generation, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It utilizes the GK104 chip, which contains 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 12.0M / mm². The card was released on November 7, 2013, and is now classified as end-of-life, with the GeForce 800M serving as its successor in the product stack.

Benchmark Performance

The GTX 775M Mac Edition holds a percentile rank of 50 among all GPUs, placing it exactly at the median of the performance distribution. This positioning indicates that it delivers balanced mid-range capability, outperforming roughly half of the hardware population while trailing the other half. The benchmark data shows no specific rival scores or deltas are available for direct comparison, so the analysis relies on the card's absolute specifications and architectural characteristics to interpret its standing.

The card's computational throughput is anchored by 1,344 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 32 raster operations pipelines. These resources produce a pixel rate of 22.32 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 89.26 GTexel/s. In floating-point operations, the GTX 775M achieves 2.142 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. This level of compute power suggests that the card can handle contemporary titles at moderate settings, though it will struggle with the most demanding modern workloads that require higher arithmetic intensity. The lack of dedicated RT or tensor cores indicates that ray tracing and AI-accelerated features are not supported, limiting its relevance for cutting-edge graphical effects.

Clock speeds are fixed at 797 MHz for both base and boost, with no dynamic range between the two states. This uniformity means the card operates at a consistent frequency under load, providing predictable performance without thermal or power-based throttling variations. The memory clock runs at 1250 MHz, translating to 5 Gbps effective data rate. When combined with the 256-bit bus, this yields a bandwidth of 160.0 GB/s, which is adequate for the card's compute capabilities but not exceptional by modern standards.

Who Should Consider It

Given its median percentile ranking, the GTX 775M Mac Edition is best suited for users engaging in 1080p gaming at medium to high detail settings. The 2.142 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 160.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth provide enough headroom for esports titles and older AAA games, where frame rates can remain playable without requiring aggressive graphical compromises. For resolution-sensitive workloads, the card is not recommended for 1440p or 4K gaming, as the shading units and memory bandwidth would become bottlenecks, leading to sub-30 FPS experiences in most modern releases.

The 32 ROPs and 22.32 GPixel/s pixel fill rate are sufficient for rasterization at 1080p, but they limit the card's ability to handle high-resolution textures and post-processing effects simultaneously. Users who prioritize texture quality over resolution may find the 2 GB VRAM adequate for most games at 1080p, though titles with ultra-high-resolution texture packs will quickly exhaust the frame buffer. The card's API support includes DirectX 12 (feature level 11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175, which ensures compatibility with a broad range of current software, though the feature level 11_0 in DirectX 12 means some newer DX12 features are unavailable.

For users with portable systems that require a discrete GPU without external power connectors, the GTX 775M Mac Edition fits a specific niche. Its MXM-B (3.0) bus interface and MXM Module slot width make it a replacement option for compatible laptops, though the "Portable Device Dependent" display outputs mean connectivity varies by chassis. This card is not intended for desktop builders or enthusiasts seeking high-refresh-rate gaming; it targets the mobile market where power and thermal constraints are paramount.

Memory Subsystem

The GTX 775M Mac Edition is equipped with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, organized across a 256-bit bus. This configuration yields a peak bandwidth of 160.0 GB/s, which is the primary determinant of performance at higher resolutions and texture settings. The 256-bit bus width is notably generous for a mobile part of this era, providing a balanced ratio of bandwidth to compute throughput that prevents the shading units from stalling on memory fetches.

In practical terms, 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth supports 1080p gaming with high-detail textures, but it becomes a limiting factor at 1440p where memory bandwidth demands increase significantly. The 2 GB capacity is the more pressing concern for modern titles, as many games exceed this allocation with high-resolution assets, causing texture pop-in or reduced detail levels. The memory operates at 1250 MHz, which is a conservative clock speed that prioritizes stability over peak performance, aligning with the card's fixed 797 MHz core clock.

The memory subsystem's efficiency is further influenced by the 32 ROPs, which handle write operations and pixel blending. With a pixel rate of 22.32 GPixel/s, the card can fill a 1080p frame in approximately 60 microseconds, leaving ample time for geometry and shading work. However, the absence of memory compression technologies that are present in newer architectures means the effective bandwidth is closer to the theoretical maximum, making the 160.0 GB/s figure a realistic ceiling rather than a marketing number.

Power and Cooling

The GTX 775M Mac Edition has a thermal design power (TDP) of 100 W, which is modest for a GPU with 1,344 shading units. This power envelope allows the card to be cooled by a capable air cooler without excessive noise or heat generation, making it suitable for slim laptop chassis. The card requires no external power connectors, as it draws all power from the MXM slot, which is typical for mobile modules designed for straightforward integration.

The 100 W TDP, when combined with the 28 nm manufacturing process, results in a power efficiency of approximately 21.4 GFLOPS per watt, based on the 2.142 TFLOPS FP32 figure. This efficiency is respectable for the era but falls short of newer architectures that achieve higher performance per watt. The lack of a suggested PSU rating in the specifications indicates that the card is intended for systems with pre-designed power delivery, and users should rely on the laptop's internal power supply rather than an external unit.

Thermal management is critical for sustained performance, and the fixed 797 MHz boost clock means there is no headroom for dynamic overclocking under cooler conditions. This design choice simplifies thermal validation but also means the card cannot adapt to improved cooling solutions. The MXM form factor, with its standardized dimensions, allows for aftermarket cooling upgrades in compatible systems, though the 100 W TDP is well within the capabilities of most stock coolers.

How It Compares

The GTX 775M Mac Edition occupies a unique position as a Mac-specific variant of the GeForce 700M series, with the GK104 chip distinguishing it from lower-tier mobile parts. Its percentile rank of 50 places it squarely in the middle of the GPU landscape, but without nearest rival data, comparisons must be inferred from its architectural specifications. The 28 nm Kepler design is a mature architecture, and the 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die represent a high transistor density for the time, which translates to robust compute capability.

Against its predecessor, the GeForce 600M series, the GTX 775M offers clear generational improvements in both raw compute and memory bandwidth, though the exact percentage deltas are not available in the data. The successor, GeForce 800M, likely builds on the Kepler foundation with refinements, but the end-of-life status of the 775M suggests it was superseded by more efficient designs. The card's DirectX 12 (11_0) support is a notable advantage over older Kepler parts that may lack DX12 entirely, though the feature level limitation means it cannot access the full DX12 feature set.

The absence of launch MSRP data and benchmark scores means the GTX 775M Mac Edition cannot be evaluated on a price-to-performance basis, and the nearestRivals array is empty, indicating no direct competitors were identified in the dataset. This isolation is typical for niche mobile parts that serve specific OEM contracts, such as Apple's MacBook Pro lineup, where the GPU is soldered or module-based rather than user-upgradeable. The card's 50th percentile standing suggests it was a competent mid-range option in its heyday, but the lack of modern features like RT cores and the fixed 2 GB VRAM capacity make it unsuitable for contemporary high-end gaming.