GeForce GTX 970M vs Maxwell GPU Surface Book 940M GDDR5

When comparing GeForce GTX 970M and Maxwell GPU Surface Book 940M GDDR5, we look primarily at benchmarks and game tests. But it is not only about the numbers. Often you can find third-party models with higher clock speeds, better cooling, or a customizable RGB lighting. Not all of them will have all the features you need. Another thing to consider is the port selection. Most graphics cards have at least one DisplayPort and HDMI interface, but some monitors require DVI. Before you buy, check the TDP of the graphics card - this characteristic will help you estimate the consumption of the graphics card. You may even have to upgrade your PSU to meet its requirements. An important factor when choosing between GeForce GTX 970M and Maxwell GPU Surface Book 940M GDDR5 is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

GeForce GTX 970M and Maxwell GPU Surface Book 940M GDDR5 are Laptop Graphics Cards

Note: GeForce GTX 970M and Maxwell GPU Surface Book 940M GDDR5 are only used in laptop graphics. They have lower GPU clock speed compared to the desktop variant, which results in lower power consumption, but also 10-30% lower gaming performance. Check available laptop models with GeForce GTX 970M or Maxwell GPU Surface Book 940M GDDR5 here:

Main Specs

  GeForce GTX 970M Maxwell GPU Surface Book 940M GDDR5
Interface MXM-B (3.0)
Supplementary power connectors None
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 6 GB 1 GB
Display Connectors No outputs
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  • GeForce GTX 970M has 5 GB more memory, than Maxwell GPU Surface Book 940M GDDR5.
  • Both cards are used in Laptops.
  • GeForce GTX 970M and Maxwell GPU Surface Book 940M GDDR5 are build with Maxwell architecture.
  • Core clock speed of Maxwell GPU Surface Book 940M GDDR5 is 30 MHz higher, than GeForce GTX 970M.
  • GeForce GTX 970M and Maxwell GPU Surface Book 940M GDDR5 are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Maxwell GPU Surface Book 940M GDDR5 is 2512 MHz higher, than GeForce GTX 970M.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 35−40 9−10
ultra / 1080p 21−24 5−6
QHD / 1440p 16−18 0−1
4K / 2160p 10−11
low / 720p 60−65 21−24
medium / 1080p 40−45 12−14
The average gaming FPS of GeForce GTX 970M in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 241% more, than Maxwell GPU Surface Book 940M GDDR5.

Full Specs

  GeForce GTX 970M Maxwell GPU Surface Book 940M GDDR5
Architecture Maxwell Maxwell
Code name GM204 Surface Book
Type Laptop Laptop
Release date 7 October 2014 1 October 2015
Pipelines 1280 384
Core clock speed 924 MHz 954 MHz
Boost Clock 1038 MHz 993 MHz
Transistor count 5,200 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 83.04
Floating-point performance 2,657 gflops
Memory bus width 192 Bit 64 Bit
Memory clock speed 2500 MHz 5012 MHz
Memory bandwidth 120 GB/s
Shared memory - -
G-SYNC support +
DirectX 12 (12_1) DirectX 12 (FL 11_0), Shader 5.0
Shader Model 6.4
OpenGL 4.5
OpenCL 1.1
Vulkan 1.1.126
CUDA + +
CUDA cores 1280
Bus support PCI Express 3.0
SLI options +
HDMI +
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 314 Mh/s
Laptop size large
DisplayPort Multimode (DP++) support +
H.264, VC1, MPEG2 1080p video decoder +
Optimus + +
GameStream +
GeForce ShadowPlay +
GPU Boost 2.0
GameWorks +
BatteryBoost +
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