GeForce 800M vs GeForce GT 540M

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce 800M vs GeForce GT 540M FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce 800M vs GeForce GT 540M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce 800M

2014

Why buy it

✅44.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Draws 33W instead of 50W, a 17W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce GT 540M

2013

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 800M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2013 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌51.5% higher power demand at 50W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce 800M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 44.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.6% in PassMark G3D (477 vs 474), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce 800M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2014 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce 800M makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce 800M vs GeForce GT 540M Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

GeForce 800M

The GeForce 800M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 12 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1029 MHz to 1124 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 477 points.

GeForce GT 540M

The GeForce GT 540M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 9 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 941 MHz to 967 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 474 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 800M scores 477 and the GeForce GT 540M reaches 474 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 800M is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GT 540M uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 800M) vs 384 (GeForce GT 540M). Raw compute: 0.8632 TFLOPS (GeForce 800M) vs 0.7427 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 540M). Boost clocks: 1124 MHz vs 967 MHz.

Feature	GeForce 800M	GeForce GT 540M
G3D Mark Score	477	474
Architecture	Maxwell	Kepler
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.8632 TFLOPS+16%	0.7427 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1124 MHz+16%	967 MHz
ROPs	8	16+100%
TMUs	16	32+100%
L1 Cache	192 KB+500%	32 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce 800M	GeForce GT 540M
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 800M has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GT 540M carries 1 GB. GeForce GT 540M gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 800M and 128-bit on the GeForce GT 540M. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 800M) vs 0.25 MB (GeForce GT 540M) — the GeForce 800M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 800M	GeForce GT 540M
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	1 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (GeForce 800M) vs 11.0 (GeForce GT 540M). Vulkan: None vs None. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.0. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 1.

Feature	GeForce 800M	GeForce GT 540M
DirectX	11.0	11.0
Vulkan	None	None
OpenGL	4.5+13%	4.0
Max Displays	1	1

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 800M) vs No (GeForce GT 540M). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP5 vs PureVideo HD VP4. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 (GeForce 800M) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 540M).

Feature	GeForce 800M	GeForce GT 540M
Encoder	No	No
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP5	PureVideo HD VP4
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 800M draws 33W versus the GeForce GT 540M's 50W — a 41% difference. The GeForce 800M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 800M) vs 350W (GeForce GT 540M). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 85°C.