GeForce 940MX vs Radeon HD 7870M

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 940MX vs Radeon HD 7870M 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 940MX vs Radeon HD 7870M: 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 940MX

2016

Why buy it

✅22.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 15.1 vs 0 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 23W instead of 45W, a 22W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2016 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon HD 7870M

2012

Why buy it

✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 940MX across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 15.1 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
❌95.7% higher power demand at 45W vs 23W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce 940MX is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 22.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.1% in PassMark G3D (1,509 vs 1,507), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 940MX is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2016 generation instead of 2012. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce 940MX makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce 940MX vs Radeon HD 7870M Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 940MX

The GeForce 940MX is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 28 2016. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 795 MHz to 861 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 23W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,509 points.

Radeon HD 7870M

The Radeon HD 7870M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,507 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 940MX scores 1,509 and the Radeon HD 7870M reaches 1,507 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 940MX is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 7870M uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 512 (GeForce 940MX) vs 640 (Radeon HD 7870M). Raw compute: 0.8817 TFLOPS (GeForce 940MX) vs 1.024 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870M).

Feature	GeForce 940MX	Radeon HD 7870M
G3D Mark Score	1,509	1,507
Architecture	Maxwell	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	512	640+25%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.8817 TFLOPS	1.024 TFLOPS+16%
ROPs	8	16+100%
TMUs	32	40+25%
L1 Cache	256 KB+60%	160 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 940MX gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7870M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 940MX	Radeon HD 7870M
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 940MX has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7870M carries 2 GB. Radeon HD 7870M gives you 300% 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 940MX and System on the Radeon HD 7870M. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 940MX) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 7870M) — the GeForce 940MX has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 940MX	Radeon HD 7870M
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	2 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	System
Bus Width	128-bit	System
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 940MX draws 23W versus the Radeon HD 7870M's 45W — a 64.7% difference. The GeForce 940MX is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 940MX) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7870M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce 940MX	Radeon HD 7870M
TDP	23W-49%	45W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Length	0mm	—
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	65.6+96%	33.5

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce 940MX (2016 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce 940MX	Radeon HD 7870M
MSRP	$100	—
Codename	GM107	Heathrow
Release	June 28 2016	April 24 2012
Ranking	#764	#765

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