GeForce 945A vs GeForce GTX 580M

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 945A vs GeForce GTX 580M 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 945A vs GeForce GTX 580M: 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 945A

2015

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 18.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 33W instead of 100W, a 67W reduction.
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 580M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce GTX 580M

2011

Why buy it

✅56.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2011 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 18.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
❌203% higher power demand at 100W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 580M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 56.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.4% in PassMark G3D (1,878 vs 1,852), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 945A is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2011. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce 945A makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. GeForce GTX 580M still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce 945A vs GeForce GTX 580M Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 945A

The GeForce 945A is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1006 MHz to 1189 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,852 points.

GeForce GTX 580M

The GeForce GTX 580M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 28 2011. It features the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 620 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,878 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 945A scores 1,852 and the GeForce GTX 580M reaches 1,878 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 945A is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GTX 580M uses Fermi 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 945A) vs 384 (GeForce GTX 580M). Raw compute: 0.9132 TFLOPS (GeForce 945A) vs 0.9523 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 580M).

Feature	GeForce 945A	GeForce GTX 580M
G3D Mark Score	1,852	1,878+1%
Architecture	Maxwell	Fermi 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	384	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.9132 TFLOPS	0.9523 TFLOPS+4%
ROPs	8	32+300%
TMUs	24	64+167%
L1 Cache	192 KB	512 KB+167%
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce 945A	GeForce GTX 580M
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 945A has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 580M carries 2 GB. GeForce GTX 580M 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 945A and 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 580M. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 945A) vs 0.5 MB (GeForce GTX 580M) — the GeForce 945A has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 945A	GeForce GTX 580M
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	2 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	96 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce 945A) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 580M). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.0. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 945A	GeForce GTX 580M
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 (11_0)
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6+15%	4.0
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 4th Gen NVENC (Maxwell) (GeForce 945A) vs PureVideo HD VP4 (GeForce GTX 580M). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs PureVideo HD VP4. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC (GeForce 945A) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GTX 580M).

Feature	GeForce 945A	GeForce GTX 580M
Encoder	4th Gen NVENC (Maxwell)	PureVideo HD VP4
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	PureVideo HD VP4
Codecs	H.264,HEVC	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 945A draws 33W versus the GeForce GTX 580M's 100W — a 100.8% difference. The GeForce 945A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 945A) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 580M). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 95°C.

Feature	GeForce 945A	GeForce GTX 580M
TDP	33W-67%	100W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	80°C-16%	95°C
Perf/Watt	56.1+198%	18.8

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce 945A (2015 vs 2011).

Feature	GeForce 945A	GeForce GTX 580M
MSRP	$100	—
Codename	GM108	GF114
Release	March 13 2015	June 28 2011
Ranking	#705	#700

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