GeForce GT 320 vs GeForce GT 540M

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 320

2017Core: 1228 MHzBoost: 1468 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GT 540M

2013Core: 941 MHzBoost: 967 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GT 320 vs GeForce GT 540M Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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 GT 320 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 GT 320 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 GT 320

2017

Why buy it

  • 42.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($79 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Draws 30W instead of 50W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2017 hardware with 1 GB 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

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GT 320 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.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 5.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $79 MSRP).
  • 66.7% higher power demand at 50W vs 30W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GT 320 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 42.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GT 540M instead at 474 vs 470, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GT 320 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 14nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2017 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GT 320 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GT 320 vs GeForce GT 540M Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 320

The GeForce GT 320 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 17 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1228 MHz to 1468 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 470 points. Launch price was $79.

NVIDIA

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.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 320 scores 470 and the GeForce GT 540M reaches 474 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 320 is built on Pascal while the GeForce GT 540M uses Kepler, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 320) vs 384 (GeForce GT 540M). Raw compute: 1.127 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 320) vs 0.7427 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 540M). Boost clocks: 1468 MHz vs 967 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GT 320GeForce GT 540M
G3D Mark Score
470
474
Architecture
Pascal
Kepler
Process Node
14 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
384
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.127 TFLOPS+52%
0.7427 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1468 MHz+52%
967 MHz
ROPs
16
16
TMUs
24
32+33%
L1 Cache
144 KB+350%
32 KB
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce GT 320GeForce GT 540M
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 1 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce GT 320 and 128-bit on the GeForce GT 540M. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GeForce GT 320) vs 256 KB (GeForce GT 540M) — the GeForce GT 320 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GT 320GeForce GT 540M
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
1 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (GeForce GT 320) vs 11.0 (GeForce GT 540M). Vulkan: N/A vs None. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.0. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 1.

FeatureGeForce GT 320GeForce GT 540M
DirectX
10.1
11.0+9%
Vulkan
N/A
None
OpenGL
3.3
4.0+21%
Max Displays
2+100%
1
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce GT 320) vs No (GeForce GT 540M). Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP4) vs PureVideo HD VP4. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GT 320) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 540M).

FeatureGeForce GT 320GeForce GT 540M
Encoder
None
No
Decoder
PureVideo HD (VP4)
PureVideo HD VP4
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 320 draws 30W versus the GeForce GT 540M's 50W — a 50% difference. The GeForce GT 320 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 250W (GeForce GT 320) vs 350W (GeForce GT 540M). Power connectors: None vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 175mm vs 0mm, occupying 1 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 85°C.

FeatureGeForce GT 320GeForce GT 540M
TDP
30W-40%
50W
Recommended PSU
250W-29%
350W
Power Connector
None
PCIe-powered
Length
175mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
1
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75-12%
85°C
Perf/Watt
15.7+65%
9.5
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GT 320 (2017 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GT 320GeForce GT 540M
MSRP
$79
Codename
GP108
GK107
Release
May 17 2017
January 9 2013
Ranking
#641
#792

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