GeForce GT 740 vs Radeon 540

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 740 vs Radeon 540 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 740 vs Radeon 540: 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 740

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $10 less on MSRP ($89 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon 540 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2014 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌28% higher power demand at 64W vs 50W.

Radeon 540

2017

Why buy it

✅50.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Draws 50W instead of 64W, a 14W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 4.0 (2016−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2017 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
11.2% HIGHER MSRP
$99 MSRPvs$89 MSRP

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon 540 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 50.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.6% in PassMark G3D (1,452 vs 1,429), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GT 740 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GT 740 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $10 cheaper on MSRP at $89 vs $99, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 9.5% (16.1 vs 14.7), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon 540 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GT 740 vs Radeon 540 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GT 740

The GeForce GT 740 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 29 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 993 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 64W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,429 points. Launch price was $89.

Radeon 540

The Radeon 540 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 20 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1183 MHz to 1124 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,452 points. Launch price was $79.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 740 scores 1,429 and the Radeon 540 reaches 1,452 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 740 is built on Kepler while the Radeon 540 uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 740) vs 384 (Radeon 540). Raw compute: 0.7626 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 740) vs 0.9085 TFLOPS (Radeon 540).

Feature	GeForce GT 740	Radeon 540
G3D Mark Score	1,429	1,452+2%
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	384	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.7626 TFLOPS	0.9085 TFLOPS+19%
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	32+33%	24
L1 Cache	32 KB	96 KB+200%
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 740 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon 540 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GT 740	Radeon 540
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 GT 740 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon 540 carries 512 MB. GeForce GT 740 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce GT 740 and 64-bit on the Radeon 540. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GT 740) vs 512 KB (Radeon 540) — the Radeon 540 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GT 740	Radeon 540
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 740 draws 64W versus the Radeon 540's 50W — a 24.6% difference. The Radeon 540 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GT 740) vs 350W (Radeon 540). Power connectors: None vs None.

Feature	GeForce GT 740	Radeon 540
TDP	64W	50W-22%
Recommended PSU	300W-14%	350W
Power Connector	None	None
Length	145mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	—
Temp (Load)	75	—
Perf/Watt	22.3	29.0+30%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 740 came in at $89, while the Radeon 540 launched at $99. On MSRP, GeForce GT 740 was 10.1% cheaper ($10 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 16.1 (GeForce GT 740) vs 14.7 (Radeon 540) — the GeForce GT 740 offers 9.5% better value. The newer card here is Radeon 540 (2017 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GT 740	Radeon 540
MSRP	$89-10%	$99
Performance per Dollar	16.1+10%	14.7
Codename	GK107	Lexa
Release	May 29 2014	April 20 2017
Ranking	#777	#773

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