GeForce GT 745A vs Iris Graphics 540

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 745A

2013Core: 837 MHzBoost: 915 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
Intel

Iris Graphics 540

2015Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1000 MHz
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GeForce GT 745A vs Iris Graphics 540 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 745A vs Iris Graphics 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 745A

2013

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 12.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs Unknown).
  • Iris Graphics 540 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GT 745A is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 120% higher power demand at 33W vs 15W.

Iris Graphics 540

2015

Why buy it

  • Draws 15W instead of 33W, a 18W reduction.
  • More future proof: Generation 9.0 (2015−2016) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2015 hardware with Unknown 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 12.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Iris Graphics 540 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.9% in PassMark G3D (1,270 vs 1,234), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GT 745A is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 512 MB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GT 745A makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. Iris Graphics 540 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GT 745A vs Iris Graphics 540 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 745A

The GeForce GT 745A is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 26 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 837 MHz to 915 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,234 points.

Intel

Iris Graphics 540

The Iris Graphics 540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in September 1 2015. It features the Generation 9.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 14 nm+ process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,270 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 745A scores 1,234 and the Iris Graphics 540 reaches 1,270 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 745A is built on Kepler while the Iris Graphics 540 uses Generation 9.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm+. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 745A) vs 384 (Iris Graphics 540). Raw compute: 0.7027 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 745A) vs 0.768 TFLOPS (Iris Graphics 540). Boost clocks: 915 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GT 745AIris Graphics 540
G3D Mark Score
1,234
1,270+3%
Architecture
Kepler
Generation 9.0
Process Node
28 nm
14 nm+
Shading Units
384
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.7027 TFLOPS
0.768 TFLOPS+9%
Boost Clock
915 MHz
1000 MHz+9%
ROPs
16+167%
6
TMUs
32
48+50%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 745A gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Iris Graphics 540 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GT 745AIris Graphics 540
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GT 745A has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Iris Graphics 540 carries 0 MB. GeForce GT 745A 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 745A and System on the Iris Graphics 540.

FeatureGeForce GT 745AIris Graphics 540
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
System
Bus Width
64-bit
System
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GT 745A) vs 12 (FL 12_1) (Iris Graphics 540). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce GT 745AIris Graphics 540
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12 (FL 12_1)
Vulkan
1.2
1.3+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4+33%
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (1st Gen) (GeForce GT 745A) vs Quick Sync (Iris Graphics 540). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP5 vs Quick Sync. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GT 745A) vs H.264,HEVC,VP8 (Iris Graphics 540).

FeatureGeForce GT 745AIris Graphics 540
Encoder
NVENC (1st Gen)
Quick Sync
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP5
Quick Sync
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,HEVC,VP8
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 745A draws 33W versus the Iris Graphics 540's 15W — a 75% difference. The Iris Graphics 540 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 745A) vs 1W (Iris Graphics 540). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Integrated.

FeatureGeForce GT 745AIris Graphics 540
TDP
33W
15W-55%
Recommended PSU
350W
1W-100%
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
Integrated
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
37.4
84.7+126%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 745A came in at $99, while the Iris Graphics 540 launched at $0. On MSRP, Iris Graphics 540 was 100+% cheaper ($99 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 12.5 (GeForce GT 745A) vs Infinity (Iris Graphics 540) — the Iris Graphics 540 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Iris Graphics 540 (2015 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GT 745AIris Graphics 540
MSRP
$99
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
12.5
Infinity
Codename
GK107
Skylake GT3e
Release
August 26 2013
September 1 2015
Ranking
#811
#808

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