GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition vs Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition

2013Core: 771 MHzBoost: 797 MHz

Popular choices:

VS

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

2015Core: 954 MHzBoost: 993 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition

2013

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

  • Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 23.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • 306.7% higher power demand at 122W vs 30W.

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

2015

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 23.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Draws 30W instead of 122W, a 92W reduction.
  • More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition better than Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)?
Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 3,569 vs 3,500 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition is the overall package: you are getting no meaningful modern upscaling stack.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition is the safer long-term GPU choice because it gives you the stronger overall hardware and feature outlook for modern games.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $150 MSRP, and you are getting 2.0% higher G3D Mark. Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.
When does Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) make more sense than GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition?
Yes. Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (30W vs 122W), and staying closer to $150 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition currently gives you 2.0% higher G3D Mark. Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet EditionMaxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
1080p
low77 FPS77 FPS
medium63 FPS65 FPS
high48 FPS43 FPS
ultra32 FPS28 FPS
1440p
low64 FPS61 FPS
medium54 FPS51 FPS
high37 FPS31 FPS
ultra23 FPS19 FPS
4K
low24 FPS22 FPS
medium23 FPS21 FPS
high14 FPS13 FPS
ultra12 FPS11 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet EditionMaxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
1080p
low80 FPS97 FPS
medium57 FPS68 FPS
high44 FPS49 FPS
ultra29 FPS31 FPS
1440p
low45 FPS53 FPS
medium29 FPS31 FPS
high22 FPS22 FPS
ultra15 FPS15 FPS
4K
low17 FPS18 FPS
medium11 FPS11 FPS
high9 FPS9 FPS
ultra6 FPS7 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet EditionMaxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
1080p
low161 FPS158 FPS
medium128 FPS126 FPS
high107 FPS105 FPS
ultra80 FPS79 FPS
1440p
low120 FPS118 FPS
medium96 FPS94 FPS
high80 FPS79 FPS
ultra60 FPS59 FPS
4K
low80 FPS79 FPS
medium64 FPS63 FPS
high54 FPS52 FPS
ultra40 FPS39 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet EditionMaxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
1080p
low131 FPS157 FPS
medium102 FPS126 FPS
high88 FPS105 FPS
ultra71 FPS79 FPS
1440p
low99 FPS110 FPS
medium79 FPS88 FPS
high68 FPS77 FPS
ultra51 FPS59 FPS
4K
low58 FPS64 FPS
medium44 FPS50 FPS
high35 FPS41 FPS
ultra24 FPS30 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition and Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition

The GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 8 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 771 MHz to 797 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 122W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,569 points.

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) is manufactured by an unknown manufacturer. It was released in October 1 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 954 MHz to 993 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,500 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition scores 3,569 and the Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) reaches 3,500 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition is built on Kepler while the Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) uses Maxwell, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition) vs 384 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)). Boost clocks: 797 MHz vs 993 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet EditionMaxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
G3D Mark Score
3,569+2%
3,500
Architecture
Kepler
Maxwell
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1536+300%
384
Boost Clock
797 MHz
993 MHz+25%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet EditionMaxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 2 GB of GDDR5. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet EditionMaxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
256-bit+100%
128-bit
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition) vs 12 (11_0) (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet EditionMaxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12 (11_0)
Vulkan
1.2+9%
1.1
OpenGL
4.6+2%
4.5
Max Displays
4+100%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP5) vs NVDEC 1st Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)).

FeatureGeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet EditionMaxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
Encoder
NVENC
Decoder
PureVideo HD (VP5)
NVDEC 1st Gen
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition draws 122W versus the Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)'s 30W — a 121.1% difference. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet Edition) vs 350W (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet EditionMaxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
TDP
122W
30W-75%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
105mm
Height
82mm
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
75°C
75
Perf/Watt
29.3
116.7+298%
💰

Value Analysis

The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GTX 680M KY_Bullet EditionMaxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
MSRP
$150
Codename
GK104
Surface Book
Release
November 8 2013
October 1 2015
Ranking
#625
#782