GeForce RTX 4070 vs Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

CPU

GPU

GeForce RTX 4070

2023Core: 1920 MHzBoost: 2475 MHz

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

2015Core: 954 MHzBoost: 993 MHz

Popular choices:

••••••RTX 4070•••

Performance Spectrum - GPU

GeForce RTX 4070

12 GB 200

26,919

+669.1%

RTX 2000 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

GeForce GTX 1070 SLI

GeForce RTX 5060

RTX 5000 Ada Generation Mobile

GeForce RTX 5070

GeForce RTX 4090 D

GeForce RTX 5070 Ti

GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

2 GB 30

3,500

0.0%

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

Radeon RX 6850M

Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary

GeForce RTX 5060

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 RTX 4070

2023

Why buy it

✅+669.1% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 92.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 23.3 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌566.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 30W.

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $449 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Draws 30W instead of 200W, a 170W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,500 vs 26,919).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-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 23.3 vs 44.9 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4070

2023

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

2015

Why buy it

✅+669.1% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 92.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 23.3 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Costs $449 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Draws 30W instead of 200W, a 170W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌566.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 30W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,500 vs 26,919).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-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 23.3 vs 44.9 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4070 better than Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)?

Yes. GeForce RTX 4070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 26,919 vs 3,500 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4070 is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, while Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) is a 2015 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 4070 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2015, 669.1% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 2 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 4070 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 4070 is about 299.3% more expensive on MSRP at $599 MSRP versus $150 MSRP, and you are getting 669.1% higher G3D Mark. Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) is 2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM, 3,500 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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.

GeForce RTX 4070 Benchmark Check

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 4070	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
1080p
low	183 FPS	77 FPS
medium	167 FPS	65 FPS
high	151 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	28 FPS
1440p
low	150 FPS	61 FPS
medium	124 FPS	51 FPS
high	110 FPS	31 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	19 FPS
4K
low	92 FPS	22 FPS
medium	78 FPS	21 FPS
high	65 FPS	13 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	11 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4070 Open Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 4070	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
1080p
low	544 FPS	97 FPS
medium	454 FPS	68 FPS
high	353 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	299 FPS	31 FPS
1440p
low	351 FPS	53 FPS
medium	288 FPS	31 FPS
high	235 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	15 FPS
4K
low	172 FPS	18 FPS
medium	144 FPS	11 FPS
high	125 FPS	9 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	7 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4070 Open Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 4070	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
1080p
low	884 FPS	158 FPS
medium	713 FPS	126 FPS
high	643 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	569 FPS	79 FPS
1440p
low	684 FPS	118 FPS
medium	549 FPS	94 FPS
high	483 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	59 FPS
4K
low	467 FPS	79 FPS
medium	373 FPS	63 FPS
high	326 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	39 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4070 Open Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 4070	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
1080p
low	751 FPS	157 FPS
medium	612 FPS	126 FPS
high	536 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	497 FPS	79 FPS
1440p
low	615 FPS	110 FPS
medium	500 FPS	88 FPS
high	433 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	395 FPS	59 FPS
4K
low	384 FPS	64 FPS
medium	324 FPS	50 FPS
high	301 FPS	41 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	30 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4070 Open Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 4070 and Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

GeForce RTX 4070

The GeForce RTX 4070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1920 MHz to 2475 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,919 points. Launch price was $599.

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

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4070 scores 26,919 versus the Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)'s 3,500 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 669.1%. The GeForce RTX 4070 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) uses Maxwell, both on 5 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 384 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)). Boost clocks: 2475 MHz vs 993 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
G3D Mark Score	26,919+669%	3,500
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	Maxwell
Process Node	5 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	5888+1433%	384
Boost Clock	2475 MHz+149%	993 MHz

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 4070 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.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	Yes (DLSS 3.5)	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 4070 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) has 2 GB. The GeForce RTX 4070 offers 500% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+500%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6X	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	504 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 12 (11_0) (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
DirectX	12.2+2%	12 (11_0)
Vulkan	1.3+18%	1.1
OpenGL	4.6+2%	4.5
Max Displays	4+100%	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs NVDEC 1st Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)).

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
Encoder	8th Gen NVENC (2x)	—
Decoder	5th Gen NVDEC	NVDEC 1st Gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4070 draws 200W versus the Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)'s 30W — a 147.8% difference. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 350W (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
TDP	200W	30W-85%
Recommended PSU	650W	350W-46%
Power Connector	8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	304mm	—
Height	137mm	—
Slots	3	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80°C	75-6%
Perf/Watt	134.6+15%	116.7

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 4070 launched at $599 MSRP, while the Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) launched at $150. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) costs 75% less ($449 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 23.3 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)) — the GeForce RTX 4070 offers 92.7% better value. The GeForce RTX 4070 is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2015).