Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) vs FirePro W7170M
Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
Popular choices:
FirePro W7170M
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) is positioned at rank 222 and the FirePro W7170M is on rank 22, so the FirePro W7170M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)
Performance Per Dollar FirePro W7170M
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The FirePro W7170M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (4 GB vs 2 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5).
| Insight | Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) | FirePro W7170M |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-3%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+3%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / Maxwell (2014−2017)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / GCN 3.0 (2014−2019)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | — | — |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the FirePro W7170M remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.
Performance Check
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 7800X3D 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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) and FirePro W7170M
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.
FirePro W7170M
The FirePro W7170M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 2 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 723 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,605 points.
Graphics Performance
The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) scores 3,500 and the FirePro W7170M reaches 3,605 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) is built on Maxwell while the FirePro W7170M uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)) vs 2,048 (FirePro W7170M).
| Feature | Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) | FirePro W7170M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 3,500 | 3,605+3% |
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 3.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 384 | 2048+433% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) | FirePro W7170M |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | Standard | Standard |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the FirePro W7170M has 4 GB. The FirePro W7170M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 64-bit.
| Feature | Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) | FirePro W7170M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 4 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Bus Width | 128-bit+100% | 64-bit |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)) vs 12 (FirePro W7170M). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.
| Feature | Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) | FirePro W7170M |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 |
| Vulkan | 1.1 | 1.2+9% |
| OpenGL | 4.5 | 4.6+2% |
| Max Displays | 2 | 3+50% |
Media & Encoding
Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs UVD 6.0. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,HEVC (FirePro W7170M).
| Feature | Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) | FirePro W7170M |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | — | VCE 3.1 |
| Decoder | NVDEC 1st Gen | UVD 6.0 |
| Codecs | H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,HEVC |
Power & Dimensions
The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) draws 30W versus the FirePro W7170M's 100W — a 107.7% difference. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)) vs 350W (FirePro W7170M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 85°C.
| Feature | Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) | FirePro W7170M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 30W-70% | 100W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | PCIe-powered |
| Length | — | 0mm |
| Height | — | 0mm |
| Slots | 0-100% | 1 |
| Temp (Load) | 75-12% | 85°C |
| Perf/Watt | 116.7+224% | 36.0 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar GPU comparisons based on Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) and FirePro W7170M
