Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) vs GeForce GTX 870M

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

30

3,500

0.0%

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

Radeon RX 6850M

Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary

GeForce RTX 5060

GeForce GTX 870M

100

3,536

+1.0%

GeForce RTX 2070 (móvel)

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

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 GeForce GTX 870M is on rank 143, so the GeForce GTX 870M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

#52

Radeon 8060S

MSRP: $800|Avg: $800

96%

#53

Radeon RX 6850M XT

MSRP: $800|Avg: $800

93%

#212

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

465%

#214

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

422%

#215

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

421%

#219

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

383%

#220

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

380%

#222

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

MSRP: $150|Avg: $75

100%

#224

GeForce GT 640M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

97%

#228

GeForce GT 750M Mac Edition

MSRP: $149|Avg: $40

95%

#230

Maxwell GPU Surface Book

MSRP: $150|Avg: $75

95%

#235

Radeon RX 540

MSRP: $99|Avg: $40

92%

#236

Radeon HD 6750M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $60

91%

#237

Radeon HD 7570M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $15

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 870M

#39

Radeon RX 7700S

MSRP: $449|Avg: $350

98%

#133

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

307%

#135

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

278%

#136

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

278%

#140

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

252%

#141

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

251%

#143

GeForce GTX 870M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#145

Radeon RX 580 (móvel)

MSRP: $229|Avg: $65

99%

#147

GeForce GT 630M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $35

98%

#150

Tiger Lake-U Xe Graphics G7

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

96%

#157

GeForce 830M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $30

95%

#158

GeForce GT 750M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce GTX 870M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1% higher G3D Mark score and 200% more VRAM (6 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)	GeForce GTX 870M
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-1%)	✅Leading raw performance (+1%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / Maxwell (2014−2017))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Kepler (2012−2018))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+200%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	—	—

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce GTX 870M 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.

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

GeForce GTX 870M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) and GeForce GTX 870M

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.

GeForce GTX 870M

The GeForce GTX 870M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 12 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 941 MHz to 967 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,536 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) scores 3,500 and the GeForce GTX 870M reaches 3,536 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GTX 870M uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)) vs 1,344 (GeForce GTX 870M). Boost clocks: 993 MHz vs 967 MHz.

Feature	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)	GeForce GTX 870M
G3D Mark Score	3,500	3,536+1%
Architecture	Maxwell	Kepler
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	1344+250%
Boost Clock	993 MHz+3%	967 MHz

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)	GeForce GTX 870M
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR 3 (Compatible)
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 GeForce GTX 870M has 6 GB. The GeForce GTX 870M offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)	GeForce GTX 870M
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	6 GB+200%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 870M). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)	GeForce GTX 870M
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 (11_0)
Vulkan	1.1	1.2+9%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	2	4+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs PureVideo HD VP5. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 870M).

Feature	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)	GeForce GTX 870M
Encoder	—	1st Gen NVENC (Kepler)
Decoder	NVDEC 1st Gen	PureVideo HD VP5
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) draws 30W versus the GeForce GTX 870M'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 (GeForce GTX 870M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 85°C.