Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) vs Radeon Pro W5500M

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.

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) vs Radeon Pro W5500M FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) vs Radeon Pro W5500M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

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 85W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon Pro W5500M

2020

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon Pro W5500M is the less risky modern option long term.
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 23.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌183.3% higher power demand at 85W vs 30W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.9% in PassMark G3D (3,500 vs 3,470), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon Pro W5500M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 7nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2015. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon Pro W5500M has the stronger long-term case.

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) vs Radeon Pro W5500M Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon Pro W5500M

The Radeon Pro W5500M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in February 10 2020. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1000 MHz to 1450 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 85W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,470 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) scores 3,500 and the Radeon Pro W5500M reaches 3,470 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) is built on Maxwell while the Radeon Pro W5500M uses RDNA 1.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 384 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)) vs 1,408 (Radeon Pro W5500M). Boost clocks: 993 MHz vs 1450 MHz.

Feature	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)	Radeon Pro W5500M
G3D Mark Score	3,500	3,470
Architecture	Maxwell	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	384	1408+267%
Boost Clock	993 MHz	1450 MHz+46%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)	Radeon Pro W5500M
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Pro W5500M carries 4 GB. Radeon Pro W5500M gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) and 64-bit on the Radeon Pro W5500M.

Feature	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)	Radeon Pro W5500M
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 6.

Feature	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)	Radeon Pro W5500M
Max Displays	2	6+200%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)) vs HEVC,H.264,VP9 (Radeon Pro W5500M).

Feature	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)	Radeon Pro W5500M
Encoder	—	VCN 2.0
Decoder	NVDEC 1st Gen	VCN 2.0
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	HEVC,H.264,VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) draws 30W versus the Radeon Pro W5500M's 85W — a 95.7% difference. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)) vs 350W (Radeon Pro W5500M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)	Radeon Pro W5500M
TDP	30W-65%	85W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	75	—
Perf/Watt	116.7+186%	40.8

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon Pro W5500M (2020 vs 2015).

Feature	Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)	Radeon Pro W5500M
MSRP	$150	—
Codename	Surface Book	Navi 14
Release	October 1 2015	February 10 2020
Ranking	#782	#544

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