Maxwell GPU Surface Book vs P102-100

Maxwell GPU Surface Book

2015Core: 954 MHzBoost: 993 MHz
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VS

P102-100

2018Core: 1582 MHzBoost: 1683 MHz
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Maxwell GPU Surface Book vs P102-100 Performance Spectrum

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.

Maxwell GPU Surface Book vs P102-100: 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

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $450 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $600 MSRP).
  • Delivers 301.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 22.1 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $600 MSRP).
  • Draws 30W instead of 250W, a 220W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

P102-100

2018

Why buy it

  • Maxwell GPU Surface Book is already obsolete for modern gaming, so P102-100 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 16nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2018 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 300% HIGHER MSRP
    $600 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.5 vs 22.1 G3D/$ ($600 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • 733.3% higher power demand at 250W vs 30W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Maxwell GPU Surface Book is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.3% in PassMark G3D (3,311 vs 3,301), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
P102-100 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 16nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2015. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Maxwell GPU Surface Book makes the most sense to buy today. It is $450 cheaper on MSRP at $150 vs $600, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 301.2% (22.1 vs 5.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Maxwell GPU Surface Book is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, P102-100 has the stronger long-term case.

Maxwell GPU Surface Book vs P102-100 Technical Specifications

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

Maxwell GPU Surface Book

The Maxwell GPU Surface Book 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: 3,311 points.

NVIDIA

P102-100

The P102-100 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 12 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1582 MHz to 1683 MHz. It has 3200 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,301 points. Launch price was $599.

Graphics Performance

The Maxwell GPU Surface Book scores 3,311 and the P102-100 reaches 3,301 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book is built on Maxwell while the P102-100 uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 384 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book) vs 3,200 (P102-100). Boost clocks: 993 MHz vs 1683 MHz.

FeatureMaxwell GPU Surface BookP102-100
G3D Mark Score
3,311
3,301
Architecture
Maxwell
Pascal
Process Node
28 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
384
3200+733%
Boost Clock
993 MHz
1683 MHz+69%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureMaxwell GPU Surface BookP102-100
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Maxwell GPU Surface Book and 64-bit on the P102-100.

FeatureMaxwell GPU Surface BookP102-100
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
128-bit+100%
64-bit
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (Maxwell GPU Surface Book) vs 12_1 (P102-100). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 0.

FeatureMaxwell GPU Surface BookP102-100
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12_1
Max Displays
3
0
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Maxwell GPU Surface Book draws 30W versus the P102-100's 250W — a 157.1% difference. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Maxwell GPU Surface Book) vs 350W (P102-100). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 267mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.

FeatureMaxwell GPU Surface BookP102-100
TDP
30W-88%
250W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
0mm
267mm
Height
0mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
85
Perf/Watt
110.4+736%
13.2
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Maxwell GPU Surface Book came in at $150, while the P102-100 launched at $600. On MSRP, Maxwell GPU Surface Book was 75% cheaper ($450 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 22.1 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book) vs 5.5 (P102-100) — the Maxwell GPU Surface Book offers 301.8% better value. The newer card here is P102-100 (2018 vs 2015).

FeatureMaxwell GPU Surface BookP102-100
MSRP
$150-75%
$600
Performance per Dollar
22.1+302%
5.5
Codename
Surface Book
GP102
Release
October 1 2015
February 12 2018
Ranking
#779
#560

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