Maxwell GPU Surface Book vs Quadro K5100M

Maxwell GPU Surface Book

2015Core: 954 MHzBoost: 993 MHz
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VS
NVIDIA

Quadro K5100M

2013Core: 771 MHz
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Maxwell GPU Surface Book vs Quadro K5100M 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 Quadro K5100M: 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

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 22.1 vs 0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Draws 30W instead of 100W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 8 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.

Quadro K5100M

2013

Why buy it

  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 22.1 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • 233.3% higher power demand at 100W 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 1.4% in PassMark G3D (3,311 vs 3,264), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Maxwell GPU Surface Book is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2015 generation instead of 2013. 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

Maxwell GPU Surface Book vs Quadro K5100M 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

Quadro K5100M

The Quadro K5100M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 23 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 771 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,264 points.

Graphics Performance

The Maxwell GPU Surface Book scores 3,311 and the Quadro K5100M reaches 3,264 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book is built on Maxwell while the Quadro K5100M uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book) vs 1,536 (Quadro K5100M).

FeatureMaxwell GPU Surface BookQuadro K5100M
G3D Mark Score
3,311+1%
3,264
Architecture
Maxwell
Kepler
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
384
1536+300%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureMaxwell GPU Surface BookQuadro K5100M
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Maxwell GPU Surface Book has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro K5100M carries 8 GB. Quadro K5100M gives you 300% 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 and 64-bit on the Quadro K5100M.

FeatureMaxwell GPU Surface BookQuadro K5100M
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
8 GB+300%
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 (11_0) (Quadro K5100M). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

FeatureMaxwell GPU Surface BookQuadro K5100M
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12 (11_0)
Vulkan
1.1
1.2+9%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
3
4+33%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (Maxwell GPU Surface Book) vs 1st Gen NVENC (Kepler) (Quadro K5100M). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs PureVideo HD VP5. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Quadro K5100M).

FeatureMaxwell GPU Surface BookQuadro K5100M
Encoder
None
1st Gen NVENC (Kepler)
Decoder
PureVideo VP6
PureVideo HD VP5
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Maxwell GPU Surface Book draws 30W versus the Quadro K5100M's 100W — a 107.7% difference. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Maxwell GPU Surface Book) vs 350W (Quadro K5100M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 85 vs 85°C.

FeatureMaxwell GPU Surface BookQuadro K5100M
TDP
30W-70%
100W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
85
85°C
Perf/Watt
110.4+239%
32.6
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Maxwell GPU Surface Book (2015 vs 2013).

FeatureMaxwell GPU Surface BookQuadro K5100M
MSRP
$150
Codename
Surface Book
GK104
Release
October 1 2015
July 23 2013
Ranking
#779
#562

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