Nvidia Geforce 940MX Benchmark and Gaming Review

It has been more than a year since the launch of Nvidia Geforce 940MX in March 2016.

Since then, it is the preferred choice of OEMs to bundle this Graphics Processor with the low-budget Gaming Laptops. Geforce 940MX can run every new game at low preset and 720p resolution and perhaps that’s all a casual gamer needs. However, instead of buying a laptop with this GPU, one can build a gaming PC, and that will do a far better job. But portability is equally important, and hence we have this graphics processing unit.

For budget gaming Notebooks, we have a lot of options available in the market. We usually find either 940MX, 930MX or low-budget AMD GPUs like Radeon R5 M335, M430, etc. And needless to say, the one we are reviewing today outperforms them all (except the new MX150). The Intel’s 7th generation Integrated GPU also does a decent job in gaming. You can check that review out here:

• Intel HD Graphics 620 Full Review and Gaming Benchmarks

First of all, we will discuss the specification of this GPU, and then we will move onto the benchmark scores and gameplay videos. At last, we will see what all games this Graphics Processing Unit can handle. Let’s start out with the specification of this GPU.

    Nvidia Geforce 940MX Specification

Name	Geforce 940MX
Launch Date	March 2016
Manufacturer	Nvidia
Series	Geforce 900
Type	Dedicated Mobile GPU
Architecture	Maxwell
Fabrication	28nm
Core Configuration	384:16:8
Base Clock Freq.	1,122 MHz
Max Clock Freq.	1,242 MHz
Memory	2GB/4GB
Memory Type	DDR3/GDDR5
DirectX Version	12
Processing Power	861 GFLOPS
TDP	23W

As told earlier, 940MX was announced in March last year, and within a few months, we began to see Notebooks running on this GPU. Before the Geforce 10 Series Laptops arrived, 940MX was the most preferred GPU in mid-ranged Laptops and it still is. It belongs to the Geforce 900 series by Nvidia which is based on the Maxwell architecture. It uses the 28nm Fabrication technique and has a core configuration of 384:16:8. This Graphics Processor is available in 4 different variants and that we are going to discuss later. The processing power is 831 GFLOPS, and it’s Thermal Design Power is 23W. Its base clock rate is 1,122 MHz, and with the help of GPU Boost 2.0 technology, it can reach up to 1,242 MHz.

Technologies Used:

• Nvidia Optimus
• CUDA
• PhysX
• DirectX 12
• GPU Boost 2.0

The Nvidia’s Optimus Technology allows the GPU to automatically switch to Integrated GPU when you don’t require high performance. This, in turn, extends the battery life to a great extent. PhysX is a physics simulation engine that delivers incredible animation. With PhysX enabled, you can expect better performance in games such as Batman Arkham Origins and Assassin’s Creed 4. The DirectX12 support improves the gaming performance in the latest titles. As discussed earlier, Nvidia’s GPU Boost 2.0 helps in delivering extreme performance when needed.

Different Variants of Geforce 940MX:

• 2GB DDR3 Memory
• 4GB DDR3 Memory
• 2GB GDDR5 Memory
• 4GB GDDR5 Memory

Apart from these variants, some Notebook manufacturers also can also provide 1GB GDDR5 variant, like in the case of Mi NoteBook Air. As you’ve already guessed by now, the 4GB GDDR5 variant delivers the best performance among all. However, this GPU cannot handle the new games at 1080p, and most titles do not consume more than 2GB VRAM at 1366×768 (HD) resolution. So, in my opinion, there won’t be much of a difference in the 2GB and 4GB variants. However, I would recommend buying a Laptop which has the GDDR5 Memory Type. Make sure that you confirm the specifications before buying.

    Nvidia Geforce 940MX Benchmark

Let’s start the Benchmark Score comparison by comparing 940MX with its predecessor Geforce 940M.

Nvidia Geforce 940MX vs. Geforce 940M vs. 950M

940MX is slightly overclocked, and the GDDR5 memory gives the 940MX some extra advantage in the benchmark test. Nevertheless, 940M can also handle pretty much every game that a 940MX can. However, the Geforce GTX 950M is on a whole new level. The old GTX 950M is still a better choice over the GT 940MX.

Geforce 940MX vs. Geforce 930MX vs. 930M

Going down the table, we have the Nvidia Geforce 930MX and 930M. Surprisingly, the Geforce GT 930 does good and comes even closer when we compare it with the 940M. So, going with a 930MX laptop would be a better choice compared to that of the older 940M.

Geforce 940MX vs. Intel’s Integrated Graphics

The Intel Graphics HD 620 is the Integrated GPU used in a majority of 7th generation Kaby Lake Mobile Processors. The HD 520 does the same job for in the case of 6th Generation Skylake Processors. Nvidia Geforce 940MX easily outperforms both of them. However, you should note that these 2 Integrated Graphics Processing Unit do a good job as well but still not high enough to match the performance of a mid ranged dedicated GPU.

Geforce 940MX vs. AMD Radeon R5 M335 and R5 M430

There won’t be much to say in this comparison as the AMD’s low-budget R5 M430 and R5 M335 are not even near the Intel’s integrated GPUs. I would not at all recommend getting a Notebook with either of these Graphics Cards. They will struggle to run new games even at the lowest resolution and graphics settings.

    Nvidia Geforce 940MX Gameplay

The gameplay video should clear most of your confusion regarding the performance of Geforce 940MX in the real world. After switching to low/medium settings at 720P, there’s no stopping it. I expect the 940MX to handle the upcoming games for at least a year or two. Anyway, you can still play hundreds of great PC Game that are released in this decade.

I’ll recommend you to have a look at all the games played in this video to get a better idea of the performance. The specs of the Laptop used in this video are Intel Core i5-6300HQ, 2GB Nvidia Geforce 940MX DDR3, and 8GB DDR4 RAM. You can surely expect a little improvement in the performance with the GDDR5 variant. Here’s another gameplay and this one is of Far Cry 5.

You can manage around 25-30 FPS on Far Cry 5 and that’s the same performance you can expect for most of the new games that released in 2017 or 2018,

    Games that can be played on Geforce 940MX

Benchmark Source: notebookcheck.net

Well, here’s an extensive list of some of my favorite games that you can easily play with the Nvidia Geforce 940MX. Note that these FPS scores are at 720p resolution and medium settings. You can expect higher frames per second after switching to low preset. If you’re a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive lover, the 940MX will do the job for you; It can also handle CS: GO at 1080p. You can play popular games like FIFA 17, Grand Theft Auto V, Tomb Raider (2013) at over 60 fps with medium graphics settings.

New games like Rise of the Tomb Raider, Far Cry Primal, Watch Dogs 2, Far Cry 4, Fallout 4, Doom, The Witcher 3 and Dishonored 2 can easily give you more than 30 FPS after switching to lowest settings. Fortnite also works well with 940MX and you can easily manage 60 FPS at 1080p resolution. To know which low-end GPUs can run Fortnite, check out: 9 Budget GPUs to Play Fortnite.

    Final Review and Recommendations

No doubt, the 940MX is a great GPU for low budget gaming, and I would surely recommend buying a Notebook with 940MX.

Note: The successor of GeForce 940MX is now available in newer Laptops. I will recommend it over 940MX. Here’s its review: Nvidia GeForce MX150 Review.

For casual gaming and editing, this graphics processor should easily fulfill your needs. However, there are still four better options that you can consider:

1. Build a Gaming PC
2. Spend Extra and get a GTX 1050 Laptop
3. Grab an old Notebook with GTX 950
4. Wait for the successor of 940MX which is coming pretty soon.

Yes, you heard the last line right. On 25th May 2017, Nvidia announced this new GPU. According to Nvidia, the upcoming Geforce MX150 will deliver 4X the performance of Integrated GPUs (940MX offers 3X performance). MX150 is going to be a replacement for the 940MX, and it is based on the Pascal Architecture. So, my final recommendation will be to wait for a few months for a good Notebook with the Nvidia Geforce X150 Processor. If you’re planning on buying a Laptop with Nvidia Geforce 940MX GPU, then you can consider the HP Pavilion AU620TX.