GeForce GTX 850M vs GT 1030

Place in the ranking	574	570
Place by popularity	36	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	2.31	no data
Power efficiency	14.78	10.08
Architecture	Pascal (2016−2021)	Maxwell (2014−2017)
GPU code name	GP108	GM107
Market segment	Desktop	Laptop
Release date	17 May 2017 (7 years ago)	12 March 2014 (10 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$79	no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.

no data

Detailed specifications

General parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.

Pipelines / CUDA cores	384	640
Core clock speed	1228 MHz	Up to 936 MHz
Boost clock speed	1468 MHz	no data
Number of transistors	1,800 million	1,870 million
Manufacturing process technology	14 nm	28 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	30 Watt	45 Watt
Texture fill rate	35.23	36.08
Floating-point processing power	1.127 TFLOPS	1.155 TFLOPS
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	24	40

Form factor & compatibility

Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).

Laptop size	no data	medium sized
Bus support	no data	PCI Express 2.0, PCI Express 3.0
Interface	PCIe 3.0 x4	PCIe 3.0 x16
Length	145 mm	no data
Width	1-slot	no data
Supplementary power connectors	None	no data
SLI options	-	+

VRAM capacity and type

Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated video RAM and use a shared part of system RAM.

Memory type	GDDR5	DDR3
Maximum RAM amount	4 GB	2 GB
Standard memory configuration	no data	DDR3 or GDDR5
Memory bus width	64 Bit	128 Bit
Memory clock speed	1502 MHz	Up to 2500 MHz
Memory bandwidth	48.06 GB/s	80.0 GB/s
Shared memory	-	-

Connectivity and outputs

Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.

Display Connectors	1x DVI, 1x HDMI	No outputs
eDP 1.2 signal support	no data	Up to 3840x2160
LVDS signal support	no data	Up to 1920x1200
VGA аnalog display support	no data	Up to 2048x1536
DisplayPort Multimode (DP++) support	no data	Up to 3840x2160
HDMI	+	+
HDCP content protection	-	+
G-SYNC support	+	-
7.1 channel HD audio on HDMI	-	+
TrueHD and DTS-HD audio bitstreaming	-	+

Supported technologies

Supported technological solutions. This information will prove useful if you need some particular technology for your purposes.

H.264, VC1, MPEG2 1080p video decoder	-	+
Optimus	-	+
VR Ready	+	no data
Ansel	no data	+

API compatibility

List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.

DirectX	12 (12_1)	12 (11_0)
Shader Model	6.4	5.1
OpenGL	4.6	4.5
OpenCL	1.2	1.1
Vulkan	1.2.131	1.1.126
CUDA	6.1	+

Synthetic benchmark performance

Non-gaming benchmark results comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.

Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark score. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

GT 1030 6.37

GTX 850M 6.51
+2.2%

Passmark

This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.

GT 1030 2456

GTX 850M 2511
+2.2%

3DMark 11 Performance GPU

3DMark 11 is an obsolete DirectX 11 benchmark by Futuremark. It used four tests based on two scenes, one being few submarines exploring the submerged wreck of a sunken ship, the other is an abandoned temple deep in the jungle. All the tests are heavy with volumetric lighting and tessellation, and despite being done in 1280x720 resolution, are relatively taxing. Discontinued in January 2020, 3DMark 11 is now superseded by Time Spy.

GT 1030 4728
+7.8%

GTX 850M 4386

3DMark Vantage Performance

3DMark Vantage is an outdated DirectX 10 benchmark using 1280x1024 screen resolution. It taxes the graphics card with two scenes, one depicting a girl escaping some militarized base located within a sea cave, the other displaying a space fleet attack on a defenseless planet. It was discontinued in April 2017, and Time Spy benchmark is now recommended to be used instead.

GT 1030 20192
+27.3%

GTX 850M 15863

3DMark Fire Strike Graphics

Fire Strike is a DirectX 11 benchmark for gaming PCs. It features two separate tests displaying a fight between a humanoid and a fiery creature made of lava. Using 1920x1080 resolution, Fire Strike shows off some realistic graphics and is quite taxing on hardware.

GT 1030 3625
+17.5%

GTX 850M 3086

3DMark Cloud Gate GPU

Cloud Gate is an outdated DirectX 11 feature level 10 benchmark that was used for home PCs and basic notebooks. It displays a few scenes of some weird space teleportation device launching spaceships into unknown, using fixed resolution of 1280x720. Just like Ice Storm benchmark, it has been discontinued in January 2020 and replaced by 3DMark Night Raid.

GT 1030 22069
+0.9%

GTX 850M 21873

GeekBench 5 OpenCL

Geekbench 5 is a widespread graphics card benchmark combined from 11 different test scenarios. All these scenarios rely on direct usage of GPU's processing power, no 3D rendering is involved. This variation uses OpenCL API by Khronos Group.

GT 1030 9783
+1.2%

GTX 850M 9670

GeekBench 5 Vulkan

GT 1030 9514
+9.5%

GTX 850M 8686

GeekBench 5 CUDA

GT 1030 10307
+10.8%

GTX 850M 9302

SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 maya-04

GT 1030 33
+77.8%

GTX 850M 19

SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 sw-03

GT 1030 25
+95.3%

GTX 850M 13

SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 snx-02

GT 1030 3
+78.9%

GTX 850M 2

SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 catia-04

GT 1030 18
+27.3%

GTX 850M 14

SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 creo-01

GT 1030 12

GTX 850M 21
+80.3%

SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 mediacal-01

GT 1030 10
+60.3%

GTX 850M 6

SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 energy-01

GT 1030 1

GTX 850M 9
+1780%

Gaming performance

Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.

Average FPS across all PC games

Here are the average frames per second in a large set of popular games across different resolutions:

900p	80−85 −5%	84 +5%
Full HD	24 −33.3%	32 +33.3%
1440p	19 +5.6%	18−20 −5.6%
4K	9 −11.1%	10 +11.1%

Cost per frame, $

1080p	3.29	no data
1440p	4.16	no data
4K	8.78	no data

FPS performance in popular games

Full HD
Low Preset

Cyberpunk 2077

15
+50%

10−11

−50%

Full HD
Medium Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey	18 +5.9%	16−18 −5.9%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	8−9 +0%	8−9 +0%
Battlefield 5	22 +22.2%	18−20 −22.2%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	18 +28.6%	14−16 −28.6%
Cyberpunk 2077	11 +10%	10−11 −10%
Far Cry 5	21 +50%	14−16 −50%
Far Cry New Dawn	27 +50%	18−20 −50%
Forza Horizon 4	93 +116%	40−45 −116%
Hitman 3	16 +23.1%	12−14 −23.1%
Horizon Zero Dawn	152 +290%	35−40 −290%
Metro Exodus	26 +44.4%	18−20 −44.4%
Red Dead Redemption 2	31 +72.2%	18−20 −72.2%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	37 +68.2%	21−24 −68.2%
Watch Dogs: Legion	93 +78.8%	50−55 −78.8%

Full HD
High Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey	24 +41.2%	16−18 −41.2%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	8−9 +0%	8−9 +0%
Battlefield 5	18−20 +0%	18−20 +0%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	16 +14.3%	14−16 −14.3%
Cyberpunk 2077	7 −42.9%	10−11 +42.9%
Far Cry 5	14−16 +0%	14−16 +0%
Far Cry New Dawn	20 +11.1%	18−20 −11.1%
Forza Horizon 4	84 +95.3%	40−45 −95.3%
Hitman 3	15 +15.4%	12−14 −15.4%
Horizon Zero Dawn	123 +215%	35−40 −215%
Metro Exodus	20 +11.1%	18−20 −11.1%
Red Dead Redemption 2	15 −20%	18−20 +20%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	19 −15.8%	21−24 +15.8%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt	20−22 −190%	58 +190%
Watch Dogs: Legion	84 +61.5%	50−55 −61.5%

Full HD
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey	7 −143%	16−18 +143%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	8−9 +0%	8−9 +0%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	5 −180%	14−16 +180%
Cyberpunk 2077	10−11 +0%	10−11 +0%
Far Cry 5	14−16 +0%	14−16 +0%
Forza Horizon 4	16 −169%	40−45 +169%
Hitman 3	12−14 +0%	12−14 +0%
Horizon Zero Dawn	19 −105%	35−40 +105%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	16 −37.5%	21−24 +37.5%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt	12 +9.1%	11 −9.1%
Watch Dogs: Legion	6 −767%	50−55 +767%

Full HD
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2

19
+5.6%

18−20

−5.6%

1440p
High Preset

Battlefield 5	12−14 +0%	12−14 +0%
Far Cry New Dawn	10−11 +0%	10−11 +0%

1440p
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey	6−7 +0%	6−7 +0%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	2−3 +0%	2−3 +0%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	6−7 +0%	6−7 +0%
Cyberpunk 2077	3−4 +0%	3−4 +0%
Far Cry 5	7−8 +0%	7−8 +0%
Forza Horizon 4	20−22 −5%	21−24 +5%
Hitman 3	10−11 +0%	10−11 +0%
Horizon Zero Dawn	14 +0%	14−16 +0%
Metro Exodus	6−7 +0%	6−7 +0%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	11 +267%	3−4 −267%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt	5−6 −20%	6−7 +20%
Watch Dogs: Legion	48 +17.1%	40−45 −17.1%

1440p
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2

10−12

+0%

10−12

+0%

4K
High Preset

Battlefield 5	5−6 +0%	5−6 +0%
Far Cry New Dawn	4 +0%	4−5 +0%
Hitman 3	3−4 +0%	3−4 +0%
Horizon Zero Dawn	16−18 −5.9%	18−20 +5.9%
Metro Exodus	3−4 −33.3%	4−5 +33.3%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt	3−4 +0%	3−4 +0%

4K
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey	1 −300%	4−5 +300%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	3−4 +0%	3−4 +0%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	3−4 +0%	3−4 +0%
Cyberpunk 2077	0−1	0−1
Far Cry 5	3−4 +0%	3−4 +0%
Forza Horizon 4	7 +0%	7−8 +0%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	6 +500%	1−2 −500%
Watch Dogs: Legion	2−3 +0%	2−3 +0%

4K
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2

7−8

+0%

7−8

+0%

This is how GT 1030 and GTX 850M compete in popular games:

GTX 850M is 5% faster in 900p
GTX 850M is 33% faster in 1080p
GT 1030 is 6% faster in 1440p
GTX 850M is 11% faster in 4K

Here's the range of performance differences observed across popular games:

in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, with 4K resolution and the Ultra Preset, the GT 1030 is 500% faster.
in Watch Dogs: Legion, with 1080p resolution and the Ultra Preset, the GTX 850M is 767% faster.

All in all, in popular games:

GT 1030 is ahead in 27 tests (38%)
GTX 850M is ahead in 15 tests (21%)
there's a draw in 29 tests (41%)

Pros & cons summary

Performance score	6.37	6.51
Recency	17 May 2017	12 March 2014
Maximum RAM amount	4 GB	2 GB
Chip lithography	14 nm	28 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	30 Watt	45 Watt

GT 1030 has an age advantage of 3 years, a 100% higher maximum VRAM amount, a 100% more advanced lithography process, and 50% lower power consumption.

GTX 850M, on the other hand, has a 2.2% higher aggregate performance score.

Given the minimal performance differences, no clear winner can be declared between GeForce GT 1030 and GeForce GTX 850M.

Be aware that GeForce GT 1030 is a desktop card while GeForce GTX 850M is a notebook one.

Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.