GeForce GT 230 vs GT 540M

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Aggregate performance score

We've compared GeForce GT 540M with GeForce GT 230, including specs and performance data.

GT 540M
2011
2 GB DDR3, 35 Watt
1.24
+47.6%

GT 540M outperforms GT 230 by a considerable 48% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.

Place in the ranking10421141
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluationno data0.01
Power efficiency2.430.77
ArchitectureFermi (2010−2014)Tesla (2006−2010)
GPU code nameGF108G94B
Market segmentLaptopDesktop
Release date5 January 2011 (13 years ago)12 October 2009 (15 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)no data$43.99

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 cores9648
Core clock speed672 MHz650 MHz
Number of transistors585 million505 million
Manufacturing process technology40 nm55 nm
Power consumption (TDP)35 Watt75 Watt
Texture fill rate10.7515.60
Floating-point processing power0.258 TFLOPS0.156 TFLOPS
ROPs416
TMUs1624

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 sizelargeno data
InterfaceMXM-A (3.0)PCIe 2.0 x16
Widthno data1-slot
Supplementary power connectorsno dataNone

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 typeDDR3GDDR3
Maximum RAM amount2 GB512 MB
Memory bus width128 Bit256 Bit
Memory clock speed900 MHz900 MHz
Memory bandwidth28.8 GB/s57.6 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 ConnectorsNo outputsNo outputs

Supported technologies

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

3D Blu-Ray+-
3D Gaming+-
Optimus+-

API compatibility

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

DirectX12 API11.1 (10_0)
Shader Model5.14.0
OpenGL4.53.3
OpenCL1.11.1
VulkanN/AN/A
CUDA+1.1

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 540M 1.24
+47.6%
GT 230 0.84

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 540M 478
+48%
GT 230 323

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:

900p16
+60%
10−12
−60%
Full HD20
+66.7%
12−14
−66.7%

Cost per frame, $

1080pno data3.67

FPS performance in popular games

Full HD
Low Preset

Cyberpunk 2077 3−4
+50%
2−3
−50%

Full HD
Medium Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 6−7
+50%
4−5
−50%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4−5
+100%
2−3
−100%
Cyberpunk 2077 3−4
+50%
2−3
−50%
Far Cry 5 1−2 0−1
Far Cry New Dawn 3−4
+50%
2−3
−50%
Forza Horizon 4 2−3
+100%
1−2
−100%
Hitman 3 6−7
+50%
4−5
−50%
Horizon Zero Dawn 14−16
+55.6%
9−10
−55.6%
Red Dead Redemption 2 2−3
+100%
1−2
−100%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 8−9
+60%
5−6
−60%
Watch Dogs: Legion 30−35
+57.1%
21−24
−57.1%

Full HD
High Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 6−7
+50%
4−5
−50%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4−5
+100%
2−3
−100%
Cyberpunk 2077 3−4
+50%
2−3
−50%
Far Cry 5 1−2 0−1
Far Cry New Dawn 3−4
+50%
2−3
−50%
Forza Horizon 4 2−3
+100%
1−2
−100%
Hitman 3 6−7
+50%
4−5
−50%
Horizon Zero Dawn 14−16
+55.6%
9−10
−55.6%
Red Dead Redemption 2 2−3
+100%
1−2
−100%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 8−9
+60%
5−6
−60%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 10−12
+57.1%
7−8
−57.1%
Watch Dogs: Legion 30−35
+57.1%
21−24
−57.1%

Full HD
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 6−7
+50%
4−5
−50%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4−5
+100%
2−3
−100%
Cyberpunk 2077 3−4
+50%
2−3
−50%
Far Cry 5 1−2 0−1
Forza Horizon 4 2−3
+100%
1−2
−100%
Hitman 3 6−7
+50%
4−5
−50%
Horizon Zero Dawn 14−16
+55.6%
9−10
−55.6%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 8−9
+60%
5−6
−60%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 10−12
+57.1%
7−8
−57.1%
Watch Dogs: Legion 30−35
+57.1%
21−24
−57.1%

Full HD
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2 2−3
+100%
1−2
−100%

1440p
High Preset

Battlefield 5 1−2 0−1
Far Cry New Dawn 2−3
+100%
1−2
−100%

1440p
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 1−2 0−1
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 0−1 0−1
Cyberpunk 2077 1−2 0−1
Far Cry 5 1−2 0−1
Hitman 3 7−8
+75%
4−5
−75%
Horizon Zero Dawn 4−5
+100%
2−3
−100%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 0−1 0−1
Watch Dogs: Legion 6−7
+50%
4−5
−50%

1440p
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2 4−5
+100%
2−3
−100%

4K
High Preset

Far Cry New Dawn 0−1 0−1

4K
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 1−2 0−1
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 1−2 0−1
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 0−1 0−1
Far Cry 5 0−1 0−1

4K
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2 3−4
+50%
2−3
−50%

This is how GT 540M and GT 230 compete in popular games:

  • GT 540M is 60% faster in 900p
  • GT 540M is 67% faster in 1080p

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 1.24 0.84
Recency 5 January 2011 12 October 2009
Maximum RAM amount 2 GB 512 MB
Chip lithography 40 nm 55 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 35 Watt 75 Watt

GT 540M has a 47.6% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 1 year, a 300% higher maximum VRAM amount, a 37.5% more advanced lithography process, and 114.3% lower power consumption.

The GeForce GT 540M is our recommended choice as it beats the GeForce GT 230 in performance tests.

Be aware that GeForce GT 540M is a notebook card while GeForce GT 230 is a desktop one.


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

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NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M
GeForce GT 540M
NVIDIA GeForce GT 230
GeForce GT 230

Comparisons with similar GPUs

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Community ratings

Here you can see the user ratings of the compared graphics cards, as well as rate them yourself.


3.4 917 votes

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2.9 64 votes

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Questions & comments

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