NVIDIA GeForce MX350: Comparing the 10 W and 25 W Versions, Tests and Performance

NVIDIA GeForce MX350 is an entry-level mobile graphics card released in February 2020 for thin laptops. It is available in 10 W and 25 W versions, which differ noticeably in performance. At the same time, even the more powerful version is not always faster than the integrated Intel Iris Xe, while the modern Radeon 680M and 780M significantly outperform the MX350 in graphics tests.

Architecture and Specifications

The MX350 is based on the Pascal architecture and uses the GP107 graphics processor, manufactured on a 14 nm process. It contains 640 CUDA cores, 32 texture units, and 16 ROPs.

The graphics card is equipped with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory with an effective clock speed of around 7000 MHz. The memory bus is 64-bit wide, and bandwidth is approximately 56 GB/s.

GP107 was also used in the GeForce GTX 1050, but the MX350 has a narrower memory bus and a significantly lower power limit. Therefore, the same number of CUDA cores does not mean comparable gaming performance.

The main difference between the MX350 versions lies in their clock speeds and power consumption.

The 10 W version is intended for compact laptops with limited cooling. The 25 W version operates at higher clock speeds, but its actual performance depends on the manufacturer’s settings.

The MX350 supports DirectX 12, Vulkan, and CUDA. It has no hardware RT cores or Tensor cores, so hardware-accelerated ray tracing and DLSS are unavailable.

Benchmark Performance

The 3DMark results show how substantially the MX350 versions differ and how they compare with other mobile GPUs. The comparison uses specific devices rather than average figures for the graphics chips.

The Acer Aspire 5 with the 25 W MX350 scores 39% more points in Time Spy Graphics than the Dell Inspiron 5501 with the MX330. This is a comparison of specific laptops: the difference depends not only on the GPU, but also on cooling and the other components.

The difference between the MX350 versions themselves is also substantial. The HP Pavilion 15 with the 25 W version scores 1389 points, compared with 1032 for the Acer Swift 5 with the 10 W version-an advantage of around 35%.

At the same time, the integrated Iris Xe G7 96EU in the Acer Swift 5 scores 1598 points. It outperforms not only the 10 W MX350 in the same laptop, but also both tested 25 W configurations.

The Radeon 680M and 780M achieve even higher results. For example, the Radeon 780M in the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 scores 2551 points-84% more than the 25 W MX350 in the HP Pavilion 15.

This is a comparison of graphics performance in Time Spy, not a universal gaming FPS ranking. The relative performance may differ in other tests.

Gaming Performance

The MX350 is aimed at games with moderate graphics requirements. At 1920 × 1080, the 25 W version is usually faster, but the size of the advantage depends on the specific game.

The results were obtained on test configurations with different power limits. These are game versions from the period of the original measurements, not CS2, GTA V Enhanced, or the updated version of The Witcher 3.

In CS:GO, the 25 W version reaches 126 FPS, compared with 70 FPS for the 10 W version. The advantage is 80%, although this game is also sensitive to processor performance.

In Dota 2, the difference falls to 17%, and in GTA V to 7%. Thus, a higher power limit does not guarantee a proportional increase in FPS.

In The Witcher 3, the 25 W version delivers 34 FPS at medium settings, while the 10 W version manages only 25 FPS. For the less powerful version, low settings or a reduced resolution are preferable.

The MX350’s capabilities are limited in more demanding games. For example, Red Dead Redemption 2 runs at around 16 FPS at low settings and 1920 × 1080 even on the 25 W version.

MX350 vs. Intel Iris Xe: A Comparison in the Same Laptop

The Acer Swift 5 SF514-55GT with a Core i7-1165G7 allows the integrated Iris Xe G7 96EU and the discrete 10 W MX350 to be compared in the same laptop configuration.

In CS:GO, the integrated graphics are approximately 45% faster; in Dota 2, 25% faster; and in Rise of the Tomb Raider, 50% faster.

However, the Iris Xe’s advantage is not maintained in every mode. In Dota 2 at low settings, the MX350 reaches 163 FPS, compared with 123 FPS for the integrated graphics.

Therefore, having a discrete graphics card does not always provide higher performance. The result depends on the game, settings, and characteristics of the laptop.

Power Consumption and Cooling

Even MX350 implementations with the same TGP can operate at different clock speeds because of cooling settings.

In the Lenovo IdeaPad 5, the graphics card maintained around 1493 MHz after 30 minutes of gaming, at a temperature of 66 °C. This clock speed is slightly above the typical rated Boost value thanks to the dynamic GPU Boost technology.

In the Acer Aspire 5 A515-56G, the 25 W version reduced its clock speed from 1155 to 1029 MHz at a temperature of around 67 °C. The reason was the manufacturer-set temperature limit, at which point the GPU clock speed is restricted.

Therefore, when choosing a laptop, it is important to consider not only the nominal 10 W or 25 W rating, but also how the graphics card behaves under sustained load.

CUDA, Video Editing, and Driver Support

The MX350 supports CUDA and can accelerate certain operations in graphics applications, video editors, and 3D modeling software. However, its 2 GB of video memory limits the size of the scenes and projects that can be processed.

The graphics card lacks a hardware NVENC encoder. Therefore, the MX350 cannot perform hardware video encoding through NVIDIA NVENC on its own. CUDA can accelerate supported effects and image processing, but encoding during export will require another mechanism-for example, Intel Quick Sync in a compatible processor or software encoding on the CPU.

As of October 2025, NVIDIA has stopped releasing Game Ready drivers for Pascal graphics cards, including the MX350. Critical security updates are scheduled through October 2028.

This does not prevent already compatible games from running, but new game optimizations and features for the MX350 are no longer being released.

Is the GeForce MX350 Worth Choosing in 2026?

The MX350 can still handle games from previous years, but its capabilities are limited by its low performance in modern titles, 2 GB of video memory, and the end of regular gaming driver support.

When evaluating a laptop with an MX350, consider the following:

• The 25 W version is preferable for gaming if the cooling system can maintain high clock speeds.
• The 10 W version is slower than the integrated Iris Xe G7 96EU in some laptops.
• The Radeon 680M and 780M significantly outperform the MX350 in the 3DMark tests examined here.
• For video editing, the lack of NVENC limits the advantages of the discrete graphics card.

Conclusion: The 25 W GeForce MX350 remains suitable for older games and basic CUDA workloads. The 10 W version is less appealing, as its performance can even fall behind integrated graphics. In 2026, when choosing a laptop, it is more sensible to focus on the performance of the device as a whole rather than on the presence of an MX350. Modern integrated graphics are often the better solution.