GPU Wiki

GeForce 256 vs NV1

Select up to four GPU Wiki entries to compare matching specifications row by row. The comparison uses the site database and keeps generation-specific specs visibly separate.

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Key Differences

  • GeForce 256 has more Memory size (32 MB typical; some later board-partner variants used 64 MB vs 1 MB, 2 MB, or 4 MB depending on board).
  • GeForce 256 has more Memory bandwidth (2.656 GB/s on SDR boards; 4.8 GB/s on DDR boards vs About 0.4 to 0.48 GB/s).
  • Boost clock: GeForce 256 has Not applicable; NV1 has 75 MHz.
  • TDP / TBP / board power: GeForce 256 has About 12 to 13 W class, depending on SDR or DDR board design; NV1 has About 2 W class.
  • Architecture: GeForce 256 has Celsius / NV10 fixed-function DirectX 7 GPU with hardware transform and lighting; NV1 has NV1, quadratic texture mapping multimedia accelerator.
  • Launch date: GeForce 256 has 1999-10-11; NV1 has 1995-05-22.
Row order:
Muted cells indicate unavailable, not applicable, or not directly comparable specifications.
Spec GeForce 256 NV1
Overview
Product name NVIDIA GeForce 256 NVIDIA NV1 / SGS-Thomson STG2000
Architecture Celsius / NV10 fixed-function DirectX 7 GPU with hardware transform and lighting NV1, quadratic texture mapping multimedia accelerator
Generation / family GeForce 256 NV1 Series
GPU codename NV10 NV1
Launch date 1999-10-11 1995-05-22
Launch MSRP About $249 to $299 for early 32 MB boards, depending on partner and memory type Diamond Edge 3D boards were listed around $259 to $315 depending on model
Market segment High-end desktop gaming and enthusiast 3D graphics Consumer PCI multimedia accelerator, early 3D, audio, video, and controller support
Board type / entry type Reference GPU Reference GPU
GPU
Process node TSMC 220 nm SGS-Thomson 500 nm class
Die size About 139 mm2 About 90 mm2
Transistor count About 17 million in GPU database sources; some launch-era coverage quoted nearly 23 million for the broader GeForce 256 chip description About 1 million
GPU chip NV10 NV1 / STG2000
SM / multiprocessor count 0 0
CUDA Cores 0 0
ROPs Unknown 1
TMUs Unknown 1
Clocks
Base / Core clock 120 MHz 75 MHz graphics core class
Boost clock Not applicable 75 MHz
Memory clock 166 MHz SDR on SDR boards; 150 MHz DDR clock, 300 MT/s effective, on DDR boards 50 to 60 MHz class
Memory
Memory size 32 MB typical; some later board-partner variants used 64 MB 1 MB, 2 MB, or 4 MB depending on board
Memory type SDR SDRAM or SGRAM on early cards; DDR SDRAM or DDR SGRAM on later DDR cards FPM DRAM, EDO DRAM, or VRAM depending on board
Memory bus width 128-bit 64-bit
Memory bandwidth 2.656 GB/s on SDR boards; 4.8 GB/s on DDR boards About 0.4 to 0.48 GB/s
Bus / Interface
Bus interface AGP 2x / AGP 4x depending on board and platform PCI
AGP / PCI / PCIe distinction AGP Legacy graphics interface. PCI Legacy graphics interface.
Power
TDP / TBP / board power About 12 to 13 W class, depending on SDR or DDR board design About 2 W class
Recommended PSU Unknown 200 W
Power connectors None None
Slot width Single slot Single slot
Cooling type Small active fan cooler on many boards; some partner designs vary Passive or bare package on many boards
Display / Media
Display outputs 15-pin VGA on typical boards.
Some board-partner designs exposed or provisioned DVI, S-Video or TV-out. 		15-pin VGA on Diamond Edge 3D boards.
Some boards also exposed audio jacks and a proprietary game controller port.
Features
DirectX support DirectX 7.0 with hardware transform and lighting Direct3D compatibility was limited because NV1 targeted quadratic primitives rather than the triangle based Direct3D direction
OpenGL support OpenGL 1.2 class in period drivers Not a normal OpenGL accelerator
Vulkan support Not supported Not supported
CUDA support Not applicable. This predates CUDA. Not applicable

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