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GeForce 256 vs Riva TNT2 Ultra

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

  • Riva TNT2 Ultra has more Memory size (32 MB vs 32 MB typical; some later board-partner variants used 64 MB).
  • Riva TNT2 Ultra has more Memory bandwidth (2.93 GB/s vs 2.656 GB/s on SDR boards; 4.8 GB/s on DDR boards).
  • Boost clock: GeForce 256 has Not applicable; Riva TNT2 Ultra has 150 MHz.
  • Architecture: GeForce 256 has Celsius / NV10 fixed-function DirectX 7 GPU with hardware transform and lighting; Riva TNT2 Ultra has Fahrenheit.
  • Launch date: GeForce 256 has 1999-10-11; Riva TNT2 Ultra has 1999-03-15.
  • Memory type: GeForce 256 has SDR SDRAM or SGRAM on early cards; DDR SDRAM or DDR SGRAM on later DDR cards; Riva TNT2 Ultra has SDR.
Row order:
Muted cells indicate unavailable, not applicable, or not directly comparable specifications.
Spec GeForce 256 Riva TNT2 Ultra
Overview
Product name NVIDIA GeForce 256 NVIDIA Riva TNT2 Ultra
Architecture Celsius / NV10 fixed-function DirectX 7 GPU with hardware transform and lighting Fahrenheit
Generation / family GeForce 256 RIVA TNT2 Series
GPU codename NV10 NV5
Launch date 1999-10-11 1999-03-15
Launch MSRP About $249 to $299 for early 32 MB boards, depending on partner and memory type Unknown
Market segment High-end desktop gaming and enthusiast 3D graphics Desktop, Flagship in RIVA TNT2 Series
Board type / entry type Reference GPU Reference GPU
GPU
Process node TSMC 220 nm TSMC 250 nm
Die size About 139 mm2 63 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 0.01 billion
GPU chip NV10 NV5
SM / multiprocessor count 0 0
CUDA Cores 0 0
ROPs Unknown 2
TMUs Unknown 2
Clocks
Base / Core clock 120 MHz 150 MHz
Boost clock Not applicable 150 MHz
Memory clock 166 MHz SDR on SDR boards; 150 MHz DDR clock, 300 MT/s effective, on DDR boards 183 MHz
Memory
Memory size 32 MB typical; some later board-partner variants used 64 MB 32 MB
Memory type SDR SDRAM or SGRAM on early cards; DDR SDRAM or DDR SGRAM on later DDR cards SDR
Memory bus width 128-bit 128-bit
Memory bandwidth 2.656 GB/s on SDR boards; 4.8 GB/s on DDR boards 2.93 GB/s
Bus / Interface
Bus interface AGP 2x / AGP 4x depending on board and platform AGP 4x
AGP / PCI / PCIe distinction AGP Legacy graphics interface. AGP Legacy graphics interface.
Power
TDP / TBP / board power About 12 to 13 W class, depending on SDR or DDR board design Unknown
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 Unknown
Display / Media
Display outputs 15-pin VGA on typical boards.
Some board-partner designs exposed or provisioned DVI, S-Video or TV-out. 		1x VGA, 2x S-Video
Features
DirectX support DirectX 7.0 with hardware transform and lighting DirectX 6.0
OpenGL support OpenGL 1.2 class in period drivers OpenGL 1.2
Vulkan support Not supported Unknown
CUDA support Not applicable. This predates CUDA. Unknown

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