GPU Wiki

NV1 vs GeForce 256

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

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