Introduction As you know, hardly anyone would dare to call the first launch of the Nvidia GeForce 200 architecture a success. Having relied on maximizing the complexity and performance of a monolithic core, Nvidia seemed to have lost when ATI responded to the release of the G200 with its “secret weapon” - the relatively uncomplicated and significantly less expensive RV770 processor. Solutions based on Nvidia G200, already expensive due to the monstrous complexity, instantly became unprofitable when the company was forced to sharply reduce prices in an attempt to make them competitive. And even such a step had little effect on their attractiveness - the fact is that the chip, which consisted of almost one and a half billion transistors and was produced using 65-nm technological standards, by definition could not work on high frequencies. In the older model of the new family, Nvidia barely managed to reach GPU frequencies up to 600/1300 MHz, and the younger one was even slower, and, as a result, could not compete with the Radeon HD 4870, which, moreover, was noticeably cheaper.
But time passed, and as time passed, Nvidia gradually managed to, as they say, “pick up its tails.” First, the company increased the performance of the younger model of the family, the GeForce GTX 260, by unlocking some of the functional blocks of the GPU, as a result of which the new product, which received the addition “Core 216” to its name, was able to successfully compete with the ATI Radeon HD 4870. Then, later, it also became a testing ground, on which it was first tested a new version G200 core, transferred to the use of a 55-nm process technology, and a new, significantly simplified, and therefore lower cost design was tested printed circuit board, which, under conditions of severe pressure from ATI, solutions based on the G200 needed air. The design of the GeForce GTX 285 was just as radically simplified, but thanks to a more advanced technical process, the frequency potential of the G200b was significantly increased, as a result of which the successor to the GeForce GTX 280 in some cases was able to compete on an equal footing with the ATI Radeon HD 4850 X2. In addition, the presence of the 55-nm version of the G200 in the arsenal allowed Nvidia to finally strike back at ATI in the sector of the most powerful dual-processor gaming solutions, and the GeForce GTX 295, announced on January 8, 2009, really easily dethroned the king of 3D graphics ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2.
However, in the sector of less expensive solutions, things are not so rosy for Nvidia: the monstrous G200, even in its new, 55-nm incarnation, is not at all suitable for creating such cards, due to its complexity and high cost, and the company does not yet have a new budget core. Everything she has at her disposal this moment- this is a 55-nm version of G92, which was chosen as the basis for creating a new mass graphics adapter, designed to replenish the GeForce 200 line from below. But the company didn't just rename the GeForce 9800 GTX+, and we should explain why.
To begin with, it’s worth making a digression and reminding readers that even the G200 is not a revolutionary chip, essentially differing from the G92 only in the number of functional units and the organization of the ALU, which was discussed in the corresponding review. The G92 itself, in turn, traces its lineage back to the G80, announced in November 2006, essentially differing from its ancestor only in the architecture of its texture processors.
Thus, by the standards of the computer industry, the current Nvidia architecture breaks all longevity records. On the one hand, this can be considered as a retrograde, but on the other hand, as evidence of the maturity of the architecture itself. In fact, solutions based on the G92 can easily be included in the GeForce 200 family, and there will be nothing reprehensible or illogical in this, since there are no fundamental differences between this core and the G200. Of course, this thesis does not negate the natural question of what the Nvidia development department has been doing all this time, but it is beyond the scope of this review, although we still already know something about the future generation of Nvidia graphics cores.
So, created on the basis of the 55-nm G92b core, the GeForce 9800 GTX+ turned out to be a good rival for the “people's video adapter” represented by the Radeon HD 4850, but here, in addition to creating confusion in the names of Nvidia product lines, more significant pitfalls were discovered. The point is that the PCB design this map inherited from the GeForce 9800 GTX, which was originally created as the flagship of the GeForce 9 line, designed to replace the GeForce 8800 GTX/Ultra. For solutions with a recommended cost of less than $150, such a complex and therefore expensive design was, to put it mildly, not the best fit. Something had to be done.
Nvidia GeForce GTS 250: birth and technical characteristics
It must be said that Nvidia had a suitable board design at its disposal for quite a long time, starting from the end of 2007 - we are talking about the GeForce 8800 GT/GTS 512 family, which also used the G92 chip, however, for an unknown reason, the company decided not to use it. having developed a new printed circuit board for the GeForce GTS 250 from scratch. The motives for such a decision are completely unclear to us, since the development new board always means additional time and financial costs, which, in this case, could have been avoided.It is possible that on such Nvidia step prompted by the desire to avoid unnecessary criticism, but even the use of a new board does not make the GeForce GTS 250 a unique product - the new product, in fact, remains the same GeForce 8800 GTS 512 with increased clock speeds and doubled local video memory in one of the variants! One way or another, it must be admitted that Nvidia did not present anything new to the public, once again offering customers the old candy in new wrapper. We will refrain from moral assessments of this action, since, despite its advanced age, the GeForce 8/9 architecture copes well with the tasks assigned to it, however, we note that the use of the “GTS” suffix still creates some confusion. In our opinion, in order to finally unify the names of their products, Nvidia should have followed in the footsteps of ATI, completely abandoning the use of letter suffixes, but perhaps they were retained for a clearer separation of solutions based on the G200 and G92 - GTX for the former and GTS for the latter . It is possible that we will soon see the GeForce 9800 GT under the name GeForce GTS 240 or 230, although, according to the latest information, video card manufacturers consider such a renaming unnecessary.
So, GeForce GTS 250. How does the “new” Nvidia solution compare to its rivals from the “red” camp?
As already mentioned, nothing new, with the exception of the increased local video memory in one of the GeForce GTS 250 variants - from 512 to 1024 MB. In fact, we still have the same GeForce 9800 GTX+, and, accordingly, there can be no talk of any noticeable changes in gaming performance, although in some cases a more expensive option may benefit somewhat due to the presence of 1 GB of memory on board.
All the innovations announced by Nvidia, such as support for CUDA and PhysX, are purely software and, in fact, are “implemented” by unlocking them at the driver level.
However, precisely because the GeForce GTS 250 is no different in its technical specifications from the GeForce 9800 GTX+, it does not look inferior to the Radeon HD 4850, except for the capabilities that are not directly related to the field of gaming 3D, namely, a less advanced video processor that is unable to fully decode the VC-1 format in hardware, as well as the lack of a built-in sound core with stream output to the HDMI interface.
The recommended price of the new product at the time of the announcement was $149 for the version with 1 GB of video memory and $129 for the version with 512 MB of video memory; in addition, there are references to a model costing $169, equipped with 2 GB of local memory, but this option is unlikely to become any popular, since such a volume is not used by modern games, and even more so, it is meaningless in the case of an inexpensive mass solution. In theory, such a card could find its way into low-cost GPGPU systems, but Nvidia's current architecture has problems with double-precision (FP64) performance, and single-precision (FP32) is in many cases insufficient for serious applications.
In practice, at the time of writing this article, cards based on the GTS 250 in Moscow retail cost 6-7 thousand rubles, depending on the amount of memory.
As for specific products, in this review we will talk about an unusual version of the GeForce GTS 250, presented by Palit Microsystems.
Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB: packaging and accessories
The described product is packaged in a regular cardboard box of standard sizes, and the packaging design can hardly be called successful, at least in our opinion:
The color scheme used by Palit designers, which includes black and yellow colors, does not look very aesthetically pleasing, especially in combination with the design depicting a frog in an armored suit, which we have previously seen on the packaging of Palit GeForce 9800 GTX+ cards.
The described packaging also has a positive feature - it is informative. Although the sticker in the lower right corner does not indicate clock speeds, it correctly indicates the type and amount of video memory, and also mentions that this product contains GDDR3 chips with an access time of 0.8 nanoseconds. Together with the inscription “Play It, Tweak It, Get More Out of It” and the low price, this indicates that this product is aimed at overclocking enthusiasts on a budget.
The package is quite modest, but includes everything necessary for the full operation of this video adapter:
HDMI → DVI adapter
2×PATA → PCIe adapter
S/PDIF connecting cable
Quick User Guide
CD with drivers
It’s not rich, but a buyer focusing on this price category is unlikely to chase a lot of additional accessories that will only make the product more expensive. Note that Palit has taken care of both owners of two monitors with a DVI interface, as well as those who plan to use the card to output audio via HDMI to an external receiver, providing their product with the appropriate adapters and cables. It’s a little unusual to see an HDMI → DVI adapter included in the package, but in this case its presence is due to the fact that the described version of the GeForce GTS 250 has only one “native” DVI-I port, and the second one is an HDMI connector.
In general, the packaging and equipment of the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB are fully consistent price category to which this product belongs. However, we think that more attention should be paid to the packaging design, since in its current form it does not look very attractive.
Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB: PCB design and technical specifications
This version of the GeForce GTS 250 uses a non-standard PCB design that has nothing in common with the reference design developed by Nvidia specifically for the new mass-produced video adapter. The Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB PCB is in many ways identical to the one described in the review “ Brothers in arms: two Palit GeForce 9800GTX+ video cards", although there are a number of differences, especially on the left side of the board, which is due to the double-sided arrangement of memory chips, as well as the configuration of the interface connectors with which this product is equipped.
In comparison with the reference GeForce 9800 GTX+ (board length 267 mm), the Palit design has one advantage - a shorter board length, however, if you compare it with the Nvidia reference design for the GeForce GTS 250, also shortened to 244 mm, then instead of an advantage you immediately find quite a significant drawback: the need to connect two power connectors instead of one. Considering that the G92b's power consumption level is about 80 W, the presence of two six-pin PCIe 1.0 power connectors looks like an obvious overkill that has no practical basis.
The GPU power supply system itself is identical to that used in one of the versions of the Palit GeForce 9800 GTX+ and is a four-phase stabilizer with three power MOSFETs in each phase, controlled by ON Semiconductor NCP3488 drivers. The NCP5388 chip is used as a controller.
The Anpec APW7068 chip, which is a PWM controller operating at a frequency of 300 KHz, is responsible for controlling the memory power supply stabilizer.
The board has 16 GDDR3 Samsung K4J52324QH-HJ08 chips with a capacity of 512 Mbit (16Mx32), designed for a supply voltage of 2.05 V. Half of the chips are located on the back side of the board and covered with an aluminum heat spreader plate. The total amount of local video memory is 1024 MB, and the width of the access bus is 256 bits.
The suffix in the memory marking actually indicates an access time of 0.83 ns, which means the ability of these chips to operate at a frequency of 1200 (2400) MHz. According to Nvidia specifications, the GeForce GTS 250 memory should operate at a frequency of 1100 (2200) MHz, but running GPU-Z revealed that in the Palit variant its frequency is only 1000 (2000) MHz. Thus, in some tests one should expect a slight lag from the reference card, even if equipped with half the amount of video memory.
The graphics core has a slightly different marking than that installed on the Palit GeForce 9800 GTX+ - “G92-428-B1” versus “G92-420-B1”, although the revision number is the same and indicates that this is a G92b, produced using 55- nm technological standards. The area of the crystal also speaks about this. This copy was produced in the second week of this year, that is, at the beginning of January. It is curious that the marking itself is made in a different, wider font than in older copies of G92/G92b.
Like the memory frequency, the GPU clock frequencies differ from the official specifications: if the reference values for the GeForce GTS 250 are 738/1826 MHz for the main and computing domains, respectively, then in the Palit version these units operate at frequencies of 745/1848 MHz, in which -at least can compensate for more low frequency memory. The graphics core configuration is standard and includes 128 universal shader processors, 64 texture processors and 16 RBE units.
Among other features characteristic of the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB, it is worth noting the non-standard configuration of interface connectors: instead of the usual two DVI-I ports, supplemented by a universal analog video output port, the card has one DVI-I port, one analog D-Sub and one HDMI. A somewhat strange decision for 2009: currently there is no serious need for a separate D-Sub connector, since the corresponding connection can be easily organized using a cheap DVI-I → D-Sub adapter. But connecting a second monitor with a DVI interface in this configuration will have to be done via an HDMI → DVI adapter, the reliability of which raises some concerns - theoretically, it is possible that under the weight of the connected cable this adapter could fall out of the socket, because the HDMI port does not have an equally reliable system screw fixation, like DVI connector. In our opinion, the optimal connector configuration would be “2xDVI-I + 1xHDMI”, since the presence of a dedicated HDMI port is much more important nowadays than the presence of an analog video output connector.
Other connectors present on the board include two standard “combs” of the MIO interface, which are used to combine two or three cards into an SLI or Triple SLI system, respectively, as well as a two-pin S/PDIF connector, designed to broadcast an audio stream to HDMI .
In general, Palit's use of a non-standard board design for the GeForce GTS 250 seems to us a dubious undertaking: perhaps its cost does not exceed the cost of the Nvidia reference design, but the described design is clearly less convenient to use due to the need to connect two power connectors instead of one.
Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB: cooling system design
The GeForce GTS 250 reference cooling system is another variation on the GeForce 8800 GTX cooler, not being a record holder, but combining acceptable cooling efficiency with a low noise level. However, Palit decided to go its own way in this matter, equipping its version of the GeForce GTS 250 with a non-standard cooling system - most likely, only in order to stand out from a number of cards of the same type in appearance.
However, she does not represent anything extraordinary; Moreover, its design is such that it immediately allows one to question the thermal efficiency of the design used. In itself, it is very simple, and, in fact, is a low heatsink made of thin aluminum plates, connected to a copper base by two heat pipes and blown from above by a fan mounted on the casing.
You can immediately see two main drawbacks of the system: firstly, the radiator area itself is relatively small, and secondly, the use of an axial fan at such a radiator height does not allow us to hope for the efficiency of blowing the latter, since we are talking about a 90-degree turn of the air flow at a distance of about one and a half centimeters. In addition, a significant part of the air flow directed to the sides of the fan is completely wasted, because, unlike the GeForce 7900 GTX cooling system, there are no additional radiator sections that use these flows. The slots in the card mounting strip with this arrangement of the cooling system play mainly a decorative role - outward from system unit a small amount of air is blown through them
The system uses an Everflow R128015BH fan, which has an impeller diameter of 80 mm, a height of 15 mm and a power consumption of 3.84 W. At maximum speed the fan is quite noisy, but more on that below.
As in the Gainward HD 4850 1024MB GS, a layer of light gray thermal interface is applied to the copper base of the heat exchanger, which has a very dry consistency and literally glues the base to the crystal GPU. The heatsink is attached to the board using four screws, which is not a problem due to its low weight and the presence of a protective metal frame on the GPU packaging, which prevents fatal distortion of the heat exchanger. The memory chips located on the front side of the board are covered by an L-shaped aluminum plate, and the chips installed on the back side are covered by another plate with a larger area. The plates are secured with six screws; Elastic thermal pads are used as a thermal interface.
This design is made with claims to high cooling efficiency coupled with a low noise level, however, it has a number of drawbacks visible to the naked eye that cast doubt on the legitimacy of these claims; however, the last word will remain with the test results, which we will talk about in the next chapter of our review.
Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB: power consumption, thermal conditions, noise and overclocking
Despite the fact that the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB uses a non-standard printed circuit board design and power system circuitry, we still measured its power consumption level using a dedicated test stand with the following configuration:
CPU Intel Pentium 4,560 (3.6 GHz, LGA775)
DFI LANParty UT ICFX3200-T2R/G motherboard (ATI CrossFire Xpress 3200)
Memory PC2-5300 (2x512 MB, 667 MHz)
Hard Western drive Digital Raptor WD360ADFD (36 GB)
Chieftec ATX-410-212 power supply (rated power 410 W)
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 32-bit
Futuremark PCMark05 Build 1.2.0
Futuremark 3DMark06 Build 1.1.0
According to the established methodology, to create a load in 3D mode, the first SM3.0/HDR test of the 3DMark06 package was used, run in a cycle at a resolution of 1600x1200 with forced FSAA 4x and AF 16x. Emulation of the “peak 2D” mode was carried out using the “2D Transparent Windows” test, which is part of PCMark05. The last test is relevant in light of the fact that the Aero window interface is the main gaming operating system- Windows Vista - uses the capabilities of the graphics processor.
As already mentioned, the presence of two power connectors is overkill for this video adapter, since even in 3D mode its power consumption level does not exceed 81 W, and each of these connectors, capable of supporting up to 75 W, accounts for a load of only about 28-29 W . Such reinsurance seems absolutely unnecessary, and all that Palit managed to achieve with its help was to complicate the lives of owners of inexpensive power supplies equipped with only one six-pin graphics card power connector.
Despite the controversial design of the cooling system, it managed to demonstrate very good results:
Under load, the temperature of the graphics core did not exceed 65 degrees Celsius, which is 5 degrees lower than that of the reference cooling system GeForce 9800 GTX+. The idle mode was also pleasing, despite the fact that the core temperature in it was still higher than that of the more powerful GeForce GTX 260 Core 216. Thus, our skepticism regarding the effectiveness of the low-profile radiator was dispelled, although we should not forget that the obtained indicators were largely due to the cost-effectiveness of the 55nm version of the G92. All that remains is to look at the noise characteristics:
Contrary to expectations, the Palit cooling system did not fail here either - the noise level at a distance of a meter from a working test system turned out to be comparable to the performance of the reference GeForce 9800 GTX+ cooling system and only slightly exceeded the background value of 43 dBA. Unfortunately, the described cooler also has a drawback: before loading the operating system and driver, the fan runs at high speeds and is quite noisy, but after loading the noise level returns to normal, and the card becomes almost silent. However, we should not forget that the test platform we use is quite noisy in itself due to the Enermax Galaxy DXX EGX1000EWL power supply it uses.
An attempt to overclock the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB did not bring any special surprises, but it was not a failure either:
Without using any extreme means, it was possible to raise the core clock speeds to 800/1984 MHz, and the memory to 1150 (2300) MHz, while maintaining complete stability. In this mode, the card passed the full testing cycle without any problems, as a result of which we considered it necessary to publish the results obtained along with the results shown by the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB in normal mode, when operating at factory frequencies.
Zotac GeForce GTS 250 AMP! Edition: reference design card
We noted above that Palit took the path of least resistance, modifying an existing board from the previously released 9800 GTX+ video card. This design differs from NVIDIA's reference design, which will no doubt be the basis for most GTS 250 graphics cards.Fortunately, we also got our hands on the Zotac GeForce GTS 250 AMP video card! Edition, equipped with 1024 MB of memory and made according to the reference design, with the exception of slightly increased operating frequencies - up to 750/2300 MHz. Although we only had the card in our hands for a couple of days, so it was not possible to put it through a full range of tests, oh appearance and design features, we will say a few words - but the performance in practice will only differ slightly from the Palit card discussed in detail in this review.
Externally, the Zotac GeForce GTS 250 resembles the good old GeForce 8800GTS/512, the second card based on the G92 chip - the first was the less powerful 8800GT with a single-slot cooling system. Compared to cards based on the 9800GTX+, the GTS 250 is reduced in length to 244 mm, which allows it to be easily installed in the vast majority of cases.
The card uses the now classic NVIDIA cooling system, which is very effective and at the same time one of the quietest among all cooling systems installed on modern video cards. It consists of a large aluminum platform, which contacts the memory chips and power system transistors through white soft heat-conducting pads, a copper pad pressed to the GPU chip through a layer of thermal paste, and heat pipes that ensure uniform heat distribution across the radiator fins. The system is blown by one turbine with a 4-wire connection.
Although Zotac GeForce GTS 250 AMP! The Edition also comes with 1024 MB of memory, but there are no memory chips on the underside of the board.
On the top side of the board there are eight Hynix H5RS1H23MFR GDDR3 chips, each with a capacity of 1 Gbit. However, from the buyer’s point of view, something else is more interesting: the card has only one 6-pin power connector.
In Zotac GeForce GTS 250 AMP! Edition uses the G92-428-B1 chip, just like the Palit card.
In fact, video cards based on the GTS 250 chip, made according to the reference design, which includes the Zotac GeForce GTS 250 AMP! Edition have two advantages over the Palit GeForce GTS 250: firstly, they have one 6-pin power connector, and secondly, the NVIDIA cooling system exhausts all the hot air outside the case, unlike the Palit cooling system. The latter is especially important for owners of compact microATX cases, in which new video cards, thanks to the reduced length of the printed circuit board, can be easily installed.
Test platform configuration and testing methodology
A comparative study of the performance of Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB was carried out on test platform with the following configuration:
CPU Intel Core i7-965 Extreme Edition(3.2 GHz, 6.4 GT/s QPI)
System Asus board P6T Deluxe (Intel X58)
Memory Corsair XMS3-12800C9 (3x2 GB, 1333 MHz, 9-9-9-24, 2T)
Hard drive Maxtor MaXLine III 7B250S0 (250 GB, SATA-150, 16 MB buffer)
Power supply Enermax Galaxy DXX EGX1000EWL (power 1 kW)
Monitor Dell 3007WFP (30”, maximum resolution 2560x1600@60 Hz)
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 64-bit
Nvidia GeForce 182.08 WHQL for Nvidia GeForce
ATI Catalyst 9.2 for ATI Radeon HD
Graphics card drivers have been tuned to provide the highest possible quality of texture filtering while minimizing the impact of default software optimizations. Transparent texture antialiasing has been enabled. As a result, the list of ATI Catalyst and Nvidia GeForce driver settings took the following form:
Nvidia GeForce:
Texture filtering - Quality: High quality
Texture filtering - Trilinear optimization: Off
Texture filtering - Anisotropic sample optimization: Off
Vertical sync: Force off
Antialiasing - Gamma correction: On
Antialiasing - Transparency: Multisampling
Multi-display mixed-GPU acceleration: Multiple display performance mode
Set PhysX GPU acceleration: Enabled
ATI Catalyst:
Smoothvision HD: Anti-Aliasing: Use application settings/Box Filter
Catalyst A.I.: Standard
Mipmap Detail Level: High Quality
Wait for vertical refresh: Always Off
Enable Adaptive Anti-Aliasing: On/Quality
Other settings: default
The package of test applications included the following games and synthetic tests:
3D first-person shooters:
[**]Call of Duty: World at War
Crysis Warhead
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
Far Cry 2
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
Left 4 Dead
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
3D shooters with third person view:
Devil May Cry 4
Prince of Persia
RPG:
Fallout 3
Mass Effect
Simulators:
Race Driver: GRID
X³: Terran Conflict
Strategies:
Red Alert 3
World in Conflict
Synthetic tests:
Futuremark 3DMark06
Futuremark 3DMark Vantage
Each of those included in the test set software The game was configured in such a way as to provide the highest possible level of detail, and only the tools available in the game itself to any uninitiated user were used. This means a fundamental refusal to manually modify configuration files, since the player is not required to be able to do this. Exceptions have been made for some games, each of which is mentioned separately in the appropriate section of the review.
In addition to the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB, the following graphics cards were included in the testing:
Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 (G200b, 576/1242/2000 MHz, 216 SP, 72 TMU, 28 RBE, 448-bit memory bus, 896 MB GDDR3)
Nvidia GeForce GTS 250 512MB/GeForce 9800 GTX+ (G92b, 738/1836/2200 MHz, 128 SP, 64 TMU, 16 RBE, 256-bit memory bus, 512 MB GDDR3)
ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB (RV770, 750/750/3600 MHz, 800 SP, 40 TMU, 16 RBE, 256-bit memory bus, 1024 MB GDDR5)
ATI Radeon HD 4850 (RV770, 625/625/2000 MHz, 800 SP, 40 TMU, 16 RBE, 256-bit memory bus, 512 MB GDDR3)
Testing was carried out in resolutions of 1280x1024, 1680x1050 and 1920x1200. Whenever possible, standard 16x anisotropic filtering was supplemented with 4x MSAA anti-aliasing. Activation of anti-aliasing was carried out either by the game itself, or, in their absence, it was forced using the appropriate settings of the ATI Catalyst and Nvidia GeForce drivers.
To obtain performance data, we used the tools built into the game, with the obligatory recording of original test videos if possible. If the built-in testing tools allowed, data was recorded not only on average, but also on minimum performance. In all other cases, the Fraps 2.9.8 utility was used in manual mode with a three-fold test pass, fixing the minimum values and then averaging the final result.
Game tests: Call of Duty: World at War
As expected, new GeForce The GTS 250 did not demonstrate a noticeable advantage over the GeForce 9800 GTX+, since, in fact, that is what it is, and 1 GB of video memory in World at War is clearly overkill. The miniscule lag in the 1920x1200 resolution is due to a slightly lower memory frequency. Compared to the Radeon HD 4850, the new product looks good, demonstrating approximately the same level of average and minimum performance.
Game tests: Crysis Warhead
Games based on the Crysis engine, on the contrary, are quite sensitive to the amount of video memory, especially in high resolutions. However, even at 1280x1024 the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB is noticeably superior to the model with 512 MB of video memory on board and successfully competes with the Radeon HD 4850, and at 1920x1200 it even outperforms it. But we should not forget that the obtained figures are largely theoretical in nature, since the overall level of average, and even more so, minimum performance is too low for the practical use of cards of this class in such modes.
Game tests: Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
To obtain more complete data on the performance of graphics cards in Quake Wars, the built-in average limiter was disabled via game console. Since testing uses the game's internal capabilities, there is no minimum performance information available.
Despite the fact that the game uses ultra-high-resolution textures (MegaTexture technology), the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB does not receive any advantage over the GeForce 9800 GTX+ and, accordingly, the GeForce GTS 250 512MB. Moreover, at a resolution of 1920x1200, the Palit version is noticeably inferior to the reference one due to the lower memory frequency. In general, the new product is not a revelation, continuing to demonstrate performance comparable to that of its direct competitor, the ATI Radeon HD 4850.
Game tests: Far Cry 2
At maximum settings graphics quality Far Cry 2 is less demanding than Crysis Warhead, and the presence of the appropriate amount of video memory on board the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB gives not only theoretical results - in resolutions of 1680x1050 and 1920x1200 its influence allows you to overcome the barrier of minimal comfort and provide acceptable levels of average and minimum performance . Oddly enough, we did not detect a similar effect in the case of the Radeon HD 4850, equipped with the same amount of local memory. Perhaps the release of ATI Catalyst 9.3 will make changes to the current balance of power.
Game tests: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
The effect of doubling the amount of video memory is also noticeable in F.E.A.R. 2, but in this game it is most pronounced in low resolutions; for example, at 1280x1024 the increase in average performance is approximately 18%, while at 1920x1200 it drops to 4-5%. There is also a significant increase in minimum performance, and although it does not open up new opportunities for the player, the results of the new mainstream Nvidia card look impressive, especially compared to the frankly modest results of the Radeon HD 4850.
Game Tests: Left 4 Dead
The game is based on the Source engine and has built-in testing tools, which, unfortunately, do not provide information about minimum performance.
Due to the relatively old engine, the game does not have increased requirements for video memory, and the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB is on par with the GeForce 9800 GTX+, whose new name is GeForce GTS 250 512MB. Thus, for fans of games on the Source engine, there is no point in paying extra for an additional half a gigabyte of video memory. Essentially, in this case, the choice between the Radeon HD 4850 and both GeForce GTS 250 models is completely equivalent.
Game tests: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
To ensure an acceptable level of performance in this game, it was decided to abandon the use of FSAA, as well as such resource-intensive options as “Sun rays”, “Wet surfaces” and “Volumetric smoke”. During testing, the “Enhanced full dynamic lighting (DX10)” mode was used; for ATI cards, the DirectX 10.1 mode was additionally used
Despite how demanding this game is, the effect of having 1 GB of video memory on board the graphics card under study is not very significant and appears only at a resolution of 1920x1200, where the resulting increase in average performance is only 10%. Not bad, but not enough to provide an acceptable level of performance; However, even at a resolution of 1280x1024, the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB is slightly lacking in the minimum speed, unlike the Radeon HD 4850, which can take advantage of the DirectX 10.1 support implemented in Clear Sky.
Game tests: Devil May Cry 4
It seems that the frequency of video memory, and therefore its bandwidth, has a greater impact on the performance of the GeForce GTS 250 than its volume or GPU frequency - in two out of three resolutions, the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB is noticeably inferior to the reference card, equipped with 512 MB of local memory. This is not a problem, since the overall level of performance remains very high, however, the negative effect of the “under-overclocking” of the memory undertaken by Palit is obvious.
Game tests: Prince of Persia
As is the case with two Radeon HD 4850 models that differ in the amount of video memory, there is no effect from doubling it, and the performance of the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB is even slightly lower than that of the reference card equipped with 512 MB of memory due to its lower operating frequency. Also, at resolutions up to 1680x1050 inclusive, there is a very significant advantage in minimum performance over the Radeon HD 4850.
Game tests: Fallout 3
The GeForce GTS 250 model, equipped with 1 GB of memory, is ahead of the model with 512 MB on board, but very slightly - the difference does not exceed 2.5-6%. Only overclocking the core to 800 MHz and the memory to 1150 (2300) MHz allows the new product to reach the level of the Radeon HD 4850.
Game Tests: Mass Effect
The Palit product behaves in approximately the same way in Mass Effect, but even maximum overclocking does not allow achieving stable minimum performance above 24 frames per second - of the cards presented in this review, only the GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 can do this.
Game tests: Race Driver: GRID
Both versions of the GeForce GTS 250 demonstrate almost identical results, successfully competing on equal terms with the Radeon HD 4850, but overclocking the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB allows you to achieve a solid, about 16-18%, increase in average performance, which puts this card on the same level with more expensive GeForce GTX 260 Core 216.
Game tests: X³: Terran Conflict
Another case where the difference in performance between two almost identical cards, differing only in the amount of video memory, is minimal. However, we should not forget about the reduced memory frequency of the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB, without which the gain could have been a little greater. However, we doubt that this would allow it to catch up with the Radeon HD 4850 - the game clearly prefers the ATI Radeon HD architecture.
Game tests: Red Alert 3
The game contains a permanent average performance limiter, fixed at 30 frames per second.
Nvidia solutions are still being tested serious problems with performance in this game with FSAA 4x enabled, which even the maximum overclocking of the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB does not help solve. Note that the presence of a large amount of video memory provides a noticeable increase in the average speed, but a lower memory frequency compared to the reference value leads to a slight drop in minimum performance.
Game tests: World in Conflict
The amount of video memory has no visible effect on the performance of different GeForce GTS 250 variants in World in Conflict. It is also obvious that at nominal frequencies their minimum performance is below the acceptable level, but overclocking makes it possible to compensate for this and, thus, provide comfortable performance at a resolution of 1280x1024.
Semi-synthetic tests: Futuremark 3DMark06
Despite using a resolution of 1280x1024, the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB is ahead of the GeForce GTS 250 512MB by an amount that clearly exceeds the measurement error. results separate groups tests revealed that the greatest performance increase was observed in the SM2.0 tests, while in the SM3.0/HDR tests there was practically no gain, and even some lag was observed due to the slightly lower memory frequency.
Semi-synthetic tests: Futuremark 3DMark Vantage
To minimize the impact of the CPU, testing in 3DMark Vantage uses the “Extreme” profile, which uses a resolution of 1920x1200, FSAA 4x and anisotropic filtering. To complete the performance picture, individual test results from this point on are taken across the entire resolution range.
The conditions created for the graphics subsystem by 3DMark Vantage tests are more consistent with current realities, therefore, there is a benefit both from the presence of 1 GB of video memory on board the video adapter under study, and from additional overclocking. In the latter case, the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB manages to significantly outperform the Radeon HD 4850, at least the version equipped with 512 MB of memory.
Although in the overall standings it was possible to observe an almost linear increase in performance, the results of individual tests show that complex overclocking of the GPU and memory gives a significantly greater effect than increasing the amount of video memory from 512 MB to 1 GB, at least in resolutions up to 1920x1200.
Conclusion
As expected, the GeForce GTS 250 did not make a splash - and what could you expect from a graphics adapter that is essentially a renamed GeForce 9800 GTX+, made on a shortened board? Of course, we can talk for a long time about the moral and ethical aspects of Nvidia’s action, which once again offered customers the old architecture under a new name, however, if we approach the issue pragmatically, it is obvious that it is too early to write off this architecture, since with its direct responsibilities, and It does a pretty good job of providing acceptable performance in modern games. It is helped in this by the 55 nm process technology, which has significantly increased the frequency potential of the G92 core.Alas, in light of the recent price reduction undertaken by ATI, the situation does not look so rosy - at the same price, the GeForce GTS 250 will be difficult to compete on equal terms with the Radeon HD 4870. However, let's look at the situation with the performance of the new products in detail:
At a resolution of 1280x1024, there are no real advantages from having a GB of video memory on board one of the GeForce GTS 250 models - the average performance increase is only 4%, and in some cases there is even a slight lag. The latter, however, is a disadvantage specific model Palit, which has a memory frequency lower than the nominal one.
If we compare the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB with the Radeon HD 4850, then, in general, we can talk about parity, although such a statement is comparable to the comic concept of “average temperature in a hospital.” It all depends on specific game: if in F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin or Prince of Persia, the advantage is clearly on the side of the Nvidia solution, then, for example, in X3: Terran Conflict the brainchild of ATI is in the lead by a significant margin.
But in the case of the Radeon HD 4870, the picture looks rather bleak - the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB lost to it in almost all tests, so the average lag was about 22%. We're talking about the Radeon HD 4870 1GB, but we don't think that's the case with the Radeon HD 4870 512MB, whose official price was recently reduced to $149 (real retail price is about 8 thousand rubles, but as you understand, this is only a matter of time), the situation would have improved significantly. Nvidia will clearly have to reduce prices for the new family in order to ensure its competitiveness in the market.
As for the effect of overclocking, it varies between 4-29%, averaging about 12%. Quite a good increase, achieved, moreover, with “little blood.”
At a resolution of 1680x1050, the picture does not change: the performance increase relative to the GeForce GTS 250 512MB/GeForce 9800 GTX+ is about 4-5%, the situation with the Radeon HD 4850 should be considered separately for each game, and the average lag compared to the Radeon HD 4870 1GB increases to 24%. The effect of overclocking the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB also increased slightly, amounting to an average of 13.5%.
Using the 1920x1200 mode in conjunction with FSAA 4x already seriously loads the memory subsystem so that its volume begins to have a noticeable impact on performance. On average, the gain of the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB over the GeForce GTS 250 512MB increased to 6.5%, and in some cases, such as Crysis Warhead and Far Cry 2, it significantly exceeded 20%. However, in some other games, in particular, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars and Devil May Cry 4, the lower memory frequency affected and the Palit product was inferior to the Nvidia reference card with half the amount of local memory on board.
The situation in the confrontation between Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB and Radeon HD 4850 has not changed: in a number of games (Crysis Warhead, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin) better performance showed the first one, while in others (for example, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars or Fallout 3) the second one looks preferable to the buyer.
It is useless to fight the Radeon HD 4870 at this resolution, since it is equipped with ultra-fast GDDR5 memory, which provides it throughput at 115.2 GB/sec. vs. 70.4 GB/sec. GeForce GTS 250. In this case, the average loss of Nvidia's new product was almost 30%.
conclusions
At first glance, the Nvidia GeForce GTS 250 family looks good, and, despite the use of an architecture that is not new by modern standards, it can successfully compete with the extremely popular “people's video adapter” represented by the ATI Radeon HD 4850. However, the GeForce GTS 250 already costs 500 -1000 rubles more than the Radeon HD 4850, and in the near future the cost of the latter may fall even more - recently the official price of the ATI Radeon HD 4870, a card noticeably more powerful than the GeForce GTS 250, was reduced to 149 dollars. Thus, it all depends on strategy that Nvidia will choose, and if the prices for the GeForce GTS 250 decrease at the same pace as the prices for the Radeon HD 4850, these cards will have a chance to gain some popularity among players with a limited budget. Otherwise, ATI will have a clear advantage.As for the specific model of the new graphics adapter, described in detail in this review, the Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB, at first glance, looks quite attractive, combining good performance, low level noise and fairly high cooling efficiency. It also has disadvantages, in particular, the need to connect two power connectors, despite the fact that there is only one connector left in the reference design.
Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB: advantages and disadvantages
Advantages:
Enough high level productivity
Outperforms ATI Radeon HD 4850 in a number of tests
Availability of 1 GB of local video memory
Wide range of FSAA modes
Minimal impact of FSAA on performance
Excellent anisotropic filtering quality
Supports hardware HD video decoding
Support S/PDIF audio output via HDMI
Low power consumption
Low noise level
Availability of a separate HDMI port
Flaws:
Video memory frequency is below the reference value
Increased noise level before driver loading
Lack of support for DirectX 10.1 and Shader Model 4.1
Incomplete support for VC-1 decoding
Lack of built-in sound core
Requires two power connectors
Check the availability and cost of video cards based on GeForce GTS 250
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nVidia GeForce GTS 250 | Introduction
In 2008, we saw many ups and downs in the video card market. First, nVidia presented its GT200 graphics processor and a couple of video cards on it. He swept everything else out of the leading position - not surprising, given AMD line Radeon HD 3800 with average performance, which has already given up.
Then AMD surprised everyone by introducing the RV770 GPU and two video cards based on this processor. The fastest Radeon HD 4870 was still not fast enough to beat the fastest graphics card nVidia processor, but powerful enough for the dual-processor Radeon HD 4870 X2, which AMD announced at the time of the release of the RV770, to later become the leader.
AMD then got busy filling out its mid- and entry-level graphics card lineup with GPUs using the same architecture. Radeon HD 4830 has become the most inexpensive high-performance video card. The Radeon HD 4670 and 4650 models have become AMD's mid-range punch. And Radeon HD 4500/4300 video cards formed the entry level.
Nvidia responded to AMD's actions with several moves. In the high-end market, it introduced its own dual-processor video card, the GeForce GTX 295. The center of the performance line was strengthened by the modified GeForce GTX 260 with 216 stream processors, which became a worthy competitor to the AMD Radeon HD 4850 (and 4870 with 512 MB of memory, as you will see in our tests). And the 55nm replacement for the GT200 allowed the company to introduce the latest GeForce GTX 285.
Of course, nVidia has also placed an emphasis on add-ons such as CUDA, PhysX and 3D Vision, all of which are now supported through the company's drivers. Yes, this technological trio is still in the early stages of adaptation for mass market, but technically we still have advantages. AMD is working on its own Stream video encoder, does not offer any physics acceleration, and is not very active in talking about the results of its collaboration with 3D monitor manufacturer iZ3D, although it was announced at this year's CES and is intended to bring 3D games to AMD or nVidia video cards.
nVidia GeForce GTS 250 | Need an answer for the mass market
Of course, nVidia managed to close all the “holes”, but still the huge 55-nm GT200 die is too large (that is, too expensive) to work in video cards cheaper than the GeForce GTX 260, which leaves nVidia without a worthy successor to the aging G92, which is already almost a year and a half old .
Fortunately for Nvidia, this relatively old architecture was designed and released very well, and has already survived the transition from 65nm to 55nm process technology. Even today, it is quite capable of competing with the RV770 line from AMD - this fact is proven by the current release of the GeForce GTS 250.
If the name of the board sounds like something new, located between the GTX 260/285 and the old GeForce 9800 line, in fact we are looking at a rebirth of the G92. To be more precise, we have the GeForce GTX 9800+, which switched to a lower technical process of the GeForce GTX 9800, which, in turn, was a slightly overclocked version of the GeForce 8800 GTS.
nVidia GeForce GTS 250 | In detail
As we mentioned above, the GTS 250 is the GeForce 9800+ under a new name. Therefore, the card's specifications can be easily remembered if you were already familiar with the nVidia line.
Click on the picture to enlarge.
Manufactured on TSMC's 55nm process, the G92 GPU uses 754 million transistors and occupies a die area of 230 square millimeters - less than half the GT200. It contains 128 unified stream processors, 64 texture block and 16 raster operations units (ROPs).
While most GeForce GTX 9800+ graphics cards shipped with 512 MB of GDDR3 memory, the reference GeForce GTS 250 contains 1 GB of GDDR3, according to BFG and Zotac. However, both old and new G92 video cards will use a 256-bit memory bus.
The reference GTS 250 is based on a GPU with a frequency of 738 MHz, a frequency of shader units (stream processors) of 1836 MHz. The memory frequency is 1.1 GHz (2.2 GHz effective). But BFG sent to our laboratory a GeForce GTS 250 OC Edition video card with a higher core frequency of 750 MHz and a memory frequency of 1.12 GHz, and the shader block frequency remained unchanged.
| GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 | GeForce GTS 250 | GeForce GTX 9800+ | Radeon HD 4870 | Radeon HD 4850 | Radeon HD 4830 | |
| Technical process | 55 nm TSMC | 55 nm TSMC | 55 nm TSMC | 55 nm TSMC | 55 nm TSMC | 55 nm TSMC |
| Number of stream processors | 216 | 128 | 128 | 800 | 800 | 640 |
| Core frequency | 576 MHz | 738 MHz | 738 MHz | 750 MHz | 625 MHz | 575 MHz |
| Shader block frequency (stream processors) | 1242 MHz | 1836 MHz | 1836 MHz | 750 MHz | 625 MHz | 575 MHz |
| Memory frequency | 999 MHz GDDR3 | 1100 MHz GDDR3 | 1100 MHz GDDR3 | 900 MHz GDDR5 | 993 MHz GDDR3 | 900 MHz GDDR3 |
| Memory | 896 MB | 1 GB | 512 MB | 512 MB | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Memory bus width | 448 bit | 256 bit | 256 bit | 256 bit | 256 bit | 256 bit |
| ROP number | 28 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| International price | $229 | $149 | $144 | $164 | $139 | $89 |
The BFG video card has two dual-link DVI outputs. HDMI is also supported, but this feature requires an adapter and audio cable sold separately. In addition, the card supports 2- and 3-way SLI; the required bridges must be included in the scope of delivery motherboard compatible with SLI.
nVidia GeForce GTS 250 | Is it worth taking?
Click on the picture to enlarge.
At this point it is clear that the old graphics architecture has been reused. But is it really that bad? Are there any problems associated with this?
Technologically, there are no problems. None of the modern ones nVidia video cards does not support DirectX 10.1, so using the old design does not make the GeForce GTS 250 any technologically inferior to the “older” GT200 models. In fact, as long as productivity increases and prices fall, we're not at all opposed to reusing proven technologies. Moreover, with software support for CUDA, PhysX and 3D Vision on all graphics cards up to the GeForce 8 line (and PureVideo HD supported up to the 9 line), we see no reason why you shouldn't get the GTS 250 just because it's GeForce GTX 9800+ update.
The seventh generation mainstream NVIDIA solution supports most modern technologies. Suitable for home computers, as well as additional card to speed up PhysX powerful computer for games.
It has sufficient performance for gaming and some professional tasks at an affordable price, but no longer corresponds to the current state of graphics technology in games.
Advantages
SLI support Possibility of grouping with one or two of the same cards (when using an SLI-compatible motherboard) to significantly improve game performance. PhysX acceleration support The video card supports PhysX and allows you to get additional special effects in games, although at the cost of a large performance penalty, or increase performance when used as a dedicated PhysX accelerator in addition to the main video card for graphics.Flaws
Outdated GPU architecture Lack of performance headroom for future games. The effectiveness of general purpose computing is limited. For additional PhysX effects and 3D Vision stereo imaging, performance may not be sufficient. Incomplete acceleration for VC-1 video Playback of some Blu-ray Discs and Internet videos will be dependent on your computer's CPU power. HDMI connector is optional In most video cards of this model for digital connection TV/video equipment requires using a separate adapter and connecting the video card to the sound adapter with a wire.| Chipset | GeForce GTS 250 |
|---|---|
GPU architecture Code name for GPU microarchitecture | G92 |
Memory bus, bit | |
Memory, MB |
The picture is similar in Crysis, but as resolution and graphics quality increase, the additional 512 MB begins to play a decisive role in performance, which can reach a 15 percent superiority over older solutions. All that remains is to compare it with the GeForce GTS 250 with different amounts of video memory, which we will do in the near future.
conclusions
It would seem that the saga of renaming video cards based on the G92 graphics processor should have ended last year. But no, the chip turned out to be so successful that it can be used for at least another year or two. And we will soon be able to enjoy accelerators such as GeForce GT 350, GT 420 or even GT 510. And why not?
AMD, a direct competitor in the graphics market, is still lowering the price, and in this case it is possible to release new generations of video cards based on old designs, reducing their cost and positioning the products in lower and lower market segments. 3dfx, which has sunk into oblivion, behaved in a similar way due to miscalculations in the company's management, until it was acquired by NVIDIA. Will Californians face the same fate? It's hard to say.
The company has a huge potential of engineers and programmers and will be able to fight back without any problems either by reducing prices for high-performance solutions (read hi-end cards) or by developing and urgently releasing a new product. But the competitor is still sleeping, and in a lethargic sleep, otherwise how can one explain the appearance of the G92 chip in the third generation of GeForce series video cards?
As for the so-called new product, the GeForce GTS 250 video cards in the reference version have become smaller in size and are now more consistent with the GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB cards; officially acquired 1 GB of video memory and can even be equipped with double the amount. Due to the use of the 55 nm G92b chip, the power subsystem has been somewhat simplified compared to the GeForce 9800 GTX(+). Manufacturers can also safely produce cards based on a redesigned PCB with an original cooling system. But the most important advantage of the GeForce GTS 250 is the recommended price for video cards - about $130 for the 512 MB version, which will seriously compete with both NVIDIA's own G92-based solutions and AMD products.
Regarding the Zotac GeForce GTS250 AMP card! Let's note the increased operating frequencies, one gigabyte of video memory, which will allow you to play more comfortably at high resolutions, and, of course, the delivery package, which includes all the necessary accessories and additional bonuses in the form of the XIII Century game and the 3DMark Vantage test package.
The Palit GF9800GTX+ 512M DDR3 card is a strong mid-ranger with a spartan package, which, nevertheless, is suitable for connecting to a modern cinema or monitor with an HDMI interface, and you can connect as many as two devices. For owners of inexpensive TFT monitors with an analog connector, D-Sub is already provided on the accelerator, which will eliminate the need for unnecessary adapters. But the lack of a regular TV output is somewhat disappointing, given the prevalence of standard TVs in our area.
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NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M- DirectX10.1 graphics adapter for laptops based on the 40 nm GT215 core. It is equipped with 96 shader cores, just like 9800M GT, but the memory bus is only 128-bit. To compensate for this drawback, the video card supports GDDR5. The core of the GTS250M is marked GT215 and is based on high-end architecture for desktop systems (line GTX 200). In addition, NVIDIA has improved the micro-architecture for even greater power savings and increased performance. Therefore, the performance per shader unit has improved slightly compared to the previous generation.
Like the GeForce 9800M GT, the GTS 250M offers 96 stream processors that handle the work of legacy pixel and vertex shaders. NVIDIA's unified shaders are 1D (as opposed to AMD's 5D shaders, which results in more shaders).
GeForce GTS250M also supports CUDA, DirectX Compute, OpenCL and PhysiX to be able to use shaders to perform tasks other than image rendering (for example, video encoding, performing physics calculations in games, or solving mathematical problems). For such specialized tasks, a GPU can be noticeably faster than today's processors.
The mobile graphics card has a built-in video decoder called PureVideo HD with VP4. Video Processor 4 (VP4) supports full H.264, VC-1, and now also MPEG-4 ASP processing (eg DivX or XviD). MPEG-1 will still not be supported, but decoding this format is quite easy for the CPU.
Combined with an NVIDIA chipset with integrated graphics (eg 9400M), GTS 250M supports Hybrid-SLI (HybridPower and GeForceBoost). HybridPower is a technology that allows you to choose between a separate and integrated graphics core, depending on whether you need performance or energy savings from your laptop. Today this feature is only available from Vista (also most likely from Windows 7). To this day, the user has to switch between adapters manually; in the future, it is planned to implement this at the driver level.
The performance of the GeForce GTS 250M should be clearly higher GTS 240M, since it has twice as many shader cores. Demanding DirectX 10 games like Crysis should run smoothly on medium to high settings. Older games, or less demanding ones, should work great with high detail at high resolutions. Depending on the type of video memory used (GDDR5, GDDR3), performance may vary.
The power consumption of the mobile video card is considered relatively low and amounts to 27 W (especially in comparison with the GTS 260M, which is only slightly different in frequency, but requires 10 W more). In addition, according to NVIDIA, the new improved core consumes only half the power at idle (compared to previous generations).
| Manufacturer: | NVIDIA |
| Series: | GeForce GTS 200M |
| Code: | N10E-GE |
| Streams: | 96 - unified |
| Clock frequency: | 500* MHz |
| Shader frequency: | 1250* MHz |
| Memory frequency: | 1600* MHz |
| Memory bus width: | 128 Bit |
| Memory type: | GDDR3, GDDR2, GDDR1 |
| Maximum memory: | 1024 MB |
| Common memory: | No |
| DirectX: | DirectX 10.1, Shader 4.1 |
| Technology: | 40 nm |
| Additionally: | DirectX Compute Support (Windows 7), CUDA, OpenCL, HybridPower, PhysX, SLI, Powermizer 8.0, MXM 3.0 Type-B |
| Laptop size: | big |
| Release date: | 15.06.2009 |
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