Chipset Comparison
I've compiled a table that compares all the features the available NVIDIA chipsets so that you can see the differences much easier.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | GeForce | GeForce2 MX | GeForce2 GTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing Process | .25 micron | .18 micron | .18 micron |
| Rendering Pipelines | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Textures per Pipeline | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Core Speed | 120 MHz | 175 MHz | 200 MHz |
| Memory Interface/Speed | 128 bit / 166 - 300 MHz | 64 or 128 bit / 166 - 300 MHz | 128 bit / 333 MHz |
| Pixel Fill-Rate | 480 Mpixels/sec | 350 Mpixels/sec | 800 Mpixels/sec |
| Texel Fill-Rate | 480 Mtexels/sec | 700 Mtexels/sec | 1.6 Gtexels/sec |
| Polygon/sec | 15M | 20M | 25M |
| TwinView | No | Yes | No |
| Digital Vibrant Control | No | Yes | No |
| Active Cooling | Yes | No | Yes |
| HDVP | No | Yes | Yes |
| Retail Price | $179 - $249 | $99 - $179 | $299 |
There are a few things to note about the above table:
Memory Interface : I can't stress how important it is to make sure you know what interface a GeForce2 MX board is based on before comparing it with anything. If you care about having good 3D performance, make sure you don't get stuck with a 64 bit SDR board or you'll most likely regret it. Theoretically there's also the possibility of a 128 bit DDR solution, which would automatically score a lot better at high color/high resolution. However, this combination would destroy the low-cost idea of GeForce2 MX and is thus rather unlikely.
HDVP : The GeForce2 MX is lacking some of the high-end visual modes that the GeForce2 GTS has so keep that in mind if you are into higher end video output.
Active Cooling : Our reference board didn't have any cooling at all and most manufacturers will probably opt not to as it is a low cost solution. However, this doesn't mean it cannot happen.
Retail Price : The GeForce2 MX will vary greatly in price due to configuration differences like memory interface/size/type and video outputs. I would estimate that our reference board configuration would probably sell for $129.
