THG Graphics Card Buyer's Guide
NVIDIA's Current Product Family
GeForce FX 5500
The GeForce FX 5500 is based on the FX 5200. Aside from the change in clock speeds there are no known differences.
Versions:
- GeForce FX 5500 - 128/256 MB - 64/128 bit - 270/400 MHz
GeForce FX 5700
The GeForce FX 5700 series is based on the GeForce FX 5950 (NV38), but is cut down to four pixel pipelines. It features the same number of vertex shader units as its bigger brother, though. During the product cycle, NVIDIA refined the Ultra version of the FX 5700, giving it GDDR 3 memory.
Versions:
- GeForce 5700 LE - 64/128 MB - 64/128 bit - 400/500 MHz
- GeForce 5700 - 128/256 MB - 64/128 bit - 425/550 MHz
- GeForce 5700 Ultra - 128 MB - 128 bit - 475/900 MHz
- GeForce 5700 Ultra - 128 MB GDDR3 - 128 bit - 475/950 MHz
Articles:
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GeForce FX 5950
The NV38, or GeForce FX 5950, is a further refinement of the NV35 architecture. The main improvement in this case is the higher clock speeds, as the card was meant to be an answer to ATI's Radeon 9800 XT.
Versions:
- GeForce FX 5950 Ultra - 25 6 MB - 256 bit - 475/950 MHz
Articles:
GeForce PCX 5300/5750/5900
The GeForce PCX series is NVIDIA's first product line for the PCI Express interface. The cards are based on the existing AGP versions, and the model numbers compare as follows: PCX 5300 = GeForce 4 MX, PCX 5750 = FX 5700, PCX 5900 = FX 5900. Note that the PCI Express versions run at different clock speeds from the AGP versions, however!
Versions:
- GeForce PCX 5300 - 128 MB - 64 bit - 250/332 MHz
- GeForce PCX 5700 - 128 MB - 128 bit - 425/500 MHz
- GeForce PCX 5900 - 128 MB - 256 bit - 350/550 MHz
GeForce 6200
Meant to be an affordable entry-level card, the GeForce 6200 rounds out the NV4x line at the bottom. At the very recent introduction of this PCI Express line of cards, NVIDIA used modified GeForce 6600 processors with some features disabled. It stands to reason that NVIDIA will use a different, newly designed chip to save on costs once the parts begin to ship to retail. Currently, an AGP version is not planned.