ECS GeForce GTS 250 1024MB review | test

Posted by Hilbert Hagedoorn on: 04/20/2009 01:00 PM [ 0 comment(s) ]

Meet the 'reference' GeForce GTS 250

We'll start off with a little 101 on the GTS 250 product as a reference based product, specified by NVIDIA, the manufacturer of the graphics processor. As you guys all know by now, the GeForce GTS 250 is based off the GeForce 9800 GTX+ series of GPUs. In fact it is the exact same graphics processor, the G92b. Which by itself was a respin of the 65nm GeForce 8800 (G92) series using the same silicon footprint. The difference .. a smaller die-size of the graphics chipset and some internal efficiency features.

Let's have a peek at the primary features.

Fabrication Process	55 nm
Graphics Clock (texture and ROP units)	738 MHz
Processor Clock (Shader units)	1836 MHz
Memory Clock (Clock rate / Data rate)	1100 MHz / 2200 MHz
Total Video Memory	512 or 1024 MB
Memory Interface	256-bit
Total Memory Bandwidth	70.4 GB/s
Processor Cores	128
ROP Units	16
Texture Filtering Units	64
Texture Filtering Rate	47.2 GigaTexels/sec
Connectors	2 x Dual-Link DVI-I
Form Factor	Dual Slot
Power Connectors	1 x 6-pin
Max Board Power (TDP)	150 watts
GPU Thermal Threshold1	105° C - 221 ° F

A lower die-size often equals lower core voltages, better energy efficiency and typically better clock speeds. When you understand that the G92B is based off the same chip that the 8800 GTS 512MB had, you'll also know that the GPU on the GTS 250 also has 128 shader processors to rock your games hard.

How many transistors do the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 have, you ask? No precise data has been given, but it's safe to assume roughly 754 million transistors. The stock core frequency of the GeForce GTS 250 runs at at 738 MHz, the shader processors at 1836 MHz and the memory at 2200 MHz (2x1100) effectively. Another advantage for the GTS 250 is that you can go three-way SLI with it.

Reference design GeForce GTS 250

But as far as the GTS 250 goes .. the differences need not be found in the GPU, but rather PCB design and power requirements. Well that and price of course, as GeForce GTS 250 will launch in March 2009, with 512MB and 1GB models, at $129 and $149 respectively. They'll get you excellent performance for the money you pay, there's just no doubt about that. But compared to the GeForce 9800 GTX+ .. well let me show you.

	GeForce 9800 GTX	GeForce 9800 GTX+	GeForce GTS 250
Stream (Shader) Processors	128	128	128
Core Clock (MHz)	675	738	738
Shader Clock (MHz)	1675	1836	1836
Memory Clock (MHz) x2	1100	1100	1100
Memory amount	512 MB	512 MB	512/1024 MB
Memory Interface	256-bit	256-bit	256-bit
HDCP	Yes	Yes	Yes
Two Dual link DVI	Yes	Yes	Yes

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