NVIDIA GeForce 210
NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
NVIDIANVIDIA GeForce 210 Specifications
GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The NVIDIA GeForce 210 GPU core specifications define its raw processing power for graphics and compute workloads. Shading units (also called CUDA cores, stream processors, or execution units depending on manufacturer) handle the parallel calculations required for rendering. TMUs (Texture Mapping Units) process texture data, while ROPs (Render Output Units) handle final pixel output. Higher shader counts generally translate to better GPU benchmark performance, especially in demanding games and 3D applications.
210 Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the GeForce 210's performance in GPU benchmarks and real-world gaming. The base clock represents the minimum guaranteed frequency, while the boost clock indicates peak performance under optimal thermal conditions. Memory clock speed affects texture loading and frame buffer operations. The GeForce 210 by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
NVIDIA's GeForce 210 Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The GeForce 210's memory capacity determines how well it handles high-resolution textures and multiple displays. Memory bandwidth, measured in GB/s, affects how quickly data moves between the GPU and VRAM. Higher bandwidth improves performance in memory-intensive scenarios like 4K gaming. The memory bus width and type (GDDR6, GDDR6X, HBM) significantly influence overall GPU benchmark scores.
GeForce 210 by NVIDIA Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the 210, reducing the need to fetch data from slower VRAM. L1 and L2 caches store frequently accessed data close to the compute units. AMD's Infinity Cache (L3) dramatically increases effective bandwidth, improving GPU benchmark performance without requiring wider memory buses. Larger cache sizes help maintain high frame rates in memory-bound scenarios and reduce power consumption by minimizing VRAM accesses.
210 Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA GeForce 210 against other graphics cards. FP32 (single-precision) performance, measured in TFLOPS, indicates compute capability for gaming and general GPU workloads. FP64 (double-precision) matters for scientific computing. Pixel and texture fill rates determine how quickly the GPU can render complex scenes. While real-world GPU benchmark results depend on many factors, these specifications help predict relative performance levels.
Tesla 2.0 Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The NVIDIA GeForce 210 is built on NVIDIA's Tesla 2.0 architecture, which defines how the GPU processes graphics and compute workloads. The manufacturing process node affects power efficiency, thermal characteristics, and maximum clock speeds. Smaller process nodes pack more transistors into the same die area, enabling higher performance per watt. Understanding the architecture helps predict how the 210 will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the NVIDIA GeForce 210 determine PSU requirements and thermal management needs. TDP (Thermal Design Power) indicates the heat output under typical loads, guiding cooler selection. Power connector requirements ensure adequate power delivery for stable operation during demanding GPU benchmarks. The suggested PSU wattage accounts for the entire system, not just the graphics card. Efficient power delivery enables the GeForce 210 to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
GeForce 210 by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA GeForce 210 are critical for case compatibility. Card length, height, and slot width determine whether it fits in your chassis. The PCIe interface version affects bandwidth for communication with the CPU. Display outputs define monitor connectivity options, with modern cards supporting multiple high-resolution displays simultaneously. Verify these specifications against your case and motherboard before purchasing to ensure a proper fit.
NVIDIA API Support
Graphics and compute APIs
API support determines which games and applications can fully utilize the NVIDIA GeForce 210. DirectX 12 Ultimate enables advanced features like ray tracing and variable rate shading. Vulkan provides cross-platform graphics capabilities with low-level hardware access. OpenGL remains important for professional applications and older games. CUDA (NVIDIA) and OpenCL enable GPU compute for video editing, 3D rendering, and scientific applications. Higher API versions unlock newer graphical features in GPU benchmarks and games.
GeForce 210 Product Information
Release and pricing details
The NVIDIA GeForce 210 is manufactured by NVIDIA as part of their graphics card lineup. Release date and launch pricing provide context for comparing GPU benchmark results with competing products from the same era. Understanding the product lifecycle helps evaluate whether the GeForce 210 by NVIDIA represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
About NVIDIA GeForce 210
The NVIDIA GeForce 210 is a discrete graphics card from the GeForce 200 generation, built on the 40 nm process node at TSMC. It features the GT218S chip with 260 million transistors on a 57 mm² die. The card is positioned as an entry-level solution with a 50th percentile ranking among all GPUs, though it carries no average benchmark score.
Benchmark Performance
The GeForce 210 has an average benchmark score of 0, and its nearestRivals list is empty, meaning there is no direct comparative data available in the database for this card. This absence of rival scores and deltaPct values makes a quantitative performance comparison impossible. However, the hardware specifications provide a baseline for understanding its capabilities. The card delivers 39.36 GFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is derived from its 16 shading units operating at the reference clocks. The pixel rate is 2.080 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 4.160 GTexel/s.
These figures place the GeForce 210 in a very low performance tier. The 16 shading units and 8 texture mapping units are minimal by any modern standard, and the 4 render output units further limit fill-rate-bound tasks. In practical terms, the data indicates that this card is not designed for 3D gaming or GPU-accelerated compute workloads. The 50th percentile ranking might suggest a median position, but with a zero benchmark score, this percentile reflects the distribution of cards that have been tested, not the GeForce 210’s own measured performance.
The lack of benchmark entries and rival comparisons means that any statement about relative speed must be grounded solely in the architectural details. The Tesla 2.0 architecture, while historically significant, is from an era where shader throughput was measured in the tens of GFLOPS, not the thousands seen in modern cards. The data shows that the GeForce 210 is a legacy product, end-of-life, with no measurable performance data to analyze against peers.
Power and Cooling
The GeForce 210 has a TDP of 31 W, which is exceptionally low. This power draw allows for a single-slot cooling solution, and the card requires no power connectors — it draws all its power directly from the PCIe 2.0 x16 slot. The suggested PSU rating is 200 W, which is a modest requirement by current standards. The card’s physical dimensions are 168 mm (6.6 inches) in length, making it a compact option for small form factor systems.
Given the 31 W TDP, the thermal load is minimal, and the single-slot design is more than adequate for cooling. The absence of auxiliary power connectors simplifies installation in virtually any desktop chassis that has a PCIe x16 slot. The 200 W PSU recommendation is conservative, and the data suggests that even lower-wattage power supplies would likely suffice, though the official recommendation stands at 200 W. The process node of 40 nm contributes to the low power envelope, as does the small die size of 57 mm². This card is not intended for high-performance computing, and the power data confirms that it is a low-draw, low-heat component suitable for basic display output or legacy system upgrades.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The GeForce 210 has no RT cores and no tensor cores, as the Tesla 2.0 architecture predates ray tracing and AI-accelerated features. The card’s API support includes DirectX 11.1 with a feature level of 10_1, and OpenGL 3.3. There is no Vulkan support listed. The DirectX 11.1 (10_1) designation is important: it means the card can run DirectX 11.1 applications but only at the 10_1 feature level, which omits many of the shader model 4.1 features and tessellation capabilities that full DirectX 11 hardware supports.
The absence of RT and tensor cores means there is no hardware acceleration for ray-traced lighting or deep learning super sampling. The feature set is limited to the basic rasterization pipeline of the late 2000s. For display outputs, the card offers 1x DVI, 1x DisplayPort, and 1x VGA, which covers legacy and modern monitors alike. The bus interface is PCIe 2.0 x16, which is backward compatible with older slots but lacks the bandwidth of newer PCIe 4.0 or 5.0 interfaces. In practice, the feature set indicates that the GeForce 210 is suitable for 2D desktop work, video playback (subject to codec support, which is not specified), and very light 3D applications that do not require modern API features.
FAQ
Q: What is the DirectX support level of the GeForce 210?
A: The card supports DirectX 11.1, but only at the 10_1 feature level, which means it cannot utilize the full DirectX 11 feature set such as tessellation.
Q: Does the GeForce 210 support Vulkan?
A: No, the Vulkan API is not listed in the card’s specifications. The available APIs are DirectX 11.1 (10_1) and OpenGL 3.3.
Q: How much VRAM does the GeForce 210 have?
A: The card has 512 MB of DDR3 memory with a 64-bit bus width and a memory bandwidth of 6.400 GB/s.
Q: What is the power connector requirement for the GeForce 210?
A: The card requires no power connectors. It draws power solely from the PCIe 2.0 x16 slot, and the suggested PSU is 200 W.
Q: Is the GeForce 210 capable of ray tracing?
A: No, the card has no RT cores. It is based on the Tesla 2.0 architecture, which predates hardware ray tracing support.
Q: What is the production status of the GeForce 210?
A: The card is end-of-life, having been released on October 11, 2009. Its predecessor is the GeForce 9 series, and its successor is the GeForce 400 series.
Who Should Consider It
The GeForce 210 is not suited for modern gaming or GPU-accelerated workloads. The FP32 performance of 39.36 GFLOPS and the 6.400 GB/s memory bandwidth are far below the thresholds required for any contemporary 3D application at playable frame rates. The data suggests that this card is appropriate for users who need a basic display output for office tasks, web browsing, or legacy software that does not rely on GPU acceleration. The low TDP of 31 W and single-slot design make it viable for systems with weak power supplies or limited space.
For resolution and settings, the card’s specifications imply that even at 720p, most games from the post-2009 era would require the lowest settings to run, and many would be unplayable. The 64-bit memory bus and 6.400 GB/s bandwidth create a severe bottleneck for texture-heavy applications. The 2.080 GPixel/s pixel rate limits fill rate, which directly impacts resolution scaling. Users considering this card should have expectations limited to 2D desktop environments or very old, non-demanding titles from the early 2000s. It is not a viable option for 1080p gaming, and the lack of modern API support (no Vulkan, limited DirectX 11.1) further restricts its usefulness in current software environments.
Memory Subsystem
The GeForce 210 is equipped with 512 MB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus. The memory clock is 400 MHz, translating to an effective data rate of 800 Mbps, which yields a total bandwidth of 6.400 GB/s. This is an extremely narrow and slow memory configuration. For context, even entry-level cards from the same era typically offered 128-bit buses and higher memory clocks. The 64-bit bus width means that the memory subsystem can only transfer a limited amount of data per clock cycle, and the 6.400 GB/s bandwidth is a hard ceiling for all data movement, including textures, frame buffers, and geometry.
At high resolutions, this memory bandwidth becomes the primary limiting factor. A 512 MB frame buffer is too small for modern games at 1080p, and the 6.400 GB/s bandwidth would saturate quickly with any moderate texture load. The pixel rate of 2.080 GPixel/s is consistent with this memory configuration, indicating that the card is balanced for very low resolutions, likely 1024x768 or below, and even then only for simple 2D or early 3D applications. The DDR3 type is also slower than GDDR5, which was already common in higher-end cards by 2009. The data indicates that the memory subsystem is designed for minimal cost and power consumption, not for performance. Users should treat the 512 MB capacity as adequate only for the most basic frame buffer needs, and the 6.400 GB/s bandwidth as insufficient for any resolution above 720p with modern visual fidelity.
Detailed benchmark scores and charts for the NVIDIA GeForce 210 are below.
Benchmark Scores
No benchmark data available for this GPU.
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