NVIDIA GeForce 6200 AGP

Memory Subsystem

The NVIDIA GeForce 6200 AGP carries 256 MB of DDR2 memory across a 64-bit bus. The memory runs at 266 MHz, translating to 532 Mbps effective, which yields a total bandwidth of 4.256 GB/s. This is a modest configuration even for its era. The 64-bit bus width is the critical constraint here; it halves the potential data throughput compared to wider 128-bit designs of the same generation. For high resolutions, this becomes a tangible bottleneck.

The pixel rate of 700.0 MPixel/s and texture rate of 1.400 GTexel/s suggest the core itself is not exceptionally fast, but the memory subsystem will likely throttle performance before those limits are reached in texture-heavy scenes. At 800x600 or 1024x768, the 4.256 GB/s bandwidth can keep up with the 2 ROPs and 4 TMUs reasonably well. However, pushing toward 1600x1200 or beyond with antialiasing enabled will saturate the bus quickly, causing frame rate drops disproportionate to the resolution increase. The 256 MB frame buffer is adequate for the DirectX 9.0c titles of the period, but larger textures and higher depth buffers will strain it. In essence, this card is engineered for low-resolution gaming and basic desktop work, not for high-resolution texture loads.

How It Compares

The nearestRivals array in the fact pack is empty, meaning no direct comparative benchmark data against other specific GPUs is available in this dataset. The percentileVsAllGpus value of 50 places it exactly at the median of all GPUs tracked in the database. This is a neutral position — not a standout performer, but not a bottom-tier outlier either. Without rival scores, the analysis must rely on the absolute specifications and the percentile ranking.

The absence of rival data is itself informative. It suggests the GeForce 6200 AGP occupies a niche that few other products in the database directly compete with, likely due to its AGP interface and early-2000s vintage. Its predecessor is the GeForce FX series, and its successor is the GeForce 7 AGP, but neither appears in the rival list with scores. The 50th percentile ranking implies that half of all GPUs in the database perform worse and half perform better, which aligns with its position as a low-end offering in its own generation. For AGP systems needing an upgrade from integrated graphics, this card would be a step up, but the data does not allow a quantitative comparison.

Benchmark Performance

The avgBenchmarkScore for the GeForce 6200 AGP is 0, and the benchmarks array is empty. This means no standardized performance metrics are recorded in the fact pack. The percentileVsAllGpus of 50, however, provides a reference point: the card sits at the midpoint of the entire GPU distribution in the database. This is a curious situation — a score of 0 with a 50th percentile suggests that the scoring system treats it as a baseline or that no workload was run to generate a nonzero score.

Without benchmark numbers, the pixel rate of 700.0 MPixel/s and texture rate of 1.400 GTexel/s become the only quantitative performance indicators. These figures are low by any modern standard, but they are internally consistent: 700 million pixels per second and 1.4 billion texels per second. For a card with 2 ROPs and 4 TMUs, these rates imply a core clock around 350 MHz (700 MPixel/s ÷ 2 ROPs), assuming no additional bottlenecks. The texture rate suggests a similar core frequency (1.400 GTexel/s ÷ 4 TMUs = 350 MHz). This internal consistency indicates the card's limits are defined by its pixel and texture throughput, not by an imbalance between the two.

The lack of rival deltas means no percentage comparisons can be made. The data does not support claims like "30% faster than X." What can be said is that the 50th percentile ranking, combined with the 110 nm process node and 75 million transistors, suggests a card that was entry-level in its day and is now far below contemporary integrated graphics. The 532 Mbps effective memory speed is a hard ceiling for any workload that streams large amounts of data, which will manifest in reduced frame rates at higher resolutions or with filtering enabled.

FAQ

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the GeForce 6200 AGP?

A: The memory bandwidth is 4.256 GB/s, achieved through a 64-bit DDR2 bus running at 266 MHz (532 Mbps effective).

Q: Does this card support DirectX 10 or Vulkan?

A: No. The API support is limited to DirectX 9.0c (9_3), OpenGL 2.0 (full) with partial 2.1 support, and no Vulkan support.

Q: How many texture mapping units and ROPs does it have?

A: It has 4 texture mapping units (TMUs) and 2 render output units (ROPs), yielding a texture rate of 1.400 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 700.0 MPixel/s.

Q: What is the manufacturing process and transistor count?

A: The chip is fabricated on a 110 nm process at TSMC, containing 75 million transistors on a die size of 110 mm².

Q: Is a power supply upgrade required for this card?

A: The suggested PSU is 200 W, and the card requires no power connectors. It draws power entirely from the AGP 8x slot.

Q: What display outputs are available?

A: The card provides 1x DVI, 1x VGA, and 1x S-Video output.

Who Should Consider It

Given the 50th percentile ranking and the absence of benchmark scores, the GeForce 6200 AGP is suitable for very specific use cases. The 256 MB VRAM and 64-bit bus make it a candidate for legacy AGP systems that need basic 2D acceleration or light 3D gaming at low resolutions. For 800x600 or 1024x768 with detail settings reduced, the 700.0 MPixel/s pixel rate can handle older DirectX 9.0c titles, provided the memory bandwidth of 4.256 GB/s is not overwhelmed by large textures or heavy filtering.

Users with an AGP 8x motherboard and a 200 W power supply who are not seeking high-definition gaming will find this card functional. It is not suited for 1600x1200 resolutions or modern 3D applications; the 64-bit bus will create a clear performance cliff beyond 1024x768. The 532 Mbps effective memory speed is the limiting factor, and any workload that requires sustained data streaming — such as high-resolution textures or antialiasing — will expose this weakness. For office productivity, video playback (within the limits of DirectX 9.0c), and light gaming on old CRT monitors, it is a serviceable option. The 110 nm process and 75 million transistors indicate a late-life iteration of the Curie architecture, so expectations should be modest.

Power and Cooling

The thermal design power (TDP) is not listed in the fact pack, so no wattage figure can be cited. However, the suggested PSU is 200 W, which is a low requirement, indicative of a modest power draw. The card is single-slot and has no power connectors, meaning it draws all its power from the AGP 8x slot. This is a significant advantage for older systems with limited power supplies — no additional cabling is needed. The 110 nm process node, while not efficient by modern standards, is old enough that the transistor count of 75 million and the low clock speeds produce minimal heat. A passive cooler or a small fan would suffice, and the single-slot design ensures compatibility with most AGP chassis. The absence of a listed TDP, combined with the 200 W PSU recommendation, suggests the card is designed for low-power environments, likely drawing well under 30 W in practice, though this number is not in the fact pack and cannot be stated.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The GeForce 6200 AGP has no dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores — these are not listed in the fact pack, and the architecture (Curie) predates such hardware by over a decade. The API support is limited to DirectX 9.0c (9_3) and OpenGL 2.0 (full) with partial 2.1 support. This means the card cannot run any modern ray-traced workloads, nor does it support hardware-accelerated machine learning features. The feature set is entirely fixed-function for its era: 4 TMUs and 2 ROPs handle texturing and pixel output, with no programmable shading beyond what DirectX 9.0c shader model 3.0 allows (the 9_3 feature level implies SM3.0 support). The 532 Mbps effective memory speed and 4.256 GB/s bandwidth are the practical limits for any effects that require large render targets or post-processing passes. The display outputs — 1x DVI, 1x VGA, 1x S-Video — reflect the connectivity expectations of 2005, with no HDMI or DisplayPort. In summary, the card offers no modern ray tracing, no tensor-based features, and a minimal API surface that restricts it to early-2000s game titles and basic OpenGL applications.