NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT PCI
NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
NVIDIANVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT PCI Specifications
GeForce 9400 GT PCI GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT PCI 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.
9400 GT PCI Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the GeForce 9400 GT PCI'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 9400 GT PCI by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
NVIDIA's GeForce 9400 GT PCI Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The GeForce 9400 GT PCI'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 9400 GT PCI by NVIDIA Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the 9400 GT PCI, 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.
9400 GT PCI Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT PCI 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 Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT PCI is built on NVIDIA's Tesla 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 9400 GT PCI will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
NVIDIA's GeForce 9400 GT PCI Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT PCI 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 9400 GT PCI to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
GeForce 9400 GT PCI by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT PCI 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 9400 GT PCI. 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 9400 GT PCI Product Information
Release and pricing details
The NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT PCI 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 9400 GT PCI by NVIDIA represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
GeForce 9400 GT PCI Benchmark Scores
No benchmark data available for this GPU.
About NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT PCI
The NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT PCI is a legacy, end-of-life graphics card built on the 55 nm Tesla architecture, designed for the PCI bus interface rather than the more common PCIe slot. With 16 shading units, 8 texture mapping units, and 4 ROPs, this card targets basic 2D desktop acceleration and very light 3D workloads from its 2008 release period. The benchmark data shows it achieves a 50th percentile ranking among all GPUs, indicating it sits at the exact midpoint of the performance distribution, though its average benchmark score is zero, reflecting its age and limited testing presence in modern suites.
How It Compares
The GeForce 9400 GT PCI has no nearest rivals listed in the database, which means direct comparative percentage deltas against specific competing cards are unavailable. The data shows its 50th percentile position places it in the median tier of all GPUs ever benchmarked, but this is a broad measure rather than a head-to-head comparison. Without named rivals, the analysis must rely on absolute specifications and the card’s own architectural limits to contextualize its standing.
The card’s 16 shading units and 4 ROPs produce a pixel rate of 2.200 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 4.400 GTexel/s, figures that align with entry-level cards from the GeForce 9 generation. Its FP32 performance of 44.80 GFLOPS is modest, suggesting it was designed for office productivity, video playback, and legacy games rather than competitive gaming. The lack of any rival entries in the database prevents exact percentage comparisons, but the 50th percentile rank implies it outperforms roughly half of all GPUs ever tracked, though many of those are integrated or even older discrete parts.
In the context of its successor and predecessor, the GeForce 9400 GT PCI sits between the GeForce 8 series and the GeForce 200 series. The GeForce 8 line preceded it, while the GeForce 200 series followed, but no specific performance deltas are provided for these generational jumps. The card’s 256 MB DDR2 memory, 128-bit bus, and 12.80 GB/s bandwidth further underscore its position as a low-end part, one that would be significantly outpaced by even mid-range cards from its own era, let alone modern GPUs.
Who Should Consider It
The GeForce 9400 GT PCI is suitable for users operating legacy systems that require a PCI-based graphics card for basic display output, such as troubleshooting, server maintenance, or retro computing builds. The data shows 256 MB of DDR2 memory with a 12.80 GB/s bandwidth, which is insufficient for modern gaming at any resolution above 720p. For 1080p gaming, the card’s 44.80 GFLOPS FP32 performance and 2.200 GPixel/s pixel rate would result in unplayable frame rates in any 3D title released after 2010, so this card is not recommended for contemporary gaming.
For 2D desktop use, office applications, and video playback at standard definitions, the card’s specifications are adequate. The 16 shading units and 4 ROPs can handle basic GUI acceleration and older DirectX 10-level games, but the 256 MB VRAM capacity limits texture-heavy workloads. At resolutions like 1024x768 or 1280x1024, the card may run games from the early 2000s at low settings, but frame rates will vary widely depending on the title’s engine and optimization. Users with PCI-only motherboards, such as certain industrial or embedded boards, will find this card a functional basic display adapter, but those seeking any meaningful 3D performance should look to higher-tier options.
The 50th percentile ranking suggests it is not the absolute worst GPU ever made, but its average benchmark score of zero indicates that no modern benchmark suite has produced a reliable score for it. This means any performance expectations must be grounded in its theoretical specifications rather than empirical test results. In essence, this card is for preservationists and niche system builders, not for anyone expecting smooth 3D rendering.
Benchmark Performance
The benchmark data for the GeForce 9400 GT PCI is sparse, with an average benchmark score of zero and no entries in the benchmarks array. This absence of scores makes quantitative analysis against rivals impossible, as the nearestRivals list is empty. The only performance-related figures come from its theoretical specifications: 44.80 GFLOPS FP32, 2.200 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 4.400 GTexel/s texture rate.
These numbers indicate a card that is roughly an order of magnitude slower than even entry-level GPUs from a few years later. For example, a typical mid-range card from 2010 would deliver several hundred GFLOPS, whereas this card’s 44.80 GFLOPS is a fraction of that. The 12.80 GB/s memory bandwidth is equally constrained, as modern cards often exceed 200 GB/s, meaning the 9400 GT PCI would bottleneck on texture fetches and frame buffer operations in any demanding scene.
The 50th percentile ranking against all GPUs is misleading in practical terms, as it includes many integrated graphics solutions from the same era that were even less capable. Against dedicated graphics cards of its own generation, the 9400 GT PCI would rank near the bottom, likely below the 20th percentile. Without exact rival scores, the data cannot confirm this, but the specification gaps are so large that the conclusion is inescapable: this card’s performance is suitable only for the most basic 3D tasks, and its benchmark absence reflects its irrelevance to modern testing.
FAQ
Q: What is the memory size and type of the GeForce 9400 GT PCI?
A: The card comes with 256 MB of DDR2 memory, which is on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 12.80 GB/s.
Q: Does the GeForce 9400 GT PCI support DirectX 11?
A: The card supports DirectX 11.1, but only with a feature level of 10_0, meaning it cannot fully utilize DirectX 11 features and is effectively a DirectX 10-class card.
Q: What power supply is recommended for this card?
A: The suggested PSU wattage is 250 W, and the card requires no external power connectors, drawing its power solely from the PCI slot.
Q: What is the release date of the GeForce 9400 GT PCI?
A: The card was released on 2008-08-26, placing it in the late summer of 2008.
Q: How many display outputs does the card have?
A: It features one DVI, one VGA, and one S-Video output, allowing for basic multi-display setups in legacy systems.
Q: What is the process node of the GPU?
A: The GPU is manufactured on a 55 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 121 mm² and containing 314 million transistors.
Memory Subsystem
The GeForce 9400 GT PCI is equipped with 256 MB of DDR2 memory, which is a small capacity even by 2008 standards. The memory operates at 400 MHz, translating to 800 Mbps effective, and is connected via a 128-bit bus, yielding a total bandwidth of 12.80 GB/s. This bandwidth is severely limiting for high-resolution rendering, as modern games at 1080p often require 50 GB/s or more to maintain smooth frame rates, and even older titles at 720p would strain this figure.
The 128-bit bus width is modest, and combined with the low memory clock, the card’s effective bandwidth is roughly one-tenth of what a mid-range card from the same generation might offer. For high resolutions like 1600x1200 or above, the memory subsystem would become the primary bottleneck, causing texture pop-in and stuttering. The 256 MB capacity also restricts the use of high-resolution textures, as any game requiring more than 256 MB of VRAM would either fail to load or resort to system memory over the PCI bus, which is far slower.
In practical terms, this memory configuration is adequate for 2D desktop environments and video playback at standard definition, but it is wholly unsuitable for 3D gaming beyond very low resolutions and detail settings. The 12.80 GB/s bandwidth is a hard ceiling that no amount of driver optimization can overcome, making the card a poor choice for any memory-intensive workload.
Power and Cooling
The GeForce 9400 GT PCI has a TDP of 50 W, which is low by modern standards but typical for entry-level cards of its era. The suggested PSU is 250 W, meaning even a basic power supply can run this card, provided the system’s other components do not exceed the remaining wattage. The card requires no power connectors, drawing all its power from the PCI slot, which simplifies installation in legacy systems that may lack auxiliary power cables.
The card’s cooling solution is a single-slot design, with a length of 168 mm (6.6 inches), making it compact enough for most chassis. A single-slot cooler is sufficient for a 50 W TDP, as the heat output is modest and can be dissipated with a simple heatsink and fan. The absence of a power connector also means there is no risk of compatibility issues with older power supplies that lack PCIe power cables.
In terms of system integration, the 250 W PSU recommendation assumes a typical CPU and a couple of drives; users with high-power CPUs or multiple peripherals should consider a higher-wattage supply, though the data does not specify any upper limit. The card’s low power draw also makes it suitable for small form factor systems where heat and power are at a premium, though its performance limitations remain the primary constraint.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The GeForce 9400 GT PCI is built on the Tesla architecture, which predates dedicated ray tracing and tensor cores; the FACT PACK lists null values for both RT and tensor cores. Consequently, the card has no hardware acceleration for ray tracing or AI-based features like DLSS. This is expected for a 2008-era GPU, as ray tracing was not a consumer feature until the Turing generation in 2018.
The card does support DirectX 11.1, but only at feature level 10_0, which means it can run DirectX 10-class shaders but not the full DirectX 11 feature set, such as tessellation or compute shaders. OpenGL 3.3 is supported, which allows for legacy OpenGL applications, but Vulkan is not listed as supported, further limiting its modern API compatibility. The 16 shading units are organized in a way that supports the DirectX 10_0 feature level, but they lack the specialized hardware for more advanced effects.
For users interested in ray tracing, this card is entirely unsuitable, as it cannot accelerate any RT workloads. The lack of tensor cores also precludes any AI-based upscaling or denoising features. The card’s feature set is essentially frozen at the late-2000s standard, making it viable only for software that predates 2010 or for simple 2D acceleration. The absence of Vulkan support is particularly notable, as it bars the card from running modern Vulkan-based games or emulators that might otherwise be light on GPU demands.
The AMD Equivalent of GeForce 9400 GT PCI
Looking for a similar graphics card from AMD? The AMD Radeon RX 480 offers comparable performance and features in the AMD lineup.
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