GEFORCE

NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI

NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores

64 MB
VRAM
MHz Boost
TDP
128
Bus Width

NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI Specifications

⚙️

GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI GPU Core

Shader units and compute resources

The NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 XT 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.

TMUs
4
ROPs
4
⏱️

FX 5600 XT PCI Clock Speeds

GPU and memory frequencies

Clock speeds directly impact the GeForce FX 5600 XT 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 FX 5600 XT PCI by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.

GPU Clock
235 MHz
Memory Clock
200 MHz 400 Mbps effective
GDDR GDDR 6X 6X

NVIDIA's GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI Memory

VRAM capacity and bandwidth

VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The GeForce FX 5600 XT 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.

Memory Size
64 MB
VRAM
64 MB
Memory Type
DDR
VRAM Type
DDR
Memory Bus
128 bit
Bus Width
128-bit
Bandwidth
6.400 GB/s
📈

FX 5600 XT PCI Theoretical Performance

Compute and fill rates

Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 XT 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.

Pixel Rate
940.0 MPixel/s
Texture Rate
940.0 MTexel/s
🏗️

Rankine Architecture & Process

Manufacturing and design details

The NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI is built on NVIDIA's Rankine 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 FX 5600 XT PCI will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.

Architecture
Rankine
GPU Name
NV31
Process Node
130 nm
Foundry
TSMC
Transistors
80 million
Die Size
121 mm²
Density
661.2K / mm²
🔌

NVIDIA's GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI Power & Thermal

TDP and power requirements

Power specifications for the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 XT 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 FX 5600 XT PCI to maintain boost clocks without throttling.

Power Connectors
None
Suggested PSU
200 W
📐

GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity

Dimensions and outputs

Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 XT 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.

Slot Width
Single-slot
Bus Interface
PCI
Display Outputs
1x DVI
Display Outputs
1x DVI
🎮

NVIDIA API Support

Graphics and compute APIs

API support determines which games and applications can fully utilize the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 XT 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.

DirectX
9.0a
DirectX
9.0a
OpenGL
1.5 (full) 2.0 (partial)
OpenGL
1.5 (full) 2.0 (partial)
📦

GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI Product Information

Release and pricing details

The NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 XT 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 FX 5600 XT PCI by NVIDIA represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.

Manufacturer
NVIDIA
Release Date
Mar 2003
Production
End-of-life
Predecessor
GeForce 4 Ti
Successor
GeForce 6 AGP

GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI Benchmark Scores

📊

No benchmark data available for this GPU.

About NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI

The NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI from NVIDIA represented a specific value proposition upon its March 2003 release, targeting users with older systems lacking an AGP slot. Its cost analysis is intrinsically tied to its unique PCI interface, as it offered a discrete graphics upgrade path for legacy motherboards when most competitors had moved to AGP 8x. For a user confined to a PCI-only system, the card provided a way to experience DirectX 9.0 features, albeit with significant performance limitations due to the interface's lower bandwidth. The 64 MB of DDR memory on a 130 nm Rankine architecture was modest even for its time, positioning it as a functional rather than a performance leader. Choosing the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI meant prioritizing system compatibility and basic feature support over raw speed or future-proofing. Its value was entirely situational, offering a stopgap solution until a full system overhaul could be undertaken.

When considering competitive alternatives, the PCI interface itself was the primary differentiator. More powerful contemporary cards from both NVIDIA and ATI, like the standard AGP FX 5600 or the Radeon 9600, were not viable options for the target audience. Within the narrow PCI segment, alternatives were often older DirectX 8 generation parts or integrated graphics, making the FX 5600 XT one of the few ways to access newer shader models. However, the severe bandwidth constraints of the PCI bus meant the GPU's capabilities were heavily bottlenecked, negating much of its architectural potential. For users with an available AGP slot, even a budget AGP card would deliver a substantially better experience than the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI. Therefore, its competition was less about other graphics cards and more about the cost-benefit analysis of upgrading the entire motherboard and CPU platform instead.

Assessing the longevity and system requirements of the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI reveals a product with a very short practical lifespan for gaming. Its minimal system requirements were its main advantage, needing only a free PCI slot and a modest power supply, making installation simple in almost any existing PC. However, its 64 MB framebuffer and constrained bandwidth quickly became inadequate for new games even in the mid-2000s, limiting its useful life primarily to older titles and basic desktop use. The card's longevity was ultimately capped by the rapid industry-wide abandonment of the PCI interface for graphics, sealing its fate as a transitional product. For legacy system builders today, the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI from NVIDIA serves as a historical artifact of a specific upgrade dilemma. Its relevance faded as AGP, and later PCI-Express, became universal standards, making such interface-specific compromises unnecessary.

The AMD Equivalent of GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI

Looking for a similar graphics card from AMD? The AMD Radeon RX 480 offers comparable performance and features in the AMD lineup.

AMD Radeon RX 480

AMD • 8 GB VRAM

View Specs Compare

Popular NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI Comparisons

See how the GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI stacks up against similar graphics cards from the same generation and competing brands.

Compare GeForce FX 5600 XT PCI with Other GPUs

Select another GPU to compare specifications and benchmarks side-by-side.

Browse GPUs