NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5100

The NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5100 is a mobile GPU built around the NV34 chip and the Rankine architecture, placed in the GeForce FX Go 5 (Go 5000) generation. Fabricated by TSMC on a 150 nm process, the die contains 45 million transistors within a 124 mm² area, yielding a transistor density of 362.9K per mm². The GPU connects through an AGP 8x bus, reports display outputs as Portable Device Dependent, and carries a release date of February 28, 2003. The record classifies the product as end-of-life and lists the GeForce4 Go as its predecessor and the GeForce Go 6 as its successor.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark section is sparse. The benchmarks list is empty and the average benchmark score is 0, yet the percentile field assigns a position: the 50th percentile of all GPUs in the database. That is the exact center of the distribution; the database regards this part as a median performer. But no score supports that rank, so the percentile is an ordering position, not a measured workload result.

Without measured scores, the theoretical rates become the primary numbers. The GPU has 4 ROPs and 4 TMUs. Pixel rate is 800.0 MPixel/s; texture rate is 800.0 MTexel/s. The matching values show a balanced pipeline: the ROP block and the TMU block can each process 800.0 million units per second, so neither pixel writes nor texture fetches are structurally favored. The memory bandwidth feeding that pipeline is 3.200 GB/s, produced by a 64-bit DDR bus and a 200 MHz memory clock operating at a 400 Mbps effective data rate. The relationship between fill rates and bandwidth is the only performance analysis the data permits.

The 800.0 MPixel/s pixel rate is an abstraction in this record: it assumes the pixel pipeline is fully engaged and memory never stalls. The 4 ROPs write pixels; the 4 TMUs fetch texels. If the GPU is asked to render a workload that demands more pixel throughput than 800.0 MPixel/s, the frame rate is capped by that figure. Similarly, a scene demanding texel throughput beyond 800.0 MTexel/s makes the texture stage the binding constraint. Real workloads are rarely so clean, and the 3.200 GB/s memory bandwidth would further reduce achievable throughput.

The nearestRivals list is empty, so no deltaPct values and no rival scores exist. No percentage comparison to any named GPU can be made from this record. The 50th percentile remains the only comparative figure, and it is a neutral one.

Power and Cooling

The power data is mostly absent. TDP is null; no thermal design power is recorded. Suggested PSU is also null, so no power supply recommendation appears. The power connector field, however, is explicit: None. The FX Go5100 needs no auxiliary power connectors, and with an AGP 8x bus interface, the data implies power delivery through the slot is the only path. Slot width is likewise null, so the physical size of the board is unspecified; a Portable Device Dependent output set suggests the host laptop controls the thermal environment. The 45 million transistor count on a 124 mm² die at 150 nm gives a density of 362.9K per mm², and those are the only production-side figures that bear on heat. Without a TDP value, the record cannot quantify the cooling burden; it can only show that no discrete power connector is required.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The record lists no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores; both fields are null. That is a clear negative: no dedicated hardware for ray-intersection work and no tensor/matrix acceleration. The API support forms the feature list. DirectX 9.0a appears, along with OpenGL 1.5 (full) and OpenGL 2.0 (partial). The full/partial distinction is significant: OpenGL 1.5 is entirely supported, while OpenGL 2.0 is only partially available, meaning some OpenGL 2.0 features are absent. Vulkan is not listed at all. The architecture name, Rankine, and chip name, NV34, are the remaining identifiers. Applications needing ray tracing, tensor cores, Vulkan, or complete OpenGL 2.0 will find no support in this record; applications within DirectX 9.0a or full OpenGL 1.5 are the compatible target.

FAQ

Q: How much memory does the GeForce FX Go5100 have?

A: It has 32 MB of DDR memory on a 64-bit bus, with a 200 MHz memory clock, an effective rate of 400 Mbps, and 3.200 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: What APIs are supported?

A: DirectX 9.0a and OpenGL 1.5 (full) are listed; OpenGL 2.0 is listed as partial. Vulkan is not listed.

Q: Does it support ray tracing?

A: No. The ray tracing core field is null, so the record includes no dedicated ray tracing hardware.

Q: What is the chip's manufacturing process?

A: The NV34 chip is fabricated by TSMC on a 150 nm process. It contains 45 million transistors on a 124 mm² die, for a density of 362.9K per mm².

Q: What is the production status?

A: End-of-life. The release date is February 28, 2003, with the GeForce4 Go as predecessor and GeForce Go 6 as successor.

Q: What power connector does it use?

A: None. The power connector field is "None"; no TDP and no suggested PSU are listed.

How It Compares

The nearestRivals list is empty, so the database provides no rival names, scores, or deltaPct values. The only comparative metric is the 50th percentile, placing the FX Go5100 at the midpoint of all GPUs tracked. The lineage gives context: it succeeds the GeForce4 Go and precedes the GeForce Go 6. Without scores for those or any named product, no directional performance statement is possible. The internal comparison is more instructive. Pixel rate and texture rate are both 800.0, indicating a lockstep balance between the 4 ROPs and 4 TMUs. Memory bandwidth, at 3.200 GB/s, is the slower partner. The comparison, therefore, is not against rivals but against its own spec sheet: the fill-rate engine can produce work faster than the memory bus can service. No percentage advantage or disadvantage can be quantified, because the record contains no rival deltas.

Memory Subsystem

Four numbers define the memory subsystem: 32 MB, 64 bit, 200 MHz, and 3.200 GB/s. The type is DDR. The 32 MB capacity is the total frame buffer; at high resolutions, that is a restrictive pool for color, depth, and texture storage. The 64-bit bus limits how much data moves per memory transaction. The 200 MHz clock with an effective 400 Mbps rate documents the DDR signaling, and the resulting 3.200 GB/s is the maximum transfer rate between the GPU and memory. For the 4 TMUs and 4 ROPs, this bandwidth is the supply line. Texture fetches at 800.0 MTexel/s and pixel writes at 800.0 MPixel/s can both draw from it, and if the API workload drives fill rates toward their ceilings, 3.200 GB/s becomes a constraint. At high resolutions, the combination of 32 MB capacity and 64-bit bandwidth means the practical limit is not the pixel engine alone but the pipe that feeds it.

Who Should Consider It

The FX Go5100 is a portable-device GPU: display outputs are Portable Device Dependent, and it rides an AGP 8x bus with no auxiliary power connector. Its 50th percentile rank makes it an average part in the database. That average position, paired with 32 MB of memory and a 64-bit bus, points to lower resolutions and modest settings as the intended operating range. High resolutions would press against the 32 MB buffer and 3.200 GB/s bandwidth. Users with applications written for DirectX 9.0a or full OpenGL 1.5 are the natural fit. Users needing OpenGL 2.0's complete feature set will face the partial-support caveat; those needing Vulkan, ray tracing, or tensor cores are outside the supported set. The end-of-life status and 2003 release date further restrict consideration to existing legacy systems rather than new builds.