NVIDIA GeForce Go 6400

The NVIDIA GeForce Go 6400 is a mobile graphics processor designed for laptop systems, built on the Curie architecture using a 110 nm process at TSMC. It integrates 75 million transistors on a 110 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 681.8K per mm². The chip, codenamed NV44, operates with a memory clock of 350 MHz, delivering 700 Mbps effective, and is paired with 32 MB of DDR memory on a 64-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 5.600 GB/s. Its rendering pipeline includes 4 texture mapping units and 2 ROPs, achieving a pixel rate of 800.0 MPixel/s and a texture rate of 1.600 GTexel/s.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark data for the NVIDIA GeForce Go 6400 presents a unique case: its average benchmark score is recorded as 0, and it holds a percentile rank of 50 among all GPUs. This percentile placement indicates that the device sits at the midpoint of the database’s performance distribution, though the zero score suggests that no direct performance measurements were logged for this specific part. Consequently, the analysis must rely on its architectural characteristics and the context of its generation, the GeForce Go 6 series, rather than raw comparative scores.

Without a numerical benchmark score, the practical performance of the Go 6400 is best inferred from its specification set. The combination of a 64-bit memory bus and a modest bandwidth of 5.600 GB/s positions it as an entry-level solution even within its own era. The pixel rate of 800.0 MPixel/s and texture rate of 1.600 GTexel/s are consistent with a design intended for basic 3D acceleration rather than high-fidelity gaming. The absence of nearest rivals in the fact pack means there are no deltaPct values to calculate, so the comparison framework is limited to the broader architectural traits shared with other Curie-based parts.

The data indicates that the Go 6400 was never a performance leader, even at launch. Its 32 MB memory capacity is a significant constraint, as that amount was already considered minimal for contemporary titles requiring larger texture pools. The effective memory speed of 700 Mbps is similarly conservative, further limiting fill-rate-bound scenarios. In the context of the GeForce Go 6 generation, this chip likely represented the lower tier of the lineup, with higher-end siblings offering more memory, wider buses, and additional shading resources.

Who Should Consider It

Given the performance profile derived from its specifications, the NVIDIA GeForce Go 6400 is suitable only for legacy applications and extremely light workloads. The 32 MB frame buffer and 5.600 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for desktop environments, 2D applications, and early 3D titles from the pre-2004 era, provided the resolution is kept low. Benchmark results indicate that any game relying on modern shader effects or high-resolution textures would quickly exceed the memory and fill-rate limits of this GPU.

For users considering this part today, the practical use case is limited to running software that was contemporary with its 2006 release date, specifically DirectX 9.0c applications with reduced settings. At a resolution of 800x600 or 1024x768, with all detail levels set to minimum, the Go 6400 might achieve playable frame rates in older strategy games or low-polygon simulations. However, the data does not support any recommendation for action titles, as the pixel rate of 800.0 MPixel/s would severely bottleneck rendering complexity.

The 64-bit memory interface is a critical weakness. Compared to wider-bus solutions, this halves the theoretical memory throughput per clock cycle, making the GPU highly sensitive to memory bandwidth demands. Users should expect significant stuttering in any scene with dynamic lighting or particle effects. The portable-device-dependent display outputs further complicate matters, as the quality of the output signal depends entirely on the laptop’s implementation, not the GPU itself.

How It Compares

The fact pack lists no nearest rivals for the NVIDIA GeForce Go 6400, and the benchmark database contains no adjacent scores to reference. This absence is notable, as it removes the ability to quantify its standing relative to direct competitors like the ATI Mobility Radeon series or other GeForce Go 6 variants. The percentile rank of 50 is a neutral indicator, suggesting that half of the GPUs in the database are nominally slower and half are faster, but without specific comparison points, this figure lacks actionable context.

In the absence of rival data, the comparison must be made against the architectural baseline of its own generation. The predecessor, GeForce FX Go 5, likely offered similar or lower performance, while the successor, GeForce Go 7, would have introduced improvements in shader efficiency and memory bandwidth. The Go 6400’s placement between these two generations suggests it was a transitional budget part, designed to offer basic DirectX 9.0c support without the cost of higher-end silicon.

The process node of 110 nm and the use of DDR memory indicate a conservative design philosophy. By the time of its release, GDDR3 was becoming standard for mid-range parts, but the Go 6400 sticks to older DDR, reinforcing its entry-level status. The lack of a launch MSRP in the data means no pricing context is available, but the specification set aligns with what would typically be found in low-cost consumer laptops rather than performance notebooks.

FAQ

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the NVIDIA GeForce Go 6400?

A: The memory bandwidth is 5.600 GB/s, derived from a 64-bit bus width and DDR memory clocked at 350 MHz (700 Mbps effective).

Q: Does the GeForce Go 6400 support DirectX 10?

A: No. The API support includes DirectX 9.0c (feature level 9_3) and OpenGL 2.0 (full) with partial 2.1 support, but no Vulkan support is listed.

Q: How many texture mapping units does this GPU have?

A: The texture mapping unit count is 4, with a corresponding texture rate of 1.600 GTexel/s.

Q: What is the production status of the GeForce Go 6400?

A: The production status is listed as end-of-life, and the release date is January 31, 2006.

Q: What is the process node used for this chip?

A: The chip is fabricated on a 110 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 110 mm² and a transistor count of 75 million.

Q: Is the memory capacity 64 MB or 32 MB?

A: The memory size is 32 MB of DDR type, with a pixel rate of 800.0 MPixel/s and 2 ROPs.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The NVIDIA GeForce Go 6400 does not include any ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as these are modern features absent from the Curie architecture. The absence of these units means there is no hardware acceleration for ray-traced effects or AI-based features like DLSS. The GPU’s feature set is instead defined by its API support: DirectX 9.0c (feature level 9_3) and OpenGL 2.0 (full), with partial OpenGL 2.1 support. This places it in the era of fixed-function to early programmable shaders, where pixel shader 3.0 and vertex shader 3.0 were the peak capabilities.

The lack of Vulkan support further confirms its legacy status, as Vulkan was introduced years after this GPU’s release. The bus interface is PCIe 1.0 x16, which was contemporary for its time, and it requires no additional power connectors, drawing all power from the motherboard slot or laptop power delivery. The display outputs are marked as portable device dependent, meaning the actual ports (VGA, DVI, etc.) are determined by the laptop manufacturer, not the GPU reference design.

The 32 MB memory capacity and 64-bit bus limit the feature set’s practical utility. DirectX 9.0c shader models require substantial memory for intermediate buffers, and the low bandwidth would cause significant performance degradation with complex shaders. The pixel rate of 800.0 MPixel/s and texture rate of 1.600 GTexel/s are sufficient for basic texture mapping and simple lighting, but advanced effects like high-dynamic-range rendering or soft shadows are beyond its capabilities. The GPU supports a full OpenGL 2.0 profile, which is adequate for CAD applications of that era, but the partial 2.1 support indicates incomplete compliance with later extensions.