NVIDIA GeForce GT 130 Mac Edition

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 130 Mac Edition is a Tesla-architecture GPU built on the G94B chip, fabricated by TSMC on a 55 nm process. It holds the 50th percentile position among all GPUs in the database, indicating a median standing in the overall performance distribution. The card carries 505 million transistors on a 196 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 2.6M per mm². Released on December 11, 2008, it is now end-of-life, and the dataset provides no benchmark scores, no average score, and no nearest-rival comparisons for this model. The card belongs to the GeForce 100 generation, with the GeForce 9 series as its predecessor and the GeForce 200 series as its successor.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem consists of 512 MB of GDDR3 memory connected via a 192-bit bus. The memory clock runs at 792 MHz, which translates to an effective data rate of 1584 Mbps. The resulting bandwidth is 38.02 GB/s. For high-resolution workloads, the 512 MB capacity is a significant limiting factor; modern textures and framebuffers at 1440p or 4K would quickly exhaust this pool, forcing the driver to rely on slower system memory or causing texture thrashing. The 192-bit bus width is a moderate design choice, but the bandwidth figure of 38.02 GB/s is modest even by the standards of its release period. The effective data rate of 1584 Mbps is the rate at which the memory transfers data, and it directly influences how quickly texture and geometry data can be fed to the shading units. At high resolutions, the combination of small capacity and moderate bandwidth will likely cause frame pacing issues and visible texture pop-in. The pixel rate of 7.200 GPixel/s and texture rate of 14.40 GTexel/s further constrain high-resolution performance, as these are the maximum rates at which the 12 ROPs and 24 TMUs can process data. For 1080p gaming, the memory subsystem may suffice for older titles with reduced texture quality, but for any resolution above that, the 512 MB buffer and 38.02 GB/s bandwidth will become a bottleneck. The 192-bit bus width does provide a reasonable balance, but the low effective memory speed of 1584 Mbps limits the overall throughput. The memory type is GDDR3, which was a common choice for mid-range cards of its era, but it lacks the higher density and bandwidth of newer memory standards.

Who Should Consider It

Given the specifications, this card is suited for 720p gaming or 1080p with reduced settings on titles from its era. The 48 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 12 ROPs provide a baseline compute capability. The FP32 throughput of 144.0 GFLOPS indicates a modest compute ceiling, meaning modern compute-heavy effects will be out of reach. The pixel rate of 7.200 GPixel/s and texture rate of 14.40 GTexel/s are the practical limits for fill-rate-bound scenarios, such as high-resolution shadow mapping or heavy post-processing. Users who play older games or indie titles at low to medium settings will find this card workable. However, the DirectX 11.1 (10_0) API support means that the card only exposes the DirectX 10 feature level, so any game requiring DirectX 11 or higher features will not run. OpenGL 3.3 support is present, which covers a range of legacy titles. The 512 MB memory is a hard constraint for texture-heavy games; any title with high-resolution texture packs will struggle. For high-resolution (1440p or 4K) gaming, this card is not recommended due to the memory capacity and bandwidth. The 50th percentile standing among all GPUs suggests it is an average performer, but that average is skewed by the inclusion of much older and much newer hardware. For a user with a 720p monitor or a 1024x768 display, the card can handle many titles at playable frame rates, provided the settings are kept low. The 2x DVI and 1x S-Video outputs limit display connectivity to older monitors, so users with modern displays may need adapters. The card's single-slot design and 229 mm length make it easy to fit in most chassis, but the power requirements (75 W TDP, 1x 6-pin) are modest, making it a plausible upgrade for older systems with limited power supplies.

Benchmark Performance

The dataset lists an average benchmark score of 0 and an empty benchmarks array, meaning no direct performance measurements are recorded. The percentile vs all GPUs is 50, which places this card exactly at the median of the database's GPU population. Without benchmark scores, the analysis must rely on raw throughput figures. The FP32 performance is 144.0 GFLOPS, which is the peak single-precision compute rate. The pixel rate of 7.200 GPixel/s is the maximum fill rate for the 12 ROPs. The texture rate of 14.40 GTexel/s is the maximum rate for the 24 TMUs. These figures indicate a card that is roughly mid-pack in its generation, but no direct comparison to specific rivals is possible because the nearestRivals array is empty. The absence of rival data means we cannot state that this card is, for example, 30% ahead of a specific rival; the only comparative metric available is the 50th percentile. This implies that half of the GPUs in the database are slower and half are faster. In the context of the GeForce 100 generation, the card sits between the GeForce 9 and GeForce 200 series, but no specific performance deltas are provided. The compute rate of 144.0 GFLOPS is a theoretical maximum; real-world performance will be lower due to driver overhead and memory latency. The memory bandwidth of 38.02 GB/s also limits the achievable throughput in memory-bound workloads, meaning that even if the compute units are not saturated, the memory subsystem will cap performance. Given the lack of benchmark data, any statement about frame rates or relative performance must be treated as an inference from the raw specifications rather than a measured result. The 50th percentile is a broad indicator, but it does not account for the specific distribution of scores within the database.

FAQ

Q: What is the memory configuration of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 130 Mac Edition?

A: It has 512 MB of GDDR3 memory with a 192-bit bus width, providing a bandwidth of 38.02 GB/s. The memory clock is 792 MHz, with an effective data rate of 1584 Mbps.

Q: What power connectors and PSU are required?

A: The card has a TDP of 75 W and requires a single 6-pin power connector. The suggested PSU rating is 250 W.

Q: What API levels does the card support?

A: It supports DirectX 11.1 (10_0) and OpenGL 3.3. Vulkan is not supported.

Q: What is the manufacturing process and die size?

A: It is fabricated by TSMC on a 55 nm process. The die size is 196 mm², containing 505 million transistors, giving a density of 2.6M per mm².

Q: What are the display outputs?

A: The card provides 2x DVI and 1x S-Video outputs.

Q: What is the production status and release date?

A: The card is end-of-life and was released on December 11, 2008.

How It Compares

The dataset provides no nearest rivals for this card, so direct comparisons to specific models are impossible. The only comparative data available is the 50th percentile standing among all GPUs, which indicates a median position in the database. In the context of its generation, the card is positioned between the GeForce 9 series (its predecessor) and the GeForce 200 series (its successor), but no quantitative performance gap is listed. The 50th percentile means that half of the GPUs in the database are slower and half are faster, but this is a broad statement that does not account for the wide variance in performance across different eras of hardware. The card's raw specifications — 48 shading units, 24 TMUs, 12 ROPs, and 144.0 GFLOPS — place it in a mid-range category for its time. The 512 MB memory and 38.02 GB/s bandwidth are typical for a card of this class, but without rival data, we cannot assert whether it is ahead or behind any specific competitor. The card's architecture (Tesla) and process node (55 nm) are shared with other cards in the GeForce 100 generation, but no specific sibling models are named. The absence of rival names and scores means the analysis must rely on the absolute numbers and the percentile. This is a limitation of the dataset, but it allows us to state definitively that the card is a median performer in the overall GPU landscape, with no measured deltas to any named competitor.

Power and Cooling

The card has a TDP of 75 W, which is modest and indicates that it does not require an elaborate cooling solution. It is a single-slot design, meaning it occupies only one expansion slot in the chassis. The power connector requirement is a single 6-pin connector, and the suggested PSU rating is 250 W. The physical dimensions are 229 mm in length (9 inches), which should fit in most mid-tower cases, but users with compact or small-form-factor cases should verify clearance. The cooling solution is not specified in the dataset, but the single-slot form factor implies a blower-style cooler or a low-profile heatsink. Given the 75 W TDP, a capable air cooler should suffice to maintain acceptable temperatures under load. The 250 W PSU recommendation is a baseline; systems with additional components such as multiple hard drives or a high-power CPU may require a higher-wattage unit, but the dataset only lists 250 W. The power connector is a standard 6-pin PCIe connector, which is widely available on power supplies from that era. The low TDP means heat output is manageable, and the single-slot design ensures compatibility with multi-GPU setups in terms of spacing, though no SLI support is mentioned in the data. The 55 nm process node contributes to the 75 W power draw, which is efficient for the time. The 505 million transistors on a 196 mm² die result in a transistor density of 2.6M per mm², which is a factor in the thermal characteristics. Overall, the power and cooling requirements are straightforward and should not pose a challenge for most systems, making it a drop-in upgrade for older machines with a 250 W or higher power supply.