NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M is a mobile graphics processor built on the Tesla 2.0 architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 40 nm process. Released on January 9, 2010, it is now marked end-of-life and occupies a specific position in the GeForce 300M generation, sitting between the GeForce 200M and GeForce 400M families. The database record shows a 50th percentile standing among all tracked GPUs, yet the average benchmark score is recorded as zero with an empty benchmarks array, a profile that demands careful reading of the raw specifications to extract meaningful interpretation.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark section of the database is sparse for this part: the avgBenchmarkScore is 0, and the benchmarks array contains no entries. However, the percentileVsAllGpus field places the GT 330M at the 50th percentile, exactly the midpoint of all GPUs tracked in the database. This is a notable datum on its own. A mobile part from early 2010 sitting at the median of the entire historical GPU distribution suggests either that the database population is weighted heavily toward older and lower-end parts, or that the 50th percentile functions as a positional default pending measured results.

In the absence of synthetic scores, the raw compute figures provide the only measurable performance indicators. The GT 330M delivers 65.28 GFLOPS of FP32 throughput, derived from its 24 shading units operating across the Tesla 2.0 architecture. Pixel fill rate is 5.000 GPixel/s, and texture fill rate is 10.00 GTexel/s. These numbers describe a part designed for modest workloads. The 24 shading units and 8 ROPs indicate a small execution width, while the 16 TMUs provide a texture throughput exactly double the pixel rate, a ratio typical of balanced mobile parts of this era.

The 65.28 GFLOPS figure is the key compute metric in the entire record. The relationship between 24 shaders, 16 TMUs, and 8 ROPs implies the GT 330M was balanced toward texture-heavy rather than pixel-heavy scenes. At the 50th percentile, the data suggests a middle-of-the-pack position, but without rival scores or a non-zero benchmark average, the percentile should be read as a positional marker rather than a measured result. The empty benchmark array means no direct comparison against any other GPU is possible from this database entry.

Power and Cooling

The GT 330M carries a TDP of just 23 W, making it a low-power mobile part by any standard. This figure is consistent with its 40 nm TSMC fabrication process and its 486 million transistor count on a 100 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 4.9M per square millimeter. The modest thermal envelope means cooling requirements are minimal, and the part is designed for deployment in a laptop chassis rather than a desktop tower.

The physical form factor is an MXM Module, specifically the MXM-A (3.0) bus interface. This is a standardized mobile expansion module format, meaning the GT 330M is not a desktop card and cannot be installed in a standard desktop slot. The power delivery configuration reflects this: the module requires no auxiliary power connectors, drawing all of its power from the MXM slot itself. The database records no suggested PSU, which is expected, a 23 W mobile GPU does not require a power supply recommendation in the way a desktop part would.

The absence of power connectors and the 23 W TDP together indicate that the GT 330M was designed to be powered entirely by the laptop's existing power delivery system. The MXM form factor also implies the GPU could be replaced or upgraded in compatible laptops, though the end-of-life production status means such upgrades would now rely on used parts. The thermal solution is likewise portable-device-dependent, with no separate cooler specifications recorded.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The GT 330M predates the era of dedicated ray tracing hardware. The database records no RT cores and no tensor cores, both fields are null. This is expected for a Tesla 2.0 architecture part from 2010, but it has significant implications for modern software compatibility. Without tensor cores, any AI-accelerated features are entirely absent. Without RT cores, hardware-accelerated ray tracing is unavailable.

The API support tells a more nuanced story. The part supports DirectX 11.1, but with a feature level of 10_1. This means that while the API version is nominally 11.1, the hardware only implements the Direct3D 10.1 feature set. In practical terms, the GT 330M cannot execute DirectX 11 shader models or the tessellation features associated with that API generation; it is limited to the DirectX 10.1 feature level. OpenGL support is 3.3, which covers a reasonable range of games from the late 2000s and early 2010s. Vulkan support is absent, the field is null, so any modern Vulkan-based titles or emulators are off the table.

The display outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent," meaning the actual output configuration depends on the laptop in which the MXM module is installed. This is a mobile-specific consideration; the GPU does not dictate its own display ports. The feature set as a whole reflects a part firmly anchored in its 2010 release window.

How It Compares

The database lists no nearest rivals for the GT 330M, the nearestRivals array is empty. This is itself a finding: the part has no direct comparison data in the benchmark database, likely because its mobile MXM form factor and end-of-life status place it outside the typical comparison set.

The predecessor and successor are identified in the record: the GeForce 200M family precedes the GT 330M, and the GeForce 400M family follows it. The data does not include specification or benchmark comparisons for these parts, so any direct numerical comparison is impossible from this record. However, the generational position is clear. The GT 330M sits between two mobile generations, inheriting the Tesla 2.0 architecture from the 200M era and preceding the 400M series. The 40 nm process node and 486 million transistor count place it firmly in the late-Tesla period of NVIDIA's mobile lineup.

Without rival data, the most meaningful comparison available is the percentile field. At the 50th percentile, the GT 330M sits exactly at the median of the database's GPU population. This is a neutral position, neither a high performer nor a low outlier. The absence of benchmark scores means this percentile cannot be cross-referenced against actual measured performance, but it provides a rough positional anchor. The empty rivals list also means no percentage deltas can be computed, leaving the raw compute figures as the only quantitative basis for assessment.

Who Should Consider It

Given the specifications, the GT 330M is not a candidate for modern gaming. The 65.28 GFLOPS FP32 throughput, 5.000 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 10.00 GTexel/s texture rate align with early-2000s desktop GPUs and late-2000s mobile parts. The 24 shading units and 8 ROPs limit the GPU to low resolutions and low detail settings in games from its own era.

The 50th percentile standing suggests that, within the database's historical population, the GT 330M is a middle-of-the-road part. For a user with a laptop containing this MXM module, realistic use cases are limited to legacy software: games from the DirectX 10.1 era, OpenGL 3.3 applications, and 2D workloads. The 1024 MB of GDDR3 memory is generous for the era, but the 25.28 GB/s memory bandwidth and 128-bit bus width constrain performance at higher resolutions.

The end-of-life production status means this is a part for collectors, retro computing enthusiasts, or users maintaining old laptops, not for anyone seeking current-generation performance. The absence of Vulkan support and the DirectX 10.1 feature level effectively exclude it from the modern software ecosystem. The 23 W TDP and MXM form factor further restrict it to the specific laptops that originally shipped with this module.

FAQ

Q: What is the release date of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M?

A: The release date is January 9, 2010.

Q: Does the GT 330M support hardware ray tracing?

A: No. The database records no RT cores and no tensor cores for this part.

Q: What is the TDP of the GT 330M?

A: The TDP is 23 W, and the module requires no auxiliary power connectors.

Q: What DirectX version does the GT 330M support?

A: It supports DirectX 11.1, but with a feature level of 10_1, meaning the hardware implements the Direct3D 10.1 feature set rather than full DirectX 11.

Q: How much memory does the GT 330M have and what type?

A: It has 1024 MB of GDDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 25.28 GB/s.

Q: Is the GT 330M still in production?

A: No, the production status is end-of-life.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem of the GT 330M is defined by a 1024 MB GDDR3 configuration on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 25.28 GB/s. The memory clock is 790 MHz, with an effective data rate of 1580 Mbps. These figures describe a memory system that was adequate for its time but is modest by modern standards.

The 1024 MB capacity is notable, it was a generous allocation for a mobile part in 2010, and it allows the GPU to hold larger textures than smaller-capacity contemporaries. However, the 128-bit bus width is a bottleneck. The 25.28 GB/s bandwidth is the practical ceiling for data movement, and this limits how much of that 1024 MB capacity can be effectively utilized at high resolutions.

For high-resolution workloads, the bandwidth is the limiting factor. The 25.28 GB/s figure would be strained by texture-heavy scenes at high display resolutions. The pixel rate of 5.000 GPixel/s further constrains fill-rate-bound scenarios. In practical terms, the memory subsystem supports the GPU's intended use case of moderate settings on laptop panels of its time, but would struggle with higher resolutions. The 1580 Mbps effective memory rate reflects the GDDR3 technology of the era; the architecture simply does not have the bandwidth headroom for demanding modern workloads.

The relationship between the 128-bit bus, 1024 MB capacity, and 25.28 GB/s bandwidth is internally consistent for a 2010 mobile part. The capacity-to-bandwidth ratio means the GPU can store large data sets but cannot move them quickly. This is a classic trade-off in mobile GPUs of this generation, and it reinforces the GT 330M's positioning as a mainstream laptop GPU rather than a performance part.