NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M is a mobile GPU from the GeForce 200M generation, built on TSMC's 65 nm process with 754 million transistors on a 324 mm² die. The chip is G92 and the architecture is Tesla. The data record lists no benchmark scores and no nearest rivals, but the specification set is otherwise detailed: 112 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, 16 ROPs, and a 256-bit GDDR3 memory interface. The percentileVsAllGpus of 50 places it at the midpoint of the database distribution, while the average benchmark score of 0 reflects an empty benchmark table rather than a measured result.

Benchmark Performance

Benchmark entries for the GTX 260M are absent from the data. The reported avgBenchmarkScore of 0 should therefore be read as an unpopulated benchmark field, not as a literal zero-performance measurement. The nearestRivals list is also empty, so exact percentage deltas against competing GPUs cannot be generated from this record. What the record does provide are compute and fillrate figures: FP32 performance is 308.0 GFLOPS, texture rate is 30.80 GTexel/s, and pixel rate is 8.800 GPixel/s. These are fixed throughput ceilings for shader-heavy, texture-heavy, and fill-bound work respectively.

The 112 shading units and 56 TMUs describe a GPU that spreads work across a relatively wide array of functional units for its era. ROP capacity is lower at 16 units, which can limit pixel-fill workloads. The theoretical FP32 figure of 308.0 GFLOPS is the single-precision compute rate; no FP16 value is listed. The data also does not include base, boost, or game clock speeds, so clock-dependent behavior cannot be assessed. Because no rival scores exist, it is not possible to say whether the GTX 260M is ahead of or behind a specific named product. The only relative marker is the 50th percentile across all GPUs, which suggests midpoint placement rather than a top-tier or entry-level position. Without nearestRivals deltaPct values, however, the magnitude of that placement cannot be quantified.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The rtCores and tensorCores fields are null. That means no dedicated ray tracing cores and no tensor cores are present in the data record, so hardware-accelerated ray tracing and tensor operations are not part of the GTX 260M's feature set. The API support list contains DirectX 11.1 (10_0) and OpenGL 3.3. No Vulkan version is reported. The underlying architecture is Tesla, built around the G92 chip, and the feature set is defined by the 112 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 16 ROPs rather than by specialized acceleration blocks.

The DirectX 11.1 entry includes the 10_0 feature level, which describes the hardware's shader model and rendering capabilities. OpenGL 3.3 is the listed OpenGL generation. Without RT and tensor hardware, workloads that depend on those blocks will not receive hardware offload. Display outputs are described as portable-device dependent, so the physical connectors and output capabilities vary with the laptop or MXM carrier that hosts the module. The lack of Vulkan support further narrows the modern API landscape. For applications that require DirectX 11.1 or OpenGL 3.3, the GTX 260M is covered by the listed API entries.

Who Should Consider It

With a 65 W TDP and an MXM Module slot width, the GTX 260M is aimed at modular notebook implementations. The 1024 MB video memory and 60.80 GB/s bandwidth are moderate by later standards, but the 256-bit bus offers a wider memory path than many small mobile parts. The 50th percentile database position implies a middle-of-the-pack aggregate placement, although no actual benchmark scores are recorded to confirm real-world performance. Users who need a GPU that fits an MXM-based portable system and requires no auxiliary power connector are the obvious audience.

The absence of power connectors simplifies system integration. The PCIe 2.0 x16 bus interface is the host connection, and display outputs are portable-device dependent, meaning the final experience depends heavily on the laptop's own outputs. For high-resolution rendering, the 1024 MB framebuffer may become a limiting factor when textures and render targets exceed that capacity. The theoretical FP32 throughput of 308.0 GFLOPS supports shader workloads that fit within the GPU's feature set, while 30.80 GTexel/s of texture rate helps texture-heavy scenes. This is not a desktop add-in card, and it cannot be judged by desktop form-factor expectations.

FAQ

Q: Does the GTX 260M support hardware ray tracing?

A: No. The rtCores and tensorCores fields are null, so dedicated ray tracing and tensor hardware is not present in the data record.

Q: What memory configuration does the GTX 260M use?

A: It has 1024 MB of GDDR3 on a 256-bit bus, with a 950 MHz memory clock (1900 Mbps effective) and 60.80 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What power connectors are required?

A: The powerConnectors field is None, and the TDP is 65 W. The slot width is MXM Module, indicating a modular laptop form factor.

Q: Which architecture and manufacturing process are used?

A: The G92 chip is built on TSMC's 65 nm process with 754 million transistors on a 324 mm² die, and the architecture is Tesla.

Q: What APIs are available?

A: The listed APIs are DirectX 11.1 (10_0) and OpenGL 3.3. No Vulkan support is reported.

Q: When was the GTX 260M released and what is its status?

A: The release date is 2009-03-02. The production status is end-of-life, with GeForce 100M as its predecessor and GeForce 300M as its successor.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem is fully specified in the data. Memory size is 1024 MB, type is GDDR3, bus width is 256 bit, and bandwidth is 60.80 GB/s. The memory clock is 950 MHz, with an effective transfer rate of 1900 Mbps. These numbers define how much data can move between the GPU and the frame buffer. For high resolutions, bandwidth is the more direct constraint: higher pixel counts and larger render targets require more data movement per frame. The 1024 MB capacity places a hard ceiling on the total size of geometry, textures, and framebuffer data that can reside on the GPU at any moment.

A 256-bit bus is comparatively wide for a mobile module and helps mitigate the modest memory clock. The combination of 1900 Mbps effective transfer rate and 256 bit yields the listed 60.80 GB/s bandwidth. Scenes that fit within 1024 MB and remain within the bandwidth envelope should run closer to the compute limits expressed by 308.0 GFLOPS, 30.80 GTexel/s, and 8.800 GPixel/s. Once the memory buffer or bandwidth is exceeded, performance will be governed by the memory subsystem rather than by shader throughput or texture rate.

Power and Cooling

The GTX 260M is a 65 W part, and that is the only power figure reported. The powerConnectors field is None, so no auxiliary PCIe power connectors are listed as required. There is no suggestedPsu value in the data record. Cooling is not quantified by any cooler size or wattage figure; instead, the slot width is MXM Module, indicating a notebook-oriented modular format. System designers must handle 65 W of dissipation inside the laptop chassis.

The absence of a PSU recommendation is consistent with a mobile module that draws through the host system rather than a desktop card needing a separate power supply. The PCIe 2.0 x16 bus interface is the connection to the host, and display outputs are portable-device dependent. The physical power delivery and thermal behavior will therefore vary by notebook implementation. The 65 W TDP also informs potential system-level cooling expectations, since no auxiliary power connector changes how the module is integrated.

How It Compares

The nearestRivals array in the data is empty. Because no rival names, scores, or deltaPct values are provided, direct comparisons against specific GPUs cannot be made from this record. The only quantitative relative placement is the percentileVsAllGpus of 50, which puts the GTX 260M exactly at the database midpoint. The average benchmark score of 0 further indicates that no measured benchmark result is available to anchor a comparison. Without rival data, any assertion that this GPU is faster or slower than a named product would go beyond what the record supports. There are no nearest rivals to profile in separate paragraphs, so this section can only note the absence of comparison points.