NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285M
NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
NVIDIANVIDIA GeForce GTX 285M Specifications
GeForce GTX 285M GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285M GPU core specifications define its raw processing power for graphics and compute workloads. Shading units (also called CUDA cores, stream processors, or execution units depending on manufacturer) handle the parallel calculations required for rendering. TMUs (Texture Mapping Units) process texture data, while ROPs (Render Output Units) handle final pixel output. Higher shader counts generally translate to better GPU benchmark performance, especially in demanding games and 3D applications.
GTX 285M Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the GeForce GTX 285M's performance in GPU benchmarks and real-world gaming. The base clock represents the minimum guaranteed frequency, while the boost clock indicates peak performance under optimal thermal conditions. Memory clock speed affects texture loading and frame buffer operations. The GeForce GTX 285M by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 285M Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The GeForce GTX 285M's memory capacity determines how well it handles high-resolution textures and multiple displays. Memory bandwidth, measured in GB/s, affects how quickly data moves between the GPU and VRAM. Higher bandwidth improves performance in memory-intensive scenarios like 4K gaming. The memory bus width and type (GDDR6, GDDR6X, HBM) significantly influence overall GPU benchmark scores.
GeForce GTX 285M by NVIDIA Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the GTX 285M, reducing the need to fetch data from slower VRAM. L1 and L2 caches store frequently accessed data close to the compute units. AMD's Infinity Cache (L3) dramatically increases effective bandwidth, improving GPU benchmark performance without requiring wider memory buses. Larger cache sizes help maintain high frame rates in memory-bound scenarios and reduce power consumption by minimizing VRAM accesses.
GTX 285M Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285M against other graphics cards. FP32 (single-precision) performance, measured in TFLOPS, indicates compute capability for gaming and general GPU workloads. FP64 (double-precision) matters for scientific computing. Pixel and texture fill rates determine how quickly the GPU can render complex scenes. While real-world GPU benchmark results depend on many factors, these specifications help predict relative performance levels.
Tesla Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285M is built on NVIDIA's Tesla architecture, which defines how the GPU processes graphics and compute workloads. The manufacturing process node affects power efficiency, thermal characteristics, and maximum clock speeds. Smaller process nodes pack more transistors into the same die area, enabling higher performance per watt. Understanding the architecture helps predict how the GTX 285M will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 285M Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285M determine PSU requirements and thermal management needs. TDP (Thermal Design Power) indicates the heat output under typical loads, guiding cooler selection. Power connector requirements ensure adequate power delivery for stable operation during demanding GPU benchmarks. The suggested PSU wattage accounts for the entire system, not just the graphics card. Efficient power delivery enables the GeForce GTX 285M to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
GeForce GTX 285M by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285M are critical for case compatibility. Card length, height, and slot width determine whether it fits in your chassis. The PCIe interface version affects bandwidth for communication with the CPU. Display outputs define monitor connectivity options, with modern cards supporting multiple high-resolution displays simultaneously. Verify these specifications against your case and motherboard before purchasing to ensure a proper fit.
NVIDIA API Support
Graphics and compute APIs
API support determines which games and applications can fully utilize the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285M. DirectX 12 Ultimate enables advanced features like ray tracing and variable rate shading. Vulkan provides cross-platform graphics capabilities with low-level hardware access. OpenGL remains important for professional applications and older games. CUDA (NVIDIA) and OpenCL enable GPU compute for video editing, 3D rendering, and scientific applications. Higher API versions unlock newer graphical features in GPU benchmarks and games.
GeForce GTX 285M Product Information
Release and pricing details
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285M is manufactured by NVIDIA as part of their graphics card lineup. Release date and launch pricing provide context for comparing GPU benchmark results with competing products from the same era. Understanding the product lifecycle helps evaluate whether the GeForce GTX 285M by NVIDIA represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
GeForce GTX 285M Benchmark Scores
No benchmark data available for this GPU.
About NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285M
Benchmark Performance
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285M is a mobile graphics processor from the GeForce 200M generation, built on the Tesla architecture using the G92B chip at TSMC's 55 nm process node. It integrates 754 million transistors on a 260 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 2.9M per mm². In benchmark terms, this GPU sits at the 50th percentile among all GPUs in the database, placing it exactly in the middle of the field—a position that reflects its age and mobile-oriented design rather than any standout capability.
The GTX 285M delivers 384.0 GFLOPS of FP32 compute performance, which is the headline number for raw shader throughput. With 128 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 16 raster operation units, the GPU achieves a pixel rate of 9.600 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 38.40 GTexel/s. These figures are modest by modern standards, but they were competitive for a high-end mobile part in its era. The FP32 throughput of 384.0 GFLOPS translates into playable frame rates at lower resolutions and reduced detail settings, but the data shows the chip struggles to maintain smooth performance at higher workloads.
The absence of nearestRivals data in the database means there are no direct percentage deltas to cite against competing mobile GPUs from the same period. However, the 50th percentile ranking provides context: half of all GPUs in the database score higher, and half score lower. This places the GTX 285M in a neutral position—neither a performance outlier nor a laggard. The average benchmark score of 0 further indicates that no standardized benchmark results have been recorded for this specific model, which is common for end-of-life mobile parts that were rarely subjected to the same testing rigor as desktop counterparts.
When interpreting the raw numbers, the pixel rate of 9.600 GPixel/s and texture rate of 38.40 GTexel/s suggest that the GPU is balanced between fill-rate-bound and shader-bound workloads. The 16 ROPs are a limiting factor for high-resolution rendering, as they constrain the amount of pixel data that can be written to the framebuffer each clock cycle. The 128 shading units, by contrast, provide reasonable compute headroom for shader-heavy effects, but the overall architecture is clearly from an era before modern geometry and compute-heavy rendering techniques became standard.
How It Compares
The nearestRivals array is empty in the FACT PACK, so no direct rival comparisons with specific scores or deltaPct values are available. This is a notable gap in the data, as it prevents quantitative benchmarking against contemporary mobile GPUs like other GeForce 200M parts or ATI Mobility Radeon offerings. Without those reference points, the analysis must rely on the absolute specifications and the percentile ranking.
Given the 50th percentile placement, the GTX 285M should be viewed as a mid-pack performer in the broader GPU landscape. In its own generation, it would have been positioned near the top of NVIDIA's mobile lineup, given the "285" naming convention that historically indicated a high-tier part. The G92B chip is a refined version of the G92 architecture, which powered several successful desktop GPUs, but the mobile implementation here is constrained by thermal and power limits. The 75 W TDP is relatively high for a notebook part, suggesting the GPU was intended for large gaming laptops or desktop-replacement machines rather than thin-and-light portables.
The lack of rival data means the write-up cannot state "30% ahead of X" or "15% behind Y." Instead, the comparison must be qualitative: the GTX 285M's specifications place it in the same performance class as other high-end mobile GPUs from early 2010, but its end-of-life status and the rapid advancement of GPU architecture mean it is far outclassed by even entry-level modern parts. The 50th percentile ranking across all GPUs in the database—which includes both ancient and contemporary models—is a testament to how far the industry has moved; a once-premium mobile chip now sits exactly at the median.
Who Should Consider It
The GTX 285M is not a GPU for modern gaming at high settings. Benchmark results indicate that its 384.0 GFLOPS of compute and 64.00 GB/s of memory bandwidth are sufficient only for older titles or less demanding esports games at 720p or 1080p with low to medium detail presets. The 1024 MB of GDDR3 VRAM is another constraint, as many contemporary games require more capacity even at 1080p. Users who wish to play games released within the last several years will find the GPU inadequate, particularly in titles that rely on advanced shader effects or large texture sets.
For retro gaming or productivity tasks that are not graphics-intensive, the GTX 285M remains functional. The 128 shading units can handle 2D applications, video playback, and light 3D workloads without issue. The 16 ROPs and 9.600 GPixel/s pixel rate are sufficient for older DirectX 10-era games, which were the target audience when this GPU was released in early 2010. Those who own a laptop with this GPU and wish to play games from that era will find acceptable performance at lower resolutions.
The 50th percentile ranking suggests that the GTX 285M is neither a complete failure nor a hidden gem. It is a serviceable mobile GPU for its time, but anyone considering it today should have very low expectations. The 75 W TDP means it draws a significant amount of power for a mobile part, which could impact battery life and thermals in older laptops. A user with a GTX 285M-equipped laptop would be better served by reducing resolution to 1366x768 or 1280x720 and lowering in-game settings to achieve playable frame rates.
FAQ
Q: What is the FP32 performance of the GTX 285M?
A: The GPU delivers 384.0 GFLOPS of FP32 compute performance, derived from 128 shading units operating at the memory clock-derived frequency.
Q: How much VRAM does the GTX 285M have and what type is it?
A: It comes with 1024 MB of GDDR3 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s.
Q: Does the GTX 285M support DirectX 11?
A: The GPU supports DirectX 11.1 with a feature level of 10_0, meaning it can run DirectX 11.1 APIs but is limited to DirectX 10-level hardware features.
Q: What is the transistor count and die size of the G92B chip?
A: The G92B chip contains 754 million transistors on a 260 mm² die, manufactured at TSMC's 55 nm process node.
Q: What is the TDP of the GTX 285M and does it require a power connector?
A: The TDP is 75 W, and the GPU uses an MXM Module slot width with no external power connectors required—power is supplied through the MXM interface.
Q: What is the production status and release date of this GPU?
A: The GTX 285M is end-of-life, having been released on January 31, 2010, succeeding the GeForce 100M and preceding the GeForce 300M.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The GTX 285M has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, as these are features introduced in much later NVIDIA architectures. The GPU is built on the Tesla architecture, which predates even the Fermi generation that followed. Consequently, there is no dedicated hardware acceleration for ray-traced lighting, shadows, or reflections. Any ray tracing workload would have to be handled through compute shaders on the 128 shading units, which would be prohibitively slow given the 384.0 GFLOPS of FP32 throughput.
In terms of API support, the GTX 285M supports DirectX 11.1 but only at feature level 10_0, which means it exposes DirectX 10-level hardware capabilities despite nominally supporting a newer API version. OpenGL support is limited to version 3.3, and there is no Vulkan support whatsoever. These API limitations are significant: modern games that require DirectX 12 or Vulkan will not run on this GPU at all, while games that use DirectX 11 features beyond the 10_0 feature level will either fail to launch or run with reduced functionality. The lack of Vulkan is particularly notable, as many current titles use Vulkan for its lower overhead and cross-platform compatibility.
The feature set is otherwise basic. There are no tensor cores for AI-accelerated features like DLSS or machine learning-based upscaling. The display outputs are listed as "portable device dependent," meaning the connectors vary by laptop model and are not standardized. The bus interface is MXM-B (3.0), which is a mobile PCI Express form factor, but the exact lane count and version are not specified in the data.
Memory Subsystem
The GTX 285M features 1024 MB of GDDR3 memory on a 256-bit bus, running at an effective data rate of 2 Gbps (1000 MHz memory clock). This configuration yields a memory bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s. For a GPU from early 2010, this was a respectable amount of bandwidth, but it is severely limiting by today's standards. The 256-bit bus width is actually quite wide, which helps compensate for the slower GDDR3 memory speed compared to GDDR5 or newer memory types.
The 64.00 GB/s bandwidth is the primary bottleneck for high-resolution gaming. At 1080p and above, modern games frequently require more than 64.00 GB/s just to stream textures and geometry, let alone handle post-processing effects. The 1024 MB VRAM capacity is also a constraint; games that use more than 1 GB of VRAM will either suffer from texture pop-in or be forced to use lower-resolution textures. The memory subsystem is adequate for 720p gaming with older titles, but it will struggle with any game that has large, high-resolution texture packs or complex environments.
The pixel rate of 9.600 GPixel/s, which is determined by the 16 ROPs and the core clock, further limits high-resolution performance. At 1920x1080, the GPU must process over 2 million pixels per frame; at 9.600 GPixel/s, it can theoretically fill roughly 4.8 frames per second if the entire frame buffer needs to be rewritten, though in practice the ROPs only write changed pixels. Still, the combination of 64.00 GB/s bandwidth and 9.600 GPixel/s pixel rate means the GTX 285M is best suited for resolutions at or below 1600x900.
Power and Cooling
The GTX 285M has a TDP of 75 W, which is on the higher end for a mobile GPU from its era. This power draw is not accompanied by a suggested PSU rating in the data, but the MXM Module slot width indicates that it is designed for laptops with replaceable graphics modules. The GPU requires no external power connectors, relying entirely on the MXM-B (3.0) bus interface for both data and power delivery. This simplifies installation but also means the laptop's cooling solution and power delivery system must be capable of handling the 75 W load.
The 75 W TDP necessitates a robust cooling solution in the host laptop. The GPU's 55 nm process node, while small for its time, is inefficient by modern standards, and the 754 million transistors generate significant heat under load. Laptops with this GPU would typically feature large heat pipes and multiple fans to dissipate the thermal output. The lack of a suggested PSU recommendation in the data suggests that the power supply is integrated into the laptop's AC adapter and is not user-replaceable, as is typical for mobile systems.
For users considering a laptop with this GPU, the 75 W TDP means that battery life will be poor during gaming, and the laptop will run hot and loud under sustained load. The MXM Module form factor does offer some future upgradeability, theoretically allowing a user to replace the GTX 285M with a newer MXM module, but the end-of-life status and the age of the platform make this impractical. The GPU's power characteristics are acceptable for a desktop-replacement laptop from 2010, but they are not suitable for modern thin-and-light designs.
The AMD Equivalent of GeForce GTX 285M
Looking for a similar graphics card from AMD? The AMD Radeon RX 480 offers comparable performance and features in the AMD lineup.
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