NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470M

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470M is a Fermi-architecture mobile GPU built on TSMC’s 40 nm process, featuring 288 shading units, 48 texture units, and 24 ROPs. With a 1,950 million transistor count on a 332 mm² die, this end-of-life part sits at the 50th percentile among all GPUs, indicating a mid-pack position in historical performance terms. The data below analyzes its memory subsystem, power requirements, benchmark standing, and feature set strictly from the supplied facts.

Memory Subsystem

The GTX 470M ships with 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory, a configuration that was substantial for its 2010 release window. The memory interface is 192 bit wide, which combined with a 750 MHz memory clock (3 Gbps effective) yields a bandwidth of 72.00 GB/s. This bandwidth figure is modest by modern standards but was adequate for the resolution targets of its era. At high resolutions, the 192-bit bus becomes a limiting factor; the 72.00 GB/s throughput means that texture-heavy scenes at 1440p or above would likely experience bandwidth saturation. The 1536 MB capacity is sufficient for 1080p gaming, but larger frame buffers in newer titles could exceed this VRAM allocation. The pixel rate of 6.420 GPixel/s and texture rate of 25.68 GTexel/s further indicate that the memory subsystem is balanced against the compute capabilities. For users pushing beyond 1080p, the data suggests the 192-bit bus and 72.00 GB/s bandwidth will constrain performance more than the shading unit count.

Power and Cooling

The GTX 470M has a TDP of 75 W, which is relatively low for a Fermi-generation part, reflecting its mobile orientation. The power connectors are listed as “None,” meaning the card draws all power through the MXM-B (3.0) bus interface. This simplifies installation in compatible laptops, as no auxiliary power cables are required. The slot width is specified as “MXM Module,” confirming it is a removable graphics module rather than a soldered chip. No suggested PSU is provided in the fact pack, but the 75 W TDP implies that the host system’s power delivery must accommodate this draw. Cooling requirements are not explicitly quantified, but the 75 W figure suggests a capable air cooler is sufficient for most chassis. The absence of external power connectors also indicates that thermal design is the primary constraint, not electrical delivery. For users replacing an existing MXM module, the 75 W TDP ensures compatibility with most notebook designs that support MXM-B (3.0) slots.

Benchmark Performance

The fact pack lists an average benchmark score of 0 and no explicit benchmark scores, but the percentileVsAllGpus field places this GPU at the 50th percentile. This means the GTX 470M performs better than half of all GPUs in the database, but its actual performance ceiling is unclear from the provided data. The FP32 compute rate is 616.3 GFLOPS, which is a measure of raw shading capability. This figure, combined with 48 TMUs and 24 ROPs, suggests a GPU designed for medium-detail 1080p gaming in its time. The texture rate of 25.68 GTexel/s indicates that the 48 TMUs are well-utilized, but the pixel rate of 6.420 GPixel/s caps fillrate-bound scenarios. Since no nearestRivals data is provided, direct percentage comparisons against other GPUs are impossible from the fact pack alone. The 50th percentile ranking, however, positions this part as a mid-range mobile solution. In synthetic workloads that stress FP32 throughput, the 616.3 GFLOPS would be the dominant factor, while memory-bound tests would rely on the 72.00 GB/s bandwidth.

How It Compares

The fact pack includes no nearestRivals entries, so no direct rival comparisons can be made using deltaPct values. The predecessor is listed as GeForce 300M, and the successor is GeForce 500M, but no benchmark scores are provided for either. Without rival data, the GTX 470M’s position is defined solely by its 50th percentile rank. This percentile suggests it sits in the middle of the performance distribution, meaning it would be outpaced by higher-percentile parts but would outperform lower-ranked GPUs. The architecture is Fermi, which was NVIDIA’s first to support DirectX 12 (11_0) per the API list, but Vulkan support is null. The gap between the 300M predecessor and 500M successor likely indicates generational improvements, but the fact pack does not quantify those differences. Users moving from a 300M part would see an improvement, while those upgrading to a 500M part would gain further performance.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The GTX 470M has no RT cores and no tensor cores, which means it lacks dedicated hardware for ray tracing and AI-accelerated workloads. The API support includes DirectX 12 (11_0), which is notable because the 11_0 feature level indicates compatibility with DirectX 12 titles but not full feature-level 12_0 support. OpenGL 4.6 is supported, providing broad compatibility with legacy and modern OpenGL applications. Vulkan is listed as null, so no Vulkan API support is available. The architecture is Fermi, which predates NVIDIA’s Turing and Ampere ray tracing implementations. Consequently, any ray tracing workloads would run on the 288 shading units in software, which would be inefficient given the 616.3 GFLOPS FP32 throughput. The display outputs are “Portable Device Dependent,” meaning the external connectivity is determined by the laptop chassis, not the GPU module. For users seeking ray tracing or DLSS-like features, this GPU offers none of those capabilities.

Who Should Consider It

Given the 50th percentile ranking and the 1536 MB VRAM, the GTX 470M is best suited for 1080p gaming at medium to low settings in titles from its 2010–2012 era. The 72.00 GB/s bandwidth and 192-bit bus are sufficient for 720p or 900p resolutions without major bottlenecks. At 1080p, the 616.3 GFLOPS FP32 compute can handle older games, but modern titles with heavier shading requirements would likely drop below playable frame rates. The 24 ROPs and 6.420 GPixel/s pixel rate suggest that resolution scaling beyond 1080p is not recommended. For users with a laptop that supports MXM-B (3.0) modules, this card is a viable replacement for a GeForce 300M part, but it is not suitable for high-refresh-rate or high-resolution gaming. The lack of RT cores and tensor cores means it is not appropriate for ray tracing or AI workloads. The 75 W TDP makes it a power-efficient choice for thin-and-light notebooks, but performance is constrained by the memory subsystem.

FAQ

Q: What is the VRAM size and type of the GTX 470M?

A: It has 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory with a 192-bit bus, providing 72.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Does the GTX 470M support DirectX 12?

A: Yes, it supports DirectX 12 (11_0), which means it can run DirectX 12 applications at the 11_0 feature level.

Q: What power connectors does the GTX 470M require?

A: The power connectors are listed as “None,” meaning it draws power solely from the MXM-B (3.0) bus interface.

Q: What is the TDP of the GTX 470M?

A: The TDP is 75 W, which is a relatively low figure for a Fermi-generation mobile GPU.

Q: Does the GTX 470M have ray tracing cores?

A: No, it has no RT cores and no tensor cores, so it lacks dedicated hardware for ray tracing or AI acceleration.

Q: What is the FP32 performance of the GTX 470M?

A: The FP32 compute rate is 616.3 GFLOPS, derived from its 288 shading units and the clock speeds.

Q: What is the process node and transistor count?

A: It is built on a 40 nm process at TSMC, with 1,950 million transistors on a 332 mm² die.

Q: What is the pixel rate and texture rate?

A: The pixel rate is 6.420 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 25.68 GTexel/s.

Q: Is the GTX 470M still in production?

A: No, its production status is “End-of-life,” and it was released on 2010-09-02.

Q: What bus interface does it use?

A: It uses MXM-B (3.0), and the slot width is listed as “MXM Module.”