NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480
NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
NVIDIANVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 Specifications
GeForce GTX 480 GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 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 480 Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the GeForce GTX 480'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 480 by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 480 Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The GeForce GTX 480'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 480 by NVIDIA Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the GTX 480, 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 480 Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 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.
Fermi Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 is built on NVIDIA's Fermi 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 480 will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 480 Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 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 480 to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
GeForce GTX 480 by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 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 480. 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 480 Product Information
Release and pricing details
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 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 480 by NVIDIA represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
GeForce GTX 480 Benchmark Scores
geekbench_openclSource
Geekbench OpenCL tests GPU compute performance using the cross-platform OpenCL API. This shows how NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 handles parallel computing tasks like video encoding and scientific simulations. OpenCL is widely supported across different GPU vendors and platforms.
Top 5 Performers
Top 5 PerformersNearby Performers
Nearby PerformersAbout NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480
Launched in March 2010 on the 40 nm GF100 chip, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 sits near the 53rd percentile of all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 13,300. This places it in a peculiar historical pocket: it is neither a modern powerhouse nor an obsolete relic, but rather a card whose raw compute capabilities remain relevant for specific workloads. Its nearest rivals in the database are a mix of older professional mobile parts and a modern entry-level desktop card, which highlights how the GTX 480's legacy is defined more by its compute throughput than by its contemporary gaming features.
How It Compares
Against the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660, the GTX 480 scores 0.3% higher (13,300 vs. 13,265). This is a statistical tie, but the context matters: the GTX 1660 is a much younger card with modern architecture features, yet the aging Fermi chip's raw FP32 throughput of 1,345 GFLOPS keeps it level. The data suggests that for pure compute tasks that scale with shading units, the GTX 480's 480 cores hold their own, though the GTX 1660 likely offers better efficiency and newer API support.
The AMD Radeon Pro 555 edges out the GTX 480 by 0.7% (13,395 vs. 13,300). This is a narrow margin, but the Pro 555 is a mobile workstation part from 2017, meaning it delivers comparable compute performance in a fraction of the power envelope. The GTX 480's 250 W TDP and 600 W suggested PSU stand in stark contrast to the Pro 555's mobility focus, yet the benchmark scores show that raw compute potential is not solely a function of power draw or generation.
The AMD Radeon Pro 455 is 0.9% ahead (13,416 vs. 13,300). This is the closest margin among the rivals, with the Pro 455 also being a mobile part. The delta is small enough to be within noise, but it reinforces that the GTX 480's performance class is roughly equivalent to mid-range mobile GPUs from several years later. The GTX 480's 48 ROPs and 177.4 GB/s bandwidth do not translate into a significant advantage in this OpenCL workload.
The NVIDIA GeForce MX350 trails the GTX 480 by 1.6% (13,095 vs. 13,300). This is the largest delta in the group, yet it is still modest. The MX350 is a low-power laptop GPU, and its near-parity with the GTX 480 is notable given the GTX 480's much larger die size (529 mm²) and transistor count (3,100 million). The data indicates that the GTX 480's architecture is inefficient by modern standards, but its sheer scale still yields competitive compute results.
Who Should Consider It
Given its end-of-life production status and 2010 release date, the GTX 480 is not a sensible purchase for modern gaming at high resolutions. Its 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory is a severe limitation for contemporary titles, and the 384-bit bus width cannot compensate for the small capacity. Benchmark results show the card performs at a level comparable to entry-level modern GPUs, which means it is suitable only for older games or light esports titles at 1080p with reduced settings.
For compute workloads that are not memory-capacity-bound, the GTX 480's 1,345 GFLOPS of FP32 performance is still serviceable. Users running OpenCL-based tasks that fit within the 1536 MB frame buffer could see reasonable performance, as indicated by the 13,300 OpenCL score. However, the 250 W TDP and required 600 W PSU make it an unattractive option for any system where power efficiency is a priority.
The card's 2x DVI and mini-HDMI 1.3a outputs limit it to older display setups; modern high-refresh-rate or 4K monitors are not well supported. The PCIe 2.0 x16 interface is also a bottleneck for data transfer in systems with newer storage or memory architectures. This is a card for retro-build enthusiasts or for use as a secondary compute device in a test bench, not for daily driving.
Benchmark Performance
The Geekbench OpenCL score of 13,300 places the GTX 480 in a tight cluster with its four nearest rivals, all within a 1.6% spread. The card sits 0.3% above the GTX 1660, which is remarkable given the generational gap. The GTX 1660's architecture is far more advanced, but the GTX 480's 480 shading units and 60 TMUs deliver a texture rate of 42.06 GTexel/s, which helps sustain compute throughput in OpenCL workloads that are not memory-limited.
The 0.7% deficit against the Radeon Pro 555 is minor, and the 0.9% gap to the Radeon Pro 455 is equally small. These mobile parts achieve their scores with far lower power draw, which underscores the GTX 480's inefficiency. The data shows that the GTX 480's 21.03 GPixel/s pixel rate is competitive, but its 177.4 GB/s memory bandwidth is the limiting factor in many scenarios. The 3.7 Gbps effective memory clock on a 384-bit bus is decent for its era, but it cannot keep pace with the bandwidth needs of modern data sets.
The largest delta is against the MX350, where the GTX 480 leads by 1.6%. This is still a narrow margin, and it suggests that the GTX 480's performance has not aged as catastrophically as one might expect for a 2010 flagship. However, the card's 40 nm process node and 3,100 million transistors result in a transistor density of only 5.9M per mm², which explains its high power draw and heat output. In absolute terms, the GTX 480 is roughly equivalent to a modern entry-level discrete GPU in compute, but it lacks the modern feature set, driver optimizations, and memory capacity to be relevant in most current applications.
FAQ
Q: How does the GTX 480 compare to the GTX 1660 in OpenCL performance?
A: The GTX 480 scores 13,300, which is 0.3% higher than the GTX 1660's 13,265. The performance is effectively identical, despite the GTX 1660 being a much newer architecture.
Q: What is the memory configuration of the GTX 480?
A: It has 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 177.4 GB/s. The memory clock is 924 MHz, translating to 3.7 Gbps effective.
Q: Is the GTX 480 suitable for modern gaming?
A: The data indicates it performs at a level comparable to entry-level modern GPUs, but its 1536 MB memory capacity is insufficient for contemporary titles. It is best suited for older games or light esports at 1080p with reduced settings.
Q: What is the power requirement for the GTX 480?
A: The TDP is 250 W, and the suggested PSU is 600 W. It requires one 6-pin and one 8-pin power connector, and it occupies a dual-slot form factor.
Q: What APIs does the GTX 480 support?
A: It supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. It does not have Vulkan support listed in the data.
Q: How does the GTX 480's pixel rate compare to its rivals?
A: The GTX 480 has a pixel rate of 21.03 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 42.06 GTexel/s. These figures contribute to its compute score, but its memory bandwidth is the limiting factor when compared to newer parts.
Memory Subsystem
The GTX 480 is equipped with 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory, a size that was generous for 2010 but is now severely restrictive for high-resolution textures and large datasets. The memory operates at 924 MHz, yielding 3.7 Gbps effective, and is connected via a 384-bit bus. This configuration produces a bandwidth of 177.4 GB/s, which is respectable for the era but falls short of what modern GPUs offer.
For high-resolution workloads, the 1536 MB capacity is the primary bottleneck. At 4K or even 1440p, modern games can exceed this capacity with textures alone, causing stuttering or outright failure. The 384-bit bus and 177.4 GB/s bandwidth help mitigate some of the capacity issues by moving data quickly, but they cannot compensate for the small frame buffer. In compute tasks that are bandwidth-sensitive, the GTX 480's 177.4 GB/s is roughly on par with entry-level modern parts, but the small capacity means large working sets must be partitioned or streamed, reducing overall efficiency.
The memory subsystem also affects the card's power profile. The 250 W TDP and 600 W suggested PSU are partly driven by the need to feed the 384-bit memory interface and the 48 ROPs. The 21.03 GPixel/s pixel rate and 42.06 GTexel/s texture rate are sufficient for the card's compute class, but the memory bandwidth of 177.4 GB/s is the clear ceiling. For users considering the GTX 480 in a modern context, the memory subsystem is the primary reason to look elsewhere, as the 1536 MB capacity and 3.7 Gbps effective clock are simply too dated for high-resolution use.
The AMD Equivalent of GeForce GTX 480
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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