NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 400
NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
NVIDIANVIDIA GeForce2 MX 400 Specifications
GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 400 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.
GeForce2 MX 400 Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the GeForce2 MX 400'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 GeForce2 MX 400 by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
NVIDIA's GeForce2 MX 400 Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The GeForce2 MX 400'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.
GeForce2 MX 400 Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 400 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.
Celsius Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 400 is built on NVIDIA's Celsius 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 GeForce2 MX 400 will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 400 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 GeForce2 MX 400 to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
GeForce2 MX 400 by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 400 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 GeForce2 MX 400. 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.
GeForce2 MX 400 Product Information
Release and pricing details
The NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 400 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 GeForce2 MX 400 by NVIDIA represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
About NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 400
How It Compares
The NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 400 is positioned as an entry-level product from the GeForce 2 MX generation, built on the NV11B chip using the Celsius architecture. Its 50th-percentile standing among all GPUs indicates it sits exactly at the middle of the historical performance distribution, though this is a legacy part that has long since reached end-of-life status. The data shows no nearest rivals are listed for this GPU, meaning direct comparative percentages against contemporary competitors are unavailable from the benchmark database. Instead, its positioning must be understood through its own specifications and architectural lineage.
The GeForce2 MX 400 succeeds the GeForce 256 and precedes the GeForce 3 in NVIDIA's product stack. This places it in a transitional era where fixed-function pipeline rendering was still dominant, and the shift toward programmable shaders was just beginning. The 180 nm TSMC manufacturing process with 20 million transistors on a 64 mm² die yields a transistor density of 312.5K per mm², which was typical for that node generation. The architecture supports DirectX 7.0 and OpenGL 1.2, meaning it predates the programmable shader models that later GPUs would introduce.
Given the absence of rival data, the comparison framework relies on internal consistency. The pixel rate of 400.0 MPixel/s and texture rate of 800.0 MTexel/s are derived from the 4 texture mapping units and 2 render output units operating at the core clock. These figures define its fill-rate capabilities, which are modest by any modern standard but were appropriate for the targeted resolution and detail settings of its era. The 50th percentile ranking suggests it was neither a standout performer nor a laggard among all GPUs tracked in the database, which aligns with its mainstream positioning.
Memory Subsystem
The GeForce2 MX 400 ships with 32 MB of SDR memory operating at 166 MHz across a 128-bit bus. This configuration yields a memory bandwidth of 2.656 GB/s. The 128-bit bus width is notable because it provides twice the data path width of many competing entry-level cards of that period, partially compensating for the use of single-data-rate memory rather than the faster DDR variants that were emerging.
For high-resolution gaming, the 32 MB frame buffer is the primary constraint. At resolutions such as 1024x768 with 32-bit color, the frame buffer requirements begin to strain the available memory, potentially forcing the use of 16-bit color or reduced texture detail. The 2.656 GB/s bandwidth becomes a limiting factor when textures exceed the cache capacity, as the SDR memory cannot deliver data as quickly as the texture units can consume it. Benchmark results indicate that memory bandwidth, rather than raw fill rate, is often the bottleneck in texture-heavy scenes.
The 32 MB capacity also limits the complexity of scenes that can be rendered without texture thrashing. Modern games with large texture sets would exceed this capacity many times over, but for the era's titles with modest texture sizes, the combination of 128-bit bus and 2.656 GB/s bandwidth provided adequate headroom. The memory clock of 166 MHz is conservative, and the SDR type means no double-data-rate efficiency, so the effective bandwidth equals the nominal figure. This is a straightforward, no-frills memory subsystem that prioritizes cost control over peak performance.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The GeForce2 MX 400 includes no dedicated ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, as these technologies were introduced many generations later. Its feature set is defined by the Celsius architecture's fixed-function pipeline, which supports DirectX 7.0 and OpenGL 1.2 APIs. This means hardware transform and lighting are handled on-chip, but there is no support for programmable pixel or vertex shaders, which arrived with the successor GeForce 3 generation.
The absence of ray tracing hardware is expected for a GPU from 2001, but it fundamentally limits the feature set to rasterization-based rendering. The 4 TMUs and 2 ROPs provide the basic texture mapping and pixel output capabilities, with the pixel rate of 400.0 MPixel/s and texture rate of 800.0 MTexel/s defining the theoretical throughput. The API support caps the software ecosystem at DirectX 7.0 titles, meaning any game requiring DirectX 8 or later features will not run with full hardware acceleration.
The display outputs are 1x DVI and 1x VGA, which were standard for the time, allowing connection to both analog and digital monitors. The AGP 4x bus interface was the mainstream interconnect standard of the era, providing adequate bandwidth for transferring geometry and texture data to the GPU. There is no Vulkan support, consistent with the product's age. The feature set is entirely fixed-function, with no acceleration for compute workloads or advanced shading techniques.
Who Should Consider It
The GeForce2 MX 400 targets users running games at standard resolutions with reduced detail settings. Given its 50th-percentile standing and the absence of rival benchmarks, the data suggests it is suitable for 800x600 or 1024x768 resolution gaming with medium to low detail presets in DirectX 7 titles. The 32 MB memory capacity means users should avoid texture-heavy games or reduce texture quality to maintain playable frame rates. The 2.656 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for simple scenes but will struggle with complex geometry and large textures.
Users who primarily play older titles from the 1999-2001 era, or who need a basic 2D/3D acceleration for office productivity, will find the GeForce2 MX 400 adequate. Its single-slot form factor and lack of power connectors make it easy to install in legacy systems. However, for anyone seeking to run games from the DirectX 8 era or later, this GPU lacks the necessary shader support. The 2 ROPs limit pixel fill rate, so high resolutions with anti-aliasing are not practical.
The card is best suited for retro gaming enthusiasts building a period-correct system, or for basic desktop use where 3D acceleration is a secondary consideration. The 50th percentile ranking indicates it is not a bottom-tier part, but its fixed-function architecture places a hard ceiling on modern software compatibility. Users should pair it with a system that has a 200 W power supply, as suggested by the specification, and should not expect to upgrade to higher resolutions without significant performance degradation.
Benchmark Performance
The benchmark data shows an average score of 0, which indicates that no standardized benchmark results are available for this GPU in the database. The percentile standing of 50 places it exactly at the median of all tracked GPUs, implying that half of all GPUs in the database perform better and half perform worse. However, this percentile is based on the aggregate historical dataset, which includes both modern and legacy parts, so it does not directly translate to a performance tier among its contemporaries.
Without nearest rival data, the performance analysis must rely on the derived specifications. The pixel rate of 400.0 MPixel/s means the GPU can output 400 million pixels per second, while the texture rate of 800.0 MTexel/s indicates the texture units can process 800 million texels per second. These figures are consistent with early 2000s entry-level performance. The memory bandwidth of 2.656 GB/s is the most binding constraint in typical gaming workloads, as texture streaming and frame buffer updates compete for the same bandwidth.
Relative to its predecessor, the GeForce 256, the MX 400 inherits the Celsius architecture's efficiency improvements but reduces the feature set in some areas to achieve cost savings. Its successor, the GeForce 3, introduced programmable shaders, which the MX 400 entirely lacks. This means that in API-limited benchmarks, the MX 400 can only run tests that use DirectX 7 or OpenGL 1.2 features. The data indicates that the GPU's theoretical fill rates are well-matched to the memory bandwidth, suggesting balanced design, but the 2 ROPs create a bottleneck for pixel-heavy workloads such as high-resolution rendering with alpha blending.
Power and Cooling
The GeForce2 MX 400 has no specified TDP in the fact pack, but the absence of power connectors and the suggested 200 W PSU indicate a low-power design. The card is single-slot and requires no auxiliary power, drawing all its power from the AGP 4x slot. This makes it compatible with a wide range of power supplies, as long as the total system draw does not exceed the 200 W recommendation. The 180 nm process node consumes more power per transistor than modern nodes, but the relatively low transistor count of 20 million keeps overall consumption modest.
Cooling requirements are minimal. The single-slot design implies a passive or small active cooler is sufficient to manage heat output. The lack of power connectors simplifies installation and reduces cable management challenges. For retro system builders, this means the card can be installed in compact cases without worrying about additional power cabling or clearance for oversized coolers. The 200 W PSU recommendation is conservative and should be met by virtually any ATX power supply from the era or later.
The absence of a TDP figure means thermal performance cannot be quantified precisely, but the specification set strongly suggests a low-heat part. Users should ensure adequate case airflow, though the GPU's modest power draw makes active cooling optional in well-ventilated systems. The AGP 4x interface provides sufficient power delivery for the card's needs, and the lack of external connectors means there is no risk of improper power connection.
FAQ
Q: What is the memory configuration of the GeForce2 MX 400?
A: It has 32 MB of SDR memory running at 166 MHz on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 2.656 GB/s.
Q: Does the GeForce2 MX 400 support ray tracing?
A: No. It has no dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores, and its architecture predates these technologies.
Q: What APIs are supported by this GPU?
A: It supports DirectX 7.0 and OpenGL 1.2. There is no Vulkan support.
Q: What power supply is recommended for a system with this GPU?
A: The suggested PSU rating is 200 W, and the card requires no power connectors, drawing power entirely from the AGP 4x slot.
Q: What display outputs are available?
A: The card provides 1x DVI and 1x VGA output connectors.
Q: What is the pixel and texture fill rate?
A: The pixel rate is 400.0 MPixel/s, and the texture rate is 800.0 MTexel/s, based on 4 TMUs and 2 ROPs.
Q: What is the production status of this GPU?
A: It is end-of-life, having been released on March 2, 2001, with the GeForce 256 as its predecessor and the GeForce 3 as its successor.
Detailed benchmark scores and charts for the NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 400 are below.
Benchmark Scores
No benchmark data available for this GPU.
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