NVIDIA GRID K1
NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
NVIDIANVIDIA GRID K1 Specifications
GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The NVIDIA GRID K1 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.
GRID K1 Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the GRID K1'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 GRID K1 by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
NVIDIA's GRID K1 Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The GRID K1'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.
GRID K1 by NVIDIA Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the GRID K1, 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.
GRID K1 Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA GRID K1 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.
Kepler Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The NVIDIA GRID K1 is built on NVIDIA's Kepler 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 GRID K1 will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the NVIDIA GRID K1 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 GRID K1 to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
GRID K1 by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA GRID K1 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 GRID K1. 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.
GRID K1 Product Information
Release and pricing details
The NVIDIA GRID K1 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 GRID K1 by NVIDIA represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
About NVIDIA GRID K1
The NVIDIA GRID K1 is an end-of-life, dual-slot Kepler-based accelerator designed for virtualized environments, carrying a launch MSRP of 4,140 USD. Its benchmark presence is minimal, with a single OpenCL score that places it in the lower echelons of the GPU landscape, but a detailed analysis of its specifications reveals a product built for a specific, non-consumer role.
Benchmark Performance
The GRID K1's benchmark data is sparse, consisting of a single Geekbench OpenCL score of 1976. This result places the card in the 11th percentile of all GPUs, indicating that its compute throughput is far below contemporary mainstream and enthusiast parts. The nearest rival data confirms this position, showing a tight cluster of performance around this score. The GRID K1 is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470, which scores 1973, a negligible 0.2% difference. This is a notable data point, as the GTX 470 is a much older, consumer-focused card, suggesting the GRID K1's raw compute capability is similar to that of a high-end GPU from several generations prior.
The comparison becomes more stark when looking at more modern parts. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 10 GB scores 1995, which is a 1% advantage over the GRID K1. While this is a small delta, it is significant because the RX 6750 GRE is a modern, high-performance gaming card, and the GRID K1's compute performance is still within striking distance. However, this is likely due to the benchmark's nature. The final rivals show a wider gap: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M scores 2022, a 2.3% lead, and the AMD Radeon HD 6670 scores 1894, which the GRID K1 beats by 4.3%. The data suggests that while the GRID K1 is not a compute powerhouse, its FP32 throughput of 326.4 GFLOPS is competitive with a specific range of older and lower-tier GPUs, but it is nowhere near the performance of modern high-end parts that often exceed several teraflops. The benchmark results indicate a card that is not designed for raw frame rendering but rather for a specific throughput niche.
Power and Cooling
The GRID K1 has a thermal design power (TDP) of 130 W, which is modest for a dual-slot card. This power envelope is relatively low, especially when compared to the power-hungry flagship GPUs of its era or today. The cooling solution is a dual-slot design, which provides a larger heatsink and fan area to dissipate the 130 W of heat. For system integration, the card requires a single 6-pin power connector. The recommended power supply for a system containing this card is 300 W, which is a low requirement and suggests that the card is not intended for a system with a high-end, power-drawing CPU. The 300 W recommendation implies that the GRID K1 can be installed in a modest server or workstation chassis without requiring a high-capacity PSU. The low power draw and single connector make it a relatively easy card to power, but its end-of-life status and lack of display outputs mean it is not a typical consumer upgrade. The absence of any display outputs is a critical detail for power and cooling considerations, as it confirms the card is intended for compute or virtualization tasks, not as a primary display adapter.
Memory Subsystem
The memory subsystem is a defining characteristic of the GRID K1, and its specifications reveal its intended workload. The card is equipped with 4 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus. This configuration yields a memory bandwidth of 28.51 GB/s. This is an extremely low bandwidth figure, especially for a card with a 130 W TDP. Modern GPUs with similar power envelopes typically feature GDDR6 memory with bandwidths exceeding 200 GB/s. The 4 GB capacity is decent, but the DDR3 type and narrow bus severely bottleneck data throughput.
This low bandwidth has profound implications for high-resolution workloads. At 4K or even 1440p, a GPU needs to move vast amounts of texture and geometry data. The GRID K1's 28.51 GB/s bandwidth would be a severe bottleneck, causing significant frame rate drops and stuttering in any graphically intensive application. The data shows that this card is not suitable for high-resolution gaming. Instead, the 4 GB capacity and low bandwidth are more suited to virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), where the primary task is to provide a framebuffer for a remote desktop session, not to render complex 3D scenes locally. The memory clock is listed as 891 MHz with an effective data rate of 1782 Mbps, which is typical for DDR3 but far slower than any modern graphics memory. The combination of 4 GB capacity and low bandwidth suggests a card designed to support multiple virtual machines with basic display needs, rather than a high-performance rendering device.
Who Should Consider It
Based on the benchmark scores and specifications, the GRID K1 is not a candidate for any modern gaming or high-performance workstation build. Its 11th percentile ranking and its nearest rivals, which include the GTX 470 and HD 6670, clearly indicate its performance class. The data shows that for any resolution above 720p, this card would struggle to provide playable frame rates in modern titles. Its FP32 performance of 326.4 GFLOPS is a fraction of what is required for contemporary game engines.
The only scenario where the GRID K1 makes sense is as a legacy component in a server for virtualization purposes. Its 4 GB of VRAM could be partitioned among several virtual machines for basic 2D desktop workloads or light office applications. The lack of display outputs (No outputs) confirms this role, as it is meant to be installed in a server and accessed remotely. For a user seeking a GPU for a new build, the data is clear: the performance is too low and the technology is too old. For an enterprise maintaining an existing virtualized infrastructure, the GRID K1 could still serve a purpose, but its end-of-life status means drivers and support are limited. It is not for gamers, digital artists, or video editors. It is a niche product for a niche, legacy server environment.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The GRID K1 does not feature any ray tracing or tensor cores, as its architecture predates these technologies. It is based on the Kepler architecture, which focuses on traditional rasterization and compute. The card has 192 shading units, 16 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 render output units (ROPs). This configuration results in a pixel rate of 3.400 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 13.60 GTexel/s. These are low figures by modern standards, reflecting the card's age and positioning.
In terms of API support, the card supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. While the DirectX 12 support is listed, the "11_0" feature level indicates that it does not support the full DirectX 12 feature set, such as mesh shaders or variable rate shading. The Vulkan 1.2.175 support is more complete, but the underlying hardware is still limited. The absence of RT and tensor cores means that any workload relying on hardware-accelerated ray tracing or AI-based upscaling (like DLSS) is impossible. The card is strictly a compute device for legacy applications. Its feature set is a snapshot of the 2013 era, and it lacks all modern graphics advancements. The 16 ROPs are particularly limiting for fill-rate-bound tasks, and the 16 TMUs are insufficient for high-quality texture filtering in modern games.
FAQ
Q: What is the NVIDIA GRID K1's benchmark performance compared to the GeForce GTX 470?
A: The GRID K1 scores 1976 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 0.2% higher than the GeForce GTX 470's score of 1973, making them effectively performance equals in this test.
Q: What power supply is recommended for a system using the GRID K1?
A: A 300 W power supply is the suggested requirement, and the card draws a TDP of 130 W via a single 6-pin power connector.
Q: How much memory bandwidth does the GRID K1 have?
A: The card has a 128-bit memory bus with 4 GB of DDR3 memory, providing a total bandwidth of 28.51 GB/s.
Q: Does the GRID K1 support modern ray tracing?
A: No, the GRID K1 has no RT cores or tensor cores. Its Kepler architecture does not include any hardware support for ray tracing.
Q: What is the GRID K1's performance percentile compared to all other GPUs?
A: The GRID K1 ranks in the 11th percentile of all GPUs, indicating that it outperforms only 11% of the database's tracked graphics cards in the average benchmark score.
Q: What are the display outputs on the GRID K1?
A: The GRID K1 has no display outputs, confirming its role as a server-side virtualization or compute accelerator rather than a consumer graphics card.
Detailed benchmark scores and charts for the NVIDIA GRID K1 are below.
Benchmark Scores
geekbench_openclSource
Geekbench OpenCL tests GPU compute performance using the cross-platform OpenCL API. This shows how NVIDIA GRID K1 handles parallel computing tasks like video encoding and scientific simulations. OpenCL is widely supported across different GPU vendors and platforms. Higher scores benefit applications that leverage GPU acceleration for non-graphics workloads.
Top 5 Performers
Top 5 PerformersNearby Performers
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