GEFORCE

NVIDIA NVS 300

NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores

512 MB
VRAM
MHz Boost
18W
TDP
64
Bus Width

At a Glance

NVIDIA
VRAM 512 MB
Shaders 16
Bus Width 64-bit
TDP 18W
Memory Type DDR3
Architecture Tesla 2.0
nm
Process 40 nm
Released Jan 2011

NVIDIA NVS 300 Specifications

NVS 300 GPU Core

Shader units and compute resources

The NVIDIA NVS 300 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.

Shading Units
16
Shaders
16
TMUs
8
ROPs
4
SM Count
2

NVS 300 Clock Speeds

GPU and memory frequencies

Clock speeds directly impact the NVS 300'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 NVS 300 by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.

GPU Clock
520 MHz
Memory Clock
790 MHz 1580 Mbps effective
Shader Clock
1230 MHz
GDDR GDDR 6X 6X

NVIDIA's NVS 300 Memory

VRAM capacity and bandwidth

VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The NVS 300'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.

Memory Size
512 MB
VRAM
512 MB
Memory Type
DDR3
VRAM Type
DDR3
Memory Bus
64 bit
Bus Width
64-bit
Bandwidth
12.64 GB/s

NVS 300 by NVIDIA Cache

On-chip cache hierarchy

On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the NVS 300, 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.

L2 Cache
32 KB

NVS 300 Theoretical Performance

Compute and fill rates

Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA NVS 300 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.

FP32 (Float)
39.36 GFLOPS
Pixel Rate
2.080 GPixel/s
Texture Rate
4.160 GTexel/s

Tesla 2.0 Architecture & Process

Manufacturing and design details

The NVIDIA NVS 300 is built on NVIDIA's Tesla 2.0 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 NVS 300 will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.

Architecture
Tesla 2.0
GPU Name
GT218S
Process Node
40 nm
Foundry
TSMC
Transistors
260 million
Die Size
57 mm²
Density
4.6M / mm²

NVIDIA's NVS 300 Power & Thermal

TDP and power requirements

Power specifications for the NVIDIA NVS 300 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 NVS 300 to maintain boost clocks without throttling.

TDP
18 W
TDP
18W
Power Connectors
None
Suggested PSU
200 W

NVS 300 by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity

Dimensions and outputs

Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA NVS 300 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.

Slot Width
Single-slot
Length
145 mm 5.7 inches
Bus Interface
PCIe 2.0 x16
Display Outputs
1x DMS-59
Display Outputs
1x DMS-59

NVIDIA API Support

Graphics and compute APIs

API support determines which games and applications can fully utilize the NVIDIA NVS 300. 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.

DirectX
11.1 (10_1)
DirectX
11.1 (10_1)
OpenGL
3.3
OpenGL
3.3
OpenCL
1.1
CUDA
1.2
Shader Model
4.1

NVS 300 Product Information

Release and pricing details

The NVIDIA NVS 300 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 NVS 300 by NVIDIA represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.

Manufacturer
NVIDIA
Release Date
Jan 2011
Launch Price
109 USD
Production
End-of-life

NVS 300 Benchmark Scores

No benchmark data available for this GPU.

About NVIDIA NVS 300

Power and Cooling — TDP, PSU recommendation, connector requirements

The NVIDIA NVS 300 is an exceptionally low-power product, with a thermal design power of just 18 W. This figure places it firmly in the category of cards that require no auxiliary power delivery; the fact pack lists its power connectors as "None," meaning the card draws all its operating current solely from the PCIe 2.0 x16 slot. For system builders, the suggested power supply rating is 200 W, which is modest by any standard and indicates that even entry-level office desktops with minimal headroom can accommodate this card without upgrading their PSU.

The physical footprint is equally restrained. The card is a single-slot design with a length of 145 mm (5.7 inches), making it suitable for small-form-factor chassis or densely populated servers where space is at a premium. The absence of any supplemental power connector simplifies installation further, as there are no cable routing considerations. From a thermal management standpoint, the 18 W TDP means that even a basic passive or low-profile active cooler—the fact pack does not specify the cooler type—would suffice to maintain operational temperatures within specification. The data shows that this is a card designed for maximum compatibility and minimum system impact, rather than for pushing thermal envelopes.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set — RT/tensor cores, API support from facts

The NVS 300 does not include any dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores; the fact pack explicitly lists both as null. This is consistent with its architecture, Tesla 2.0, which predates the introduction of hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI tensor operations by several generations. Consequently, any workload involving real-time ray tracing, denoising via tensor cores, or DLSS-style upscaling is entirely unsupported at the hardware level. The card's feature set is rooted in its era, focusing on basic 3D acceleration and 2D display output rather than modern compute-intensive graphics effects.

API support is limited but defined by the fact pack. DirectX support is listed as "11.1 (10_1)," which indicates that while the driver can expose a DirectX 11.1 feature set, the hardware's shader model is capped at 10_1. This is a critical distinction: the card will run DirectX 11 applications only if they fall back to the 10_1 feature level, which means many modern titles with higher feature requirements will not run. OpenGL support is 3.3, which is a mature version but far from current. Vulkan support is null, meaning the card cannot leverage Vulkan's low-overhead API at all. For professional NVS usage—typically multi-display 2D output or legacy CAD applications—these APIs are often sufficient, but the data clearly shows the card is not designed for modern gaming or compute workloads.

How It Compares

The fact pack provides no nearest rivals for the NVS 300, and its benchmark array is empty. The percentile versus all GPUs is 50, which places it at the exact median of the database's historical GPU distribution. However, without any rival entries, a direct comparison against specific competing products is not possible from the available data. The average benchmark score is 0, indicating that no performance data has been recorded for this part. In this context, the percentile score of 50 should be interpreted cautiously—it may reflect the absence of data rather than a genuine midpoint of performance. The lack of rivals means the card's market position must be inferred from its specifications alone, such as its 16 shading units, 8 texture mapping units, and 4 ROPs, which are characteristic of an entry-level product from its generation.

FAQ

Q: Does the NVS 300 support modern ray tracing?

A: No. The card has no RT cores listed in the fact pack, and its Tesla 2.0 architecture predates hardware ray tracing entirely.

Q: What is the maximum memory bandwidth available?

A: The card features 512 MB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 12.64 GB/s. The memory clock is 790 MHz, with an effective data rate of 1580 Mbps.

Q: Can this card be powered without a dedicated PSU cable?

A: Yes. The power connectors are listed as "None," and the card draws all power through the PCIe slot. The suggested PSU rating is 200 W.

Q: Which DirectX version is fully supported?

A: The card lists DirectX 11.1 (10_1) support. This means the shader model is 10_1, so DirectX 11 titles will only run if they can operate at that feature level.

Q: What is the pixel fill rate of this card?

A: The pixel rate is 2.080 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 4.160 GTexel/s, based on the 4 ROPs and 8 TMUs respectively.

Q: Is the card still in production?

A: No. The production status is "End-of-life," and the release date was January 7, 2011.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark data for the NVIDIA NVS 300 is entirely absent. The fact pack shows an empty benchmarks array, an average benchmark score of 0, and no nearest rivals with any score or deltaPct values. This is a significant limitation for quantitative analysis. The only comparative metric available is the percentile versus all GPUs, which stands at 50. While this percentile is typically a measure of how a GPU performs relative to the entire database, the lack of any actual benchmark scores suggests that this value may be a default or placeholder rather than a computed statistic from real test runs.

Given the absence of benchmark scores and rival deltas, the performance analysis must rely on theoretical specifications. The FP32 performance is 39.36 GFLOPS, which is derived from the 16 shading units operating at the given clock. The pixel rate of 2.080 GPixel/s and texture rate of 4.160 GTexel/s are correspondingly low. For context, these numbers are typical of a very early 2010s entry-level card. The 512 MB memory capacity is minimal, and the 12.64 GB/s bandwidth would bottleneck any memory-intensive workload. The 50th percentile ranking, if taken at face value, would imply this card sits in the middle of all GPUs ever tested by the database, but that conclusion contradicts the obviously low-end specifications. The more plausible interpretation is that the percentile is uninformative due to missing data. In practical terms, the data indicates this card is suitable for 2D desktop tasks and legacy 3D applications, but it would struggle with any modern game or GPU-accelerated compute task.

Who Should Consider It

The NVS 300 is not a card for gaming or high-performance computing. Its 16 shading units, 4 ROPs, and 39.36 GFLOPS FP32 throughput are orders of magnitude below what modern games require. Even at low resolutions and minimal settings, the card's 512 MB memory and 12.64 GB/s bandwidth would severely limit texture loading and frame buffer capacity. The DirectX 11.1 (10_1) support effectively locks out most modern titles that require DX11 feature level 11_0 or higher. Therefore, the card is unsuitable for gaming at any resolution or settings level.

The data suggests the intended audience is professional or office environments where multi-display output is the primary requirement. The single DMS-59 output can drive two monitors via a splitter cable, a common configuration in financial trading desks or data entry workstations. The 18 W TDP and lack of power connectors make it a drop-in replacement for older or underpowered systems. The OpenGL 3.3 support is adequate for basic 2D CAD viewing or legacy industrial software that does not require newer API features. For users running such applications at 1080p or lower, the NVS 300 would function without issue. The 50th percentile ranking, despite being based on no actual benchmark data, at least does not indicate a catastrophic failure point. However, anyone considering this card for modern workloads—even light photo editing or video playback—would find the 39.36 GFLOPS and 12.64 GB/s bandwidth grossly insufficient. The card is best viewed as a legacy compatibility solution, not a performance part.

The AMD Equivalent of NVS 300

Looking for a similar graphics card from AMD? The AMD Radeon RX 480 offers comparable performance and features in the AMD lineup.

AMD Radeon RX 480

AMD • 8 GB VRAM

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