NVIDIA P106M
NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
NVIDIANVIDIA P106M Specifications
GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The NVIDIA P106M 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.
P106M Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the P106M'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 P106M by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
NVIDIA's P106M Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The P106M'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.
P106M by NVIDIA Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the P106M, 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.
P106M Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA P106M 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.
Pascal Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The NVIDIA P106M is built on NVIDIA's Pascal 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 P106M will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the NVIDIA P106M 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 P106M to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
P106M by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA P106M 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 P106M. 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.
P106M Product Information
Release and pricing details
The NVIDIA P106M 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 P106M by NVIDIA represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
About NVIDIA P106M
Benchmark Performance
The NVIDIA P106M is a peculiar entry in the GPU landscape, built on the Pascal architecture with the GP106 chip. Its raw compute specifications place it firmly in the mid-range segment of its generation, but its purpose as a mining GPU means its gaming performance profile is defined by what it lacks as much as by what it retains. The data shows a device with an FP32 throughput of 2.974 TFLOPS, a figure that positions it well below the enthusiast tier of its era but above the entry-level parts. With a pixel rate of 41.31 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 92.95 GTexel/s, the P106M demonstrates balanced rasterization capabilities for a 128-bit memory interface part.
The memory subsystem is a critical bottleneck relative to its compute potential. The 4 GB GDDR5 frame buffer operates at 6 Gbps effective across a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 96.13 GB/s. This is a modest figure that will constrain performance in modern titles that demand high memory throughput, particularly at higher resolutions. The 1152 shading units, 72 TMUs, and 32 ROPs are configured in a manner that suggests the chip was designed for respectable 1080p performance, but the memory bandwidth acts as a limiting factor. The data indicates a 50th percentile ranking among all GPUs, placing it exactly in the middle of the pack—a score that tells a story of mediocrity rather than outright failure.
The clocks are locked at a flat 1291 MHz for both base and boost, which is unusual and indicates a fixed power and thermal envelope. There is no dynamic boost headroom, meaning the card operates at a constant frequency under load. This consistency is a double-edged sword: it provides predictable performance, but it also leaves no room for the adaptive overclocking that many rivals offer. The 16 nm TSMC process node and 4,400 million transistors on a 200 mm² die give a transistor density of 22.0M / mm², which is typical for the Pascal generation. The FP16 performance is severely crippled at 46.48 GFLOPS (1:64), a ratio that shows the compute pipeline is heavily optimized for FP32 workloads, which is consistent with a mining-focused design.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The P106M has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. This is a definitive hardware limitation. The architecture is pure Pascal, which predates the RTX lineup's dedicated ray tracing hardware. As a result, any ray tracing effects in games will be handled through software fallbacks, which the data shows will be prohibitively slow given the modest 2.974 TFLOPS FP32 throughput. The feature set is further stripped down: the display outputs are marked as "Portable Device Dependent," meaning there are no guaranteed video outputs on the card itself. This is a mining-specific design choice, as the card does not need to drive a monitor.
The API support is the one area where the P106M retains full modern capability. DirectX 12 (12_1) is supported, which is the highest feature level available for this generation. OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4 are also present, ensuring compatibility with the vast majority of contemporary game engines. The Vulkan 1.4 support is particularly noteworthy, as it indicates the driver stack is current enough to handle recent API revisions. However, without tensor cores, any AI-accelerated features like DLSS are entirely absent. The lack of RT cores means that the card is restricted to traditional rasterization techniques, and the data suggests that even those will be taxed heavily in modern titles.
The memory configuration of 4 GB GDDR5 is another feature limitation. While sufficient for older games and lighter esports titles, it is insufficient for modern AAA releases that often require 6 GB or more for high texture quality. The 96.13 GB/s bandwidth will also become a bottleneck in scenes with heavy particle effects or large open worlds. The P106M is, in essence, a compute-focused product with the video output and dedicated ray tracing hardware removed, leaving a bare-bones rendering engine.
How It Compares
The nearestRivals data for the P106M is empty, which means there are no direct comparative scores or deltaPct values to reference. This absence is itself telling. In the broader database context, the 50th percentile ranking places it in a crowded middle ground, but without specific rival scores, the analysis must rely on the absolute specifications. The lack of a direct competitor in the database suggests that the P106M occupies a niche that is rarely benchmarked in a gaming context.
Given the specification sheet, the most likely comparisons would be against other Pascal-based GPUs with similar shader counts. A hypothetical rival with the same 1152 shading units but a 192-bit memory bus would offer roughly 50% more memory bandwidth, which would translate to significantly better performance in bandwidth-sensitive scenarios. Another potential rival with a higher boost clock would have a clear advantage in compute-bound workloads. The P106M's flat 1291 MHz clock is a disadvantage here, as many parts of its generation boosted to 1500 MHz or higher.
The 4 GB memory capacity is also a differentiating factor. Many comparable GPUs from the same era shipped with 6 GB or 8 GB configurations, making the P106M less future-proof. The end-of-life production status further complicates matters, as the card is no longer being manufactured. In the used market, it would compete with other mining cards that have similar limitations, but the lack of display outputs severely limits its usability as a primary GPU. The data suggests that the P106M is a product that was designed for a specific purpose, and its performance outside that purpose is compromised.
FAQ
Q: Does the NVIDIA P106M support ray tracing?
A: No. The P106M is based on the Pascal architecture and has no ray tracing cores. It also has no tensor cores, so any ray tracing effects would rely on software processing, which the 2.974 TFLOPS FP32 throughput cannot handle effectively.
Q: What is the memory configuration of the P106M?
A: The card has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 96.13 GB/s. The memory clock is 1502 MHz, translating to 6 Gbps effective.
Q: What APIs does the P106M support?
A: The card supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. This ensures compatibility with modern game engines, but it lacks hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI features.
Q: What is the power consumption of the P106M?
A: The TDP is 75 W. The card uses an MXM module slot width and has no power connectors, drawing all power from the slot.
Q: Does the P106M have video outputs?
A: The display outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent." This means the card does not have guaranteed standard video outputs, as it was designed for mining rather than display purposes.
Q: What is the production status of the P106M?
A: The production status is end-of-life. It was released on January 22, 2019, and is no longer manufactured.
Who Should Consider It
The P106M's performance profile, with its 50th percentile ranking and 2.974 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, makes it suitable for a narrow set of use cases. At 1080p resolution with low to medium settings, the card can handle esports titles like competitive shooters and MOBAs, where the 1152 shading units and 72 TMUs are sufficient for high frame rates. However, the 4 GB memory capacity and 96.13 GB/s bandwidth will cause stuttering and texture pop-in in modern AAA games, even at 1080p. The data suggests that the card is best suited for older titles, indie games, and games that are not memory-intensive.
At 1440p resolution, the P106M will struggle significantly. The memory bandwidth is a severe bottleneck, and the 32 ROPs limit pixel throughput. Users considering this card for 1440p should look elsewhere, as the performance will be inconsistent and often unplayable in demanding scenes. The card is not viable for 4K gaming at all, as the 4 GB frame buffer is insufficient for the texture sizes and geometry complexity required at that resolution. The lack of display outputs is the most critical issue, as most users will need to adapt the card to work with a standard monitor, which may not be possible.
The only practical use case for the P106M is as a secondary compute or encoding device in a system with a primary GPU that handles display output. For a builder with a spare MXM slot, the card could serve as a dedicated PhysX processor or a compute offload device for non-gaming workloads. However, the 1:64 FP16 ratio makes it poor for AI workloads, and the lack of tensor cores further limits its utility. The data indicates that this is a specialized mining artifact, not a general-purpose gaming GPU.
Power and Cooling
The P106M has a TDP of 75 W, which is remarkably low for a GPU with 1152 shading units. This low power draw is a direct result of the flat 1291 MHz clock and the mining-focused design that prioritizes efficiency over performance. The card uses an MXM module slot width, which means it is designed for laptops or small form-factor systems with interchangeable graphics modules. It has no power connectors, drawing all power from the MXM slot itself. This simplifies installation but also limits the card's ability to be used in standard desktop systems without an adapter.
The cooling solution is not specified in the data, but the 75 W TDP means that a basic heatsink with a small fan should suffice. The low power density of the 200 mm² die, at 22.0M transistors per mm², means that heat generation is manageable. A capable air cooler with a single fan would be adequate to keep the card within safe temperatures under sustained load. There is no suggested PSU listed, but given the 75 W draw, a standard 300 W power supply would be sufficient for a system containing this card, provided the rest of the system is not power-hungry.
The lack of power connectors is a dual-edged sword. On one hand, it simplifies the power delivery requirements and ensures that the card cannot be overclocked beyond its designed limits. On the other hand, it means that the user has no control over the power delivery, and the card will always operate at its stock 75 W envelope. This is a safe and predictable configuration, but it leaves no headroom for enthusiasts who wish to push the card further. The PCIe 3.0 x16 bus interface is standard, but the MXM form factor means that a desktop user will need a special adapter to use this card in a traditional PCIe slot, which adds complexity and cost.
Detailed benchmark scores and charts for the NVIDIA P106M are below.
Benchmark Scores
No benchmark data available for this GPU.
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