NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT Mainstream GPU

NVIDIA Accelerates the Search For a Cure

As you can see, the new GeForce 9500 GT is a single-slot solution.  The reference model we received for evaluation and testing was built on a plain-Jane, green PCB, with a cooler featuring a portion of the NVIDIA logo.  We suspect partners like XFX and EVGA, however, may spruce up their designs, as was the case when the GeForce 8600 series launched last year...



   

  



Under the card's relatively small cooler, resides a GPU clocked at 600MHz (dispatch, texture units, ROPs) with 32 stream processors clocked at 1.4GHz. As we've mentioned already, cards will likely feature 512MB or 256MB frame buffers (this card has 256MB), clocked at 1000MHz (2000MHz DDR), which will offer up 32GB/s of memory bandwidth over a 128-bit interface. Please note, these clock speeds are higher than the reference specifications listed on the previous page. The GeForce 9500 GT also features 8 ROPs with 16 texture units, and the GPU has a native PCI Express 2.0 interface.

On the output side, much like most other current graphics cards, the GeForce 9500 GT is equipped with a pair of dual-link DVI outputs and a TV/HD component output. Using a dongle, the 9500 GT also supports HDMI output with audio, but the audio must be fed into the card though an S/PDIF input located near its single SLI connector.

Maximum board power is rated at only 50W, which is well below the 75W a PCI Express x16 slot can deliver, so the GeForce 9500 GT does not need supplemental power. And overall board size is a svelte 6.9".


Marco Chiappetta

Marco Chiappetta

Marco's interest in computing and technology dates all the way back to his early childhood. Even before being exposed to the Commodore P.E.T. and later the Commodore 64 in the early ‘80s, he was interested in electricity and electronics, and he still has the modded AFX cars and shop-worn soldering irons to prove it. Once he got his hands on his own Commodore 64, however, computing became Marco's passion. Throughout his academic and professional lives, Marco has worked with virtually every major platform from the TRS-80 and Amiga, to today's high end, multi-core servers. Over the years, he has worked in many fields related to technology and computing, including system design, assembly and sales, professional quality assurance testing, and technical writing. In addition to being the Managing Editor here at HotHardware for close to 15 years, Marco is also a freelance writer whose work has been published in a number of PC and technology related print publications and he is a regular fixture on HotHardware’s own Two and a Half Geeks webcast. - Contact: marco(at)hothardware(dot)com

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