GeForce 9 series
Ninth-generation Nvidia GPUs with PCIe 2.0 and updated Tesla architecture.
The GeForce 9 series, also called the GeForce 9000 series, is Nvidia's ninth generation of GeForce graphics processing units. The first model launched on February 21, 2008. These GPUs use an updated Tesla microarchitecture that adds support for PCI Express 2.0 and improves color and z-compression. They were initially built on a 65 nm process, with later models using a 55 nm process to lower power consumption and shrink die size. (The earlier GeForce 8 G8x GPUs only supported PCIe 1.1 and were built on 90 nm or 80 nm processes.)
The GeForce 9100 series includes the GeForce 9100 G, which uses a 65 nm G98 GPU with a PCI-E x16 interface and a 64-bit memory bus. It has 4 raster operations pipelines (ROPs) and 8 unified shaders. The core clock runs at 540 MHz, the shader clock at 1300 MHz, and it uses 256 MB of DDR2 memory clocked at 400 MHz. Its fill rate is 5.1 Gtexels/s, with 7.6 GB/s memory bandwidth. It supports DirectX 10, Shader Model 4.0, OpenGL 2.1, and first-generation PureVideo HD technology with partial VC1 decoding.
The GeForce 9300 series includes the GeForce 9300 GS, officially launched on May 1, 2008. It uses an 80 nm G86 GPU with a PCI-E x16 interface and a 64-bit bus. It has 8 ROPs and 16 unified shaders. The core clock is 450 MHz, the shader clock 900 MHz, and it uses 512 MB of DDR2 memory at 400 MHz. Its fill rate is 3.6 Gtexels/s, with 6.4 GB/s memory bandwidth. It supports DirectX 10, Shader Model 4.0, and OpenGL 2.1.
The GeForce 9400 series includes the GeForce 9400 GT, officially launched on August 27, 2008. It uses a 65 nm G96 GPU with 16 stream processors. The core clock is 550 MHz, with a unified shader clock of 1350 MHz. Fill rate is 4.4 Gtexels/s. Memory options include 256, 512, or 1024 MB of 800 MHz DDR2, or 256 MB of 1600 MHz GDDR3, all on a 128-bit bus. Memory bandwidth reaches 12.8 GB/s for DDR2 800 MHz configurations. It supports DirectX 10, Shader Model 4.0, OpenGL 3.3, and PCI-Express 2.0. It also supports second-generation PureVideo HD with partial VC1 decoding and HybridPower technology. A minimum 300-watt power supply is required.
The GeForce 9500 series includes the GeForce 9500 GT, officially launched on July 29, 2008. It uses a 65 nm G96 GPU with 32 stream processors (32 CUDA cores) across 4 multiprocessors. The core clock is 550 MHz, with a unified shader clock of 1400 MHz. Fill rate is 8.8 Gtexels/s.
Quick Facts
- Codename
- G9x
- Architecture
- Tesla
- Created
- February 21, 2008
- Model
- GeForce series
- Transistors
- 210M 65 nm (G98)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The GeForce 9 series debuted with the GeForce 9600 GT on February 21, 2008, as an upgrade of the 8600 GTS. The lineup spans from the entry-level GeForce 9100 G to the dual-GPU GeForce 9800 GX2. The 9800 GX2, launched on March 18, 2008, uses two PCBs and two 65 nm GPUs with 256 total stream processors, supporting Quad SLI. The 9800 GTX followed on April 1, 2008, and a refresh, the 9800 GTX+ (55 nm process), arrived in July 2008 with faster core and shader clocks; since March 2009 this design is manufactured as GeForce GTS 250.
The series includes several OEM and rebranded cards. The GeForce 9600 GSO was essentially a renamed 8800 GS, a tactic seen before in products such as the GeForce 7900 GTO to clear unsold stock. Some manufacturers have mistakenly listed some 768 MB models with 96 stream processors as being based on the G94 chip rather than the G92. The GeForce 9600 GS is a Hewlett Packard OEM card based on a G94a core. The GeForce 9500 GS is an OEM card based on the 9500 GT but geared toward the mainstream audience. The GeForce 9800 GT is identical to an 8800GT, though some were manufactured using 55 nm technology; the newer version supports HybridPower while the 65 nm version does not.
Reader's Guide
The GeForce 9 series marked Nvidia's transition to PCI Express 2.0 and refined the Tesla microarchitecture with improved color and z-compression. It introduced the 55 nm process mid-cycle to reduce power consumption and die size. The series spans from low-power integrated-style GPUs like the 9100 G to the high-end dual-GPU 9800 GX2, which launched at $666.99. The 9800 GTX launched at $349. The 9600 GT offered almost double the performance of the previous mid-range card, the GeForce 8600 GTS. The series supports DirectX 10, Shader Model 4.0, OpenGL 3.3, and second-generation PureVideo HD technology with partial VC1 decoding. Some cards support CUDA and the Quantum Effects physics processing engine. The 9800 GTX+ later became the basis for the GeForce GTS 250, extending the architecture's life into the next generation. The series also includes mobile variants under the GeForce 9M series, offering increased performance for similar power draw compared to the GeForce 8M series for midrange and mid-high range notebooks.
Did You Know?
- The GeForce 9800 GX2 uses two PCBs and two GPUs, supporting Quad SLI.
- The GeForce 9800 GTX+ (55 nm) was later manufactured as the GeForce GTS 250 starting March 2009.
- The GeForce 9600 GS is a Hewlett Packard OEM card with a 192-bit memory bus.
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