Graphics Cards Guide

Compare This

NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT 512MB GDDR3 (Reference Card)

02 Aug 2008

Tags: (none)

Filter by Manufacturers

HWZ's Overall Rating: 8.0

<div id="product-review" class="article">
			<h2 class="header-green">NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT 512MB GDDR3</h2>
		<span class="byline">Reviewed by Vincent Chang on Saturday, 02 Aug 2008</span>
		<div class="share">
	<div
		id="addthis_div_519efacdd3935" 
		class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style"
		addthis:url="http://www.hardwarezone.com/review-nvidia-geforce-9500-gt-512mb-gddr3"		addthis:title="NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT 512MB GDDR3"	>
		<a class="addthis_button_google_plusone" g:plusone:count="false"></a>
		<a class="addthis_button_facebook"></a>
		<a class="addthis_button_twitter"></a>
		
		<a class="addthis_button_email"></a>
	</div>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
	window.addEvent ('domready', function ()
	{
 		//AddThis thing
		addthis_share = window.addthis_share || {};
		addthis_share.url_transforms = {
			add: {
				utm_source: 'addthis',
				utm_medium: 'referral',
				utm_campaign: 'addthis',
				utm_content: 'NVIDIA%2BGeForce%2B9500%2BGT%2B512MB%2BGDDR3'
			}
		}
		
		addthis_config = window.addthis_config || {};
		addthis_config.data_track_clickback = true;
		addthis_config.data_ga_property = 'UA-166763-1';
		//window.addthis && addthis.toolbox (".addthis_toolbox");
		 
	});
//]]>
</script>		<div class="content resizeable">
						<div id="page-1" class="page">
		 		<h2 class="page-title">The Expanding GeForce 9 Family</h2>
		 		<h3 class="page_title">The Expanding GeForce 9 Family</h3>
<p>For all the noise NVIDIA had made recently about streamlining its product lineup, it seems that such a day has not arrived yet. Because the company has announced the availability of three new GeForce 9 GPUs, two higher end GeForce 9800 models and a new mainstream part, the GeForce 9500 GT. Together with the newly introduced GeForce 9 mobile GPUs, it means that the GeForce 9 family has probably doubled in the past weeks and not necessarily for the better (don't get us started on the confusing nomenclature NVIDIA uses for its GeForce 9 mobile GPUs)</p>
<p>Of course, not all of this is news to enthusiasts. The GeForce 9800 GTX+ has been available for some time now in retail to combat the competition posed by ATI's Radeon HD 4850 against the now obsolete 9800 GTX. It uses a die shrunk G92 core of the 55nm process technology with slightly higher clock speeds. Meanwhile, the other new member of the GeForce 9800 series, the 9800 GT is a rebadged 8800 GT, with NVIDIA throwing in HybridPower support to align it with the rest of the GeForce 9800 series. Hence, the most interesting of the three 'new' GeForce 9 GPUs is the GeForce 9500 GT and we'll be looking closely at its performance today.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2010/04/9f63a468c7.gif" title="GPU-Z gets all the facts correct for our reference GeForce 9500 GT board from MSI. (We aren't that confident about the shader clocks as NVIDIA tells us it's 1400MHz but it's a minor discrepancy)." alt="" /></p>
<p class="rteleft">As its numerical name suggests (NVIDIA's nomenclature is not completely illogical yet), the GeForce 9500 GT is a notch less capable than NVIDIA's current performance mainstream GPU, the 9600 GT. Technology is often evolutionary however, thus the new kid has more in common with NVIDIA's older GeForce 8600 series, with a similar internal configuration of stream processors, ROPs and texture filtering units. The clock speeds are not exactly the same and there are naturally some enhancements within the G96 core which result in a greater transistor count than the GeForce 8600 GPUs. GeForce 9-only features like Hybrid SLI, PhysX, CUDA and the latest PureVideo HD engine will also be present on the 9500 GT.</p>
<p>While these new GPUs will be manufactured eventually using a 55nm process, initial batches are built on 65nm. NVIDIA has prepped a couple of variants for its board partners to market and customize, with the use of GDDR2 or GDDR3 memory the main difference, along with some minor memory clock variations. These GPUs will also fall into the same price segment (US$100 and below) as the older GeForce 8600 cards and are therefore the designated successors. Below, we have the specifications of the new GPU and some of its expected competitors.</p>
<table width="95%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" border="1" align="center" style="table-layout: auto;">
    <caption>The Mainstream Graphics Crowd</caption>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <th>Model</th>
            <th>NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT 256/512MB</th>
            <th>NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB</th>
            <th>NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT 256MB</th>
            <th>ATI Radeon HD 3850 256MB</th>
            <th>ATI Radeon HD 3650 512MB</th>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Core Code</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">G96</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">G84</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">G84</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">RV670</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">RV635</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Transistor Count</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">314 million</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">289 million</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">289 million</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">666 million</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">378 million</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Manufacturing Process</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">65nm (Initial), 55nm (Eventual)</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">80nm</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">80nm</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">55nm</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">55nm</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Core Clock</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">550MHz</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">675MHz</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">540MHz</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">670MHz</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">700MHz</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Stream Processors</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">32 Stream Processors</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">32 Stream Processors</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">32 Stream Processors</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">64 Shader units consisting of 320 Stream Processors</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">24 Shader units consisting of 120 Stream Processors</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Stream Processor Clock</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">1400MHz</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">1450MHz</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">1190MHz</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">670MHz</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">700MHz</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Texture Mapping Units (TMU) or Texture Filtering (TF) units</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">16</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">16</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">16</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">16</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">8</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Raster Operator units (ROP)</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">8</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">8</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">8</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">16</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">4</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Memory Clock</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">1600MHz GDDR3 or 1000MHz GDDR2</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">2000MHz GDDR3</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">1400MHz GDDR3</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">1660MHz GDDR3</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">1600MHz GDDR3</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>DDR Memory Bus</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">128-bit</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">128-bit</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">128-bit</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">256-bit</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">128-bit</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Memory Bandwidth</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">25.6GB/s (GDDR3) 16.0GB/s (GDDR2)</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">32.0GB/s</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">22.4GB/s</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">53.1GB/s</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">25.6GB/s</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>PCI Express Interface</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">PCIe ver 2.0 x16</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">x16</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">x16</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">PCIe ver 2.0 x16</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">PCIe ver 2.0 x16</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Molex Power Connectors</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">No</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">Yes</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">No</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">Yes</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">No</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Multi GPU Technology</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">Yes (SLI)</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">Yes (SLI)</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">Yes (SLI)</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">Yes (CrossFire)</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">Yes (CrossFire)</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>DVI Output Support</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">2 x Dual-Link</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">2 x Dual-Link</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">2 x Dual-Link</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">2 x Dual-Link</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">2 x Dual-Link</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>HDCP Output Support</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">Yes</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">Yes</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">Vendor dependent</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">Yes</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">Yes</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Street Price</th>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">US$70 - 90</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">US$90 - 110</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">US$70 - 90</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">US$99 - 139</td>
            <td valign="middle" align="center">US$60 - 90</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>			</div>
		</div>
			<div class="pagination" >
		<span class="desc">Page 1 of 9</span>
		<ul>
			<li class="prevnext prev"><a href="/review-nvidia-geforce-9500-gt-512mb-gddr3" class="disabled">&lsaquo; Prev</a></li>
			<li class="skip">
				<form id="PageAddForm" method="post" action="/go"><fieldset style="display:none;"><input type="hidden" name="_method" value="POST" /></fieldset>					<select name="data[Page][url]" class="page-selector" id="PageUrl">
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-9500-gt-512mb-gddr3" selected="selected">The Expanding GeForce 9 Family</option>
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-9500-gt-512mb-gddr3/zotacs-overclocked-geforce-9500-gt">Zotac&#039;s Overclocked GeForce 9500 GT</option>
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-9500-gt-512mb-gddr3/results-3dmark06-pro-ver-110-6">Results - 3DMark06 Pro (ver. 110)</option>
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-9500-gt-512mb-gddr3/results-company-heroes-fear-13">Results - Company of Heroes &amp; F.E.A.R</option>
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-9500-gt-512mb-gddr3/results-supreme-commander-world-conflict-3">Results - Supreme Commander &amp; World in Conflict</option>
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-9500-gt-512mb-gddr3/results-unreal-tournament-3-crysis-11">Results - Unreal Tournament 3 &amp; Crysis</option>
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-9500-gt-512mb-gddr3/temperature-overclocking-2">Temperature &amp; Overclocking</option>
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-9500-gt-512mb-gddr3/power-consumption-3">Power Consumption</option>
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-9500-gt-512mb-gddr3/geforce-9-case-marketing">GeForce 9 - A Case of Marketing?</option>
</select>					<input type="submit" class="submit" value="Go" />				</form>			</li>
			<li class="prevnext next"><a href="/review-nvidia-geforce-9500-gt-512mb-gddr3/zotacs-overclocked-geforce-9500-gt" class="">Next &rsaquo;</a></li>
		</ul>
	</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
	window.addEvent ('domready', function ()
	{
 
		var container = document.getElement ('#product-review'),
			content = container && container.getElement ('.content'),
			pagination = container && container.getElement ('.pagination'),
			form = pagination && pagination.getElement ('form'),
			menu = form && form.getElement ('.page-selector'),
			links = {
				prev: pagination && pagination.getElement ('.prev a'),
				next: pagination && pagination.getElement ('.next a')
			},
			page = -1,
			desc = 'Page {curPage} of {lastPage}'
		;

// Tag as Javascript-enabled
		pagination.addClass ('js');

menu.addEvent ('change', function (e)
		{
			var curPage = this.selectedIndex + 1,
				lastPage = this.length,
				url = this.get ('value'),
				pageContent = container && container.getElement ('.page')
			;

// Disable controls
			menu.set ('disabled', 'disabled').blur ();
			if (pageContent) pageContent.setStyle ('opacity', .5);

new Request.HTML ({
				'url': url,
				'method': 'get',
				'link': 'cancel',
				'update': content,
				'onSuccess': function ()
				{
					// Update controls
					menu.erase ('disabled');
					links.prev
						.set ('href', menu.getChildren ('option')[(curPage > 1)? curPage - 2: curPage - 1].get ('value'))
						[(curPage > 1)? 'removeClass': 'addClass'] ('disabled')
					;
					links.next
						.set ('href', menu.getChildren ('option')[(curPage < lastPage)? curPage: curPage - 1].get ('value'))
						[(curPage < lastPage)? 'removeClass': 'addClass'] ('disabled')
					;
					pagination.getElement ('.desc').set ('text', desc.substitute ({ curPage: curPage, lastPage: lastPage}));

captureIntraLinks ();
					new Fx.Scroll (window).toElement (container);
				},
				'onFailure': function ()
				{
					// Restore controls
					menu.erase ('disabled');
					if (pageContent) pageContent.setStyle ('opacity', 1);
				}
			}).send ();
		});
		$$([links.prev, links.next]).addEvent ('click', function (e)
		{
			e.stop (); this.blur ();
			if (!this.hasClass ('disabled'))
				menu.set ('value', this.get ('href')).fireEvent ('change');
		});
		form.addEvent ('submit', function (e)
		{
			e.stop (); this.blur ();
			menu.fireEvent ('change');
		})

// Capture all intra-page links and hook to js
		function captureIntraLinks ()
		{
			content.getElements ('a[href^="#"]').flatten().each (function (link)
			{
				var target = link.get ('href').substr (6).trim ();
				if (target && target.match (/^\d+$/) && target <= menu.length)
					link.addEvent ('click', function (e)
					{
						e.stop (); this.blur ();
						menu.selectedIndex = target - 1;
						menu.fireEvent ('change');
					});
			});
		}
		captureIntraLinks ();

// Trigger initial pagination state
		var target = location.hash && location.hash.substr (6).trim ();
		if (target && target.match (/^\d+$/) && target <= menu.length && target != page)
		{
			menu.selectedIndex = target - 1;
			menu.fireEvent ('change');
		}
 
	});
//]]>
</script>
				</div>

<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
	window.addEvent ('domready', function ()
	{
 
		var section = $('tab-product-content-review'),
			dropdown = section.getElement ('#reviews-list'),
			tId = 0
		;

if (section && dropdown)
		{
			var list = dropdown.getElement ('ul'),
				links = list.getElements ('li a')
			;

dropdown.addClass ('js');
			list.set ('morph', { 'link': 'cancel' });

$$(dropdown, list).addEvents ({
				'mousemove': function ()
				{
					$clear (tId);
				},
				'mouseenter': function ()
				{
					list.set ('morph', {'duration': 'short'}).morph ({ 'opacity': 1 });
				},
				'mouseleave': function ()
				{
					tId = function () { list.set ('morph', {'duration': 'short'}).morph ({ 'opacity': 0}); }.delay (1000);
				}
			}).fireEvent ('mouseleave');

links.addEvent ('click', function (e)
			{
				e.stop ();
				//unescape the 'alt' prooperty
				var o = new Element('i', { 'html': this.get ('alt')});
				new Request.HTML ({
					'url': o.get('text') + '&as=ajax',
					'method': 'get',
					'link': 'cancel',
					'update': section.empty().grab(new Element('div')
						.addClass ('waiter')
						.grab (new Element ('span', {
							text: 'Please wait while we load your article ...'
						}))
					)
				}).send ();
			})

section.getElements ('.footer .comments a').addEvent ('click', function (e)
			{
				e.stop ();
				new Fx.Scroll (window).toElement ($('tab-product-details'));

var href = this.get ('href').match (/#.+$/), target = href && href[0];
				if (target)
					(function () { new Fx.Scroll (window).toElement ($(target.substr (1))); })
						.delay (3000);

$('tab-product-comments').getChildren ('a')[0].fireEvent ('click');
			})
		}
		if( $$('.image-caption-container').length < 1 )
		{	
			$$('.article .content img[title]').each (function (img)
			{
				// skip if title is empty
				if (!img.get ('title')) return;
			
				new Element ('span', {'class': 'image-caption-container'})
					.addClass (['left', 'right'].contains (img.get ('align'))? img.get ('align'): '')
					.set ('width', img.get ('width'))
					.replaces (img)
					.grab (img)
					.grab (new Element ('div', {
						'class': 'image-caption',
						'html': img.get ('title').trim ()
					}))
				;
				img.erase ('align');
			
				var link = img.getParents ('a');
				if (link) link.addClass ('captioned');
			});
		}
 
	});
//]]>
</script>

Graphics Cards Guide

NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT 512MB GDDR3 (Reference Card)

Filter by Manufacturers

You may also be interested in...