Quadro NVS 290 vs GeForce 7900 GS
Aggregate performance score
We've compared GeForce 7900 GS with Quadro NVS 290, including specs and performance data.
7900 GS outperforms NVS 290 by a moderate 15% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Contents
Primary details
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
| Place in the ranking | 1273 | 1297 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| Power efficiency | 1.00 | 2.03 |
| Architecture | Curie (2003−2013) | Tesla (2006−2010) |
| GPU code name | G71 | G86 |
| Market segment | Desktop | Workstation |
| Release date | 1 May 2006 (20 years ago) | 4 October 2007 (18 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $259 | $149 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
The higher the ratio, the better. We use the manufacturer's recommended prices.
NVS 290 has 100% better value for money than 7900 GS.
Performance to price scatter graph
Currently popular graphics cards are shown for comparison.
Detailed specifications
General parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. Real power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially if overclocked.
| Pipelines / CUDA cores | no data | 16 |
| Core clock speed | 450 MHz | 459 MHz |
| Number of transistors | 278 million | 210 million |
| Manufacturing process technology | 90 nm | 80 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 49 Watt | 21 Watt |
| Texture fill rate | 9.000 | 3.672 |
| Floating-point processing power | no data | 0.02938 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 16 | 4 |
| TMUs | 20 | 8 |
| L2 Cache | no data | 16 KB |
Form factor & compatibility
Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).
| Interface | PCIe 1.0 x16 | PCIe 1.0 x16 |
| Length | 198 mm | 168 mm |
| Width | 1-slot | 1-slot |
| Supplementary power connectors | 1x 6-pin | None |
VRAM capacity and type
Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated video RAM and use a shared part of system RAM.
| Memory type | GDDR3 | DDR2 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Memory bus width | 256 Bit | 64 Bit |
| Memory clock speed | 660 MHz | 400 MHz |
| Memory bandwidth | 42.24 GB/s | 6.4 GB/s |
Connectivity and outputs
This section shows the types and number of video connectors on each GPU. The data applies specifically to desktop reference models (for example, NVIDIA’s Founders Edition). OEM partners often modify both the number and types of ports. On notebook GPUs, video‐output options are determined by the laptop’s design rather than the graphics chip itself.
| Display Connectors | 2x DVI, 1x S-Video | 1x DMS-59 |
API and SDK support
List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
| DirectX | 9.0c (9_3) | 11.1 (10_0) |
| Shader Model | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| OpenGL | 2.1 | 3.3 |
| OpenCL | N/A | 1.1 |
| Vulkan | N/A | N/A |
| CUDA | - | 1.1 |
Synthetic benchmarks
Non-gaming benchmark results comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark score.
Passmark
This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.
Gaming performance
Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 0.63 | 0.55 |
| Recency | 1 May 2006 | 4 October 2007 |
| Chip lithography | 90 nm | 80 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 49 Watt | 21 Watt |
7900 GS has a 15% higher aggregate performance score.
NVS 290, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 1 year, a 13% more advanced lithography process, and 133% lower power consumption.
The GeForce 7900 GS is our recommended choice as it beats the Quadro NVS 290 in performance tests.
Be aware that GeForce 7900 GS is a desktop graphics card while Quadro NVS 290 is a workstation one.
Other comparisons
We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.
