> TFA claims the GeForce 256 was "the world's first GPU", but why not consider the NVidia Riva TNT a real GPU?
GeForce 256 integrated hardware vertex processing (transform and lighting), which Riva TNT and others did not - the CPU had to do this part.
The RCP of the Nintendo 64 was probably the first modern GPU integrating RSP for vertex processing and RDP for rasterization into a single chip.
>but why not consider the NVidia Riva TNT a real GPU?
Shaders.
Re:Nvidia GeForce 256 is 25 years old
by fleventynine on Sunday September 01, 2024 @11:49PM
(#41422421)
Geforce 256 and 2 were fixed-function; I don't believe the first shaders showed up until Geforce 3.
It was T&L that pushed PR to call it a GPU, but afaik both 256 and GF2 had some shader capabilities. Nvidia Shading Rasterizer (NSR)https://www.anandtech.com/show/537/4 https://www.evga.com/articles/archive/91.asp
Re:Nvidia GeForce 256 is 25 years old
by tomatocracy on Monday September 02, 2024 @03:01AM
(#41423229)
> Storing old PC components seems sensitive - tossing them in a box in anti-static bags in a dry garage doesn't seem to do the trick.
From that era (late 90s-mid 00s) it could be down to capacitors failing - there were a LOT of faulty ones around in that era, vs earlier 80s/90s and later eras.
It was the first decent gfx card I ever bought, my little brother and I pooled all our money in order to do it! We picked it up in some little hole in the wall in Fremont I'd found through Pricewatch.com.
Prior to that we'd gotten ripped by Fry's buying garbage PCI Diamond Crystal something or other cards, they didn't even stock recent NVidia cards back then. Then I found HardOCP and learned what to get. Still miss Kyle Bennett's sass.
The late nineties were something else, loved those crazy Athlon and Duron builds that could OC like crazy. It was so much fun! I really don't know of anything comparable these days, because for the past 15 years nearly zero games really required the latest and greatest hardware to be playable at reasonable settings. Homemade QinLED and other home-flashed iOT devices are fun, but not in the same galaxy.
I miss the A-Bit motherboards, they were a cut above. Never had one die on me ever (while under active use*).
* Storing old PC components seems sensitive - tossing them in a box in anti-static bags in a dry garage doesn't seem to do the trick.
P.s. - TFA claims the GeForce 256 was "the world's first GPU", but why not consider the NVidia Riva TNT a real GPU? And what about the They were capable at the time. And c'mon, the 3DFX Voodoo was the real first GPU.
If you want to feel bad, click this SEO stuffed and gamed link for "most beloved GPU of all time" and notice the lack of mention of 3DFX. Gaslighting trash.
https://www.google.com/search?q=most+beloved+GPU+of+all+time