GeForce3 vs GeForce 6600
Primary details
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
| Place in the ranking | not rated | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Architecture | Curie (2003−2013) | Kelvin (2001−2003) |
| GPU code name | NV43 A2 | NV20 A5 |
| Market segment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Release date | 12 August 2004 (20 years ago) | 27 February 2001 (23 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $499 |
Detailed specifications
General parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.
| Core clock speed | 300 MHz | 200 MHz |
| Number of transistors | 146 million | 57 million |
| Manufacturing process technology | 110 nm | 150 nm |
| Texture fill rate | 2.400 | 1.600 |
| ROPs | 4 | 4 |
| TMUs | 8 | 8 |
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 | AGP 4x |
| Length | no data | 165 mm |
| Width | 1-slot | 1-slot |
| Supplementary power connectors | None | 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 | DDR | SDR |
| Maximum RAM amount | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Memory bus width | 128 Bit | 128 Bit |
| Memory clock speed | 250 MHz | 230 MHz |
| Memory bandwidth | 8 GB/s | 3.68 GB/s |
Connectivity and outputs
Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.
| Display Connectors | 1x DVI, 1x VGA, 1x S-Video | 1x VGA, 1x DB13W3 |
API compatibility
List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
| DirectX | 9.0c (9_3) | 8.0 |
| Shader Model | 3.0 | no data |
| OpenGL | 2.1 | 1.3 |
| OpenCL | N/A | N/A |
| Vulkan | N/A | N/A |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Non-gaming benchmark results comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.
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.
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 12 August 2004 | 27 February 2001 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Chip lithography | 110 nm | 150 nm |
GeForce 6600 has an age advantage of 3 years, a 300% higher maximum VRAM amount, and a 36.4% more advanced lithography process.
We couldn't decide between GeForce 6600 and GeForce3. We've got no test results to judge.
Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Comparisons with similar GPUs
We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.
