GeForce FX 5950 Ultra

Rankine GeForce FX Series Desktop Flagship DDR 2003 NVIDIA

Key Metrics

Launch Date: 2003-10-23
Memory: 256 MB DDR
Memory Bandwidth: 30.4 GB/s
TDP/TBP: 74 W
Interface: AGP 8x
Process Node: TSMC 130 nm

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GPU Specs

Identity
Entry Type	Reference GPU
Official Name	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5950 Ultra
GPU Codename	NV38
Architecture	Rankine
Launch Date	2003-10-23
Market Segment Notes	Desktop, Flagship in GeForce FX Series
Core Specs
GPU Die	NV38
Process Node	TSMC 130 nm
Transistor Count	0.14 billion
Die Size	207 mm²
CUDA Cores	Not applicable
SM Count	Not applicable
TMUs	8
ROPs	4
Base Clock	475 MHz
Boost Clock	475 MHz
Pixel Fillrate	1.9 GP/s
Texture Fillrate	3.8 GT/s
Memory
Memory Size	256 MB
Memory Type	DDR
Memory Bus Width	256-bit
Memory Clock	475 MHz
Memory Bandwidth	30.4 GB/s
Board and Display
TDP / TBP	74 W
Recommended PSU	250 W
Power Connectors	1x Molex
Interface	AGP 8x
Display Outputs	1x DVI, 1x VGA, 1x S-Video
Slot Width	Dual-slot, 229 mm length
Card Length	229 mm
Board Partner Model	Reference or OEM specification
Reference Design	NVIDIA reference design
Software
DirectX Support	DirectX 9.0
OpenGL Support	OpenGL 1.5

GPU Gallery

Front of the museum-labeled GeForce FX 5950 Ultra engineering sample with cooler installed — **Front with cooler: representative physical card, Museum-labeled GeForce FX 5950 Ultra engineering sample.** Engineering sample, not confirmed retail/reference FX 5950 Ultra: FX5900-marked chip; the museum reports FX5950-like cooling, Everest 5950 Ultra detection, and at least four BIOS flashes.View original external gallery

Exposed front of the engineering sample showing memory chips and the GPU marked GeForce FX5900 — **Exposed front: representative physical card, Museum-labeled GeForce FX 5950 Ultra engineering sample.** Engineering sample, not confirmed retail/reference FX 5950 Ultra: FX5900-marked chip; the museum reports FX5950-like cooling, Everest 5950 Ultra detection, and at least four BIOS flashes.View original external gallery

Rear of the museum-labeled engineering sample with the black heatsink installed — **Rear with heatsink: representative physical card, Museum-labeled GeForce FX 5950 Ultra engineering sample.** Engineering sample, not confirmed retail/reference FX 5950 Ultra: FX5900-marked chip; the museum reports FX5950-like cooling, Everest 5950 Ultra detection, and at least four BIOS flashes.View original external gallery

Exposed rear circuitry and memory of the museum-labeled engineering sample without the rear heatsink — **Exposed rear: representative physical card, Museum-labeled GeForce FX 5950 Ultra engineering sample.** Engineering sample, not confirmed retail/reference FX 5950 Ultra: FX5900-marked chip; the museum reports FX5950-like cooling, Everest 5950 Ultra detection, and at least four BIOS flashes.View original external gallery

Close-up of the engineering sample GPU package visibly marked GeForce FX5900 — **Chip close-up: representative physical card, Museum-labeled GeForce FX 5950 Ultra engineering sample.** Engineering sample, not confirmed retail/reference FX 5950 Ultra: FX5900-marked chip; the museum reports FX5950-like cooling, Everest 5950 Ultra detection, and at least four BIOS flashes.View original external gallery

Angled view of the engineering sample with cooler, port bracket, and AGP edge connector — **Angled card view: representative physical card, Museum-labeled GeForce FX 5950 Ultra engineering sample.** Engineering sample, not confirmed retail/reference FX 5950 Ultra: FX5900-marked chip; the museum reports FX5950-like cooling, Everest 5950 Ultra detection, and at least four BIOS flashes.View original external gallery

Why It Mattered

GeForce FX 5950 Ultra belongs to the Rankine and GeForce FX Series era around 2003, when PC graphics cards varied heavily by bus, memory chips, BIOS, cooler, and display outputs. Tracking the exact model helps retro builders distinguish period-correct boards from similarly named variants.

Reviews2 reviews

ArticleAnandTech

NVIDIA GeForce FX 5950 Ultra Review

Review coverage of the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra.

ArticleExact modelHotHardware · 2003-10-30

NVIDIA'S GeForce FX 5950 Ultra

Sources

Primary / manufacturer sources

NVIDIA Unveils Blazingly Fast New GeForce FX Graphics ChipsOfficial October 23, 2003 GeForce FX 5950 Ultra introduction explicitly identifying a 256-bit memory busOpen source
NVIDIA Announces Immediate Availability of New GeForce FX GPUsOfficial October 23 announcement of October 26, 2003 GeForce FX 5950 Ultra partner availabilityOpen source

Independent reference sources

TechPowerUp GPU SpecsModel-level specification reference for this GPU entryOpen source

Reference databases

RightNow GPU DatabaseOpen GPU database used to cross-check specifications A reference database: good for cross-checking specifications, but not proof of the original release details on its own.Open source

Photo sources

Videocard Virtual Museum
Board: Museum-labeled GeForce FX 5950 Ultra engineering sampleCredit: Videocard Virtual MuseumLicense: CC BY (version unspecified)Source claim: Source page footer states Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY); license version unspecifiedModified: resized and recompressed JPEG.Board identity: The museum labels this an FX5950 Ultra engineering sample, not a confirmed retail/reference card. Its chip is marked FX5900; the museum reports FX5950-like cooling, Everest detection as 5950 Ultra, and at least four BIOS flashes.Configuration: Engineering sample, not confirmed retail/reference FX 5950 Ultra: FX5900-marked chip; the museum reports FX5950-like cooling, Everest 5950 Ultra detection, and at least four BIOS flashes.Original external gallery
View: Front with cooler
View: Exposed front
View: Rear with heatsink
View: Exposed rear
View: Chip close-up
View: Angled card view

GPU Gallery

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