RIVA TNT2
 |
|
| Release date | 1998 |
|---|---|
| Codename | NV5 |
| Cards | |
| Entry-level | Vanta, M64 |
| Mid-range | TNT2, Pro |
| High-end | TNT2 Ultra |
| API support | |
| Direct3D | Direct3D 6.0 |
The RIVA TNT2 is a graphics processing unit manufactured by Nvidia starting in early 1999. The chip is codenamed "NV5" because it is the 5th graphics chip design by Nvidia, succeeding the RIVA TNT (NV4). RIVA is an acronym for Real-time Interactive Video and Animation accelerator. The "TNT" suffix refers to the chip's ability to work on two texels at once (TwiN Texel). Nvidia removed RIVA from the name later in the chip's lifetime.
The TNT2 core is almost identical to its predecessor the RIVA TNT, however updates included AGP 4X support, up to 32MB of VRAM, and a process shrink from 0.35 μm to 0.25 μm. It was the process shrink that enabled improved clock speeds (from 90 MHz to 150+ MHz), which is where the substantial performance improvement came from.
The TNT2 offered a higher quality feature-set than some of its competitors, pioneered by the RIVA TNT, such as 32-bit color in 3D and support for larger 2048×2048 px textures. RIVA TNT2's competition included the 3dfx Voodoo2, 3dfx Voodoo3, the Matrox G400, and the ATI Rage 128.
A low-cost version, known as the TNT2 M64, was produced with the memory interface reduced from 128-bit to 64-bit. Sometimes these were labeled "Vanta", continuing the Vanta name started with a value-oriented RIVA TNT-based product. This chipset outperformed the older RIVA TNT while being less costly to produce. They proved quite popular in the OEM market, as most consumers simply assumed all TNT2 cards were the same.
The main competitor to the TNT2 was the 3dfx Voodoo3. What the Voodoo3 lacked when compared to the TNT2 was 32-bit color. This was the main selling point of the TNT2, while the main selling point of the Voodoo3 was the speed advantage it often had over the TNT2. The 3dfx Glide API was still popular at this time, and frequently performed faster and with better image quality than alternative renderers (such as Direct3D and OpenGL). Some games also had exclusive 3D features when used with Glide, including Wing Commander: Prophecy.
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