NVIDIA P106 090
NVIDIA P106 090: A Budget GPU for Gamers and Beyond
April 2025
In the world of graphics cards, NVIDIA continues to impress by offering solutions for various categories of users. The P106 090 model, despite its modest price, draws attention with its versatility. Let's explore who this card is suitable for and what it can achieve in 2025.
1. Architecture and Key Features
Architecture: The NVIDIA P106 090 is based on an updated version of Pascal (GP106), optimized for modern 12nm manufacturing processes. This has allowed for reduced power consumption and increased stability.
Unique Features:
- No RTX or DLSS: The card does not support hardware ray tracing or NVIDIA’s neural network technologies. However, thanks to drivers version 550+, it is compatible with AMD's FSR 3.1 and Intel's XeSS, providing FPS boosts in games that support these technologies.
- NVENC: The 7th generation video encoding chip accelerates streaming and rendering tasks.
Key Feature: The P106 090 is positioned as a “hybrid” for mining and basic gaming, but in 2025 it is more frequently used in office and multimedia builds.
2. Memory
Type and Size: 6 GB GDDR6 with a 192-bit bus. For comparison, competitors in this segment (such as the AMD RX 6400) often come with just 4 GB GDDR6.
Bandwidth: 192 GB/s is sufficient for comfortable performance at Full HD. In games with high texture demands (such as Horizon Forbidden West), the memory is adequate for medium settings.
Impact on Performance: At 1080p, the memory does not become a bottleneck, but at 1440p, texture loading issues may arise. For professional tasks, 6 GB is the minimum acceptable level for working in Blender or DaVinci Resolve.
3. Gaming Performance
Average FPS in Popular Titles (1080p, Medium Settings):
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty — 45-50 FPS (with FSR 3.1 — up to 60 FPS).
- Fortnite (Performance mode) — 90-100 FPS.
- Apex Legends — 75-80 FPS.
- Assassin’s Creed Mirage — 55-60 FPS.
Resolution Support:
- 1080p: Optimal choice.
- 1440p: Only in less demanding games (CS2, Valorant) or using FSR/XeSS.
- 4K: Not recommended — FPS rarely exceeds 30 frames.
Ray Tracing: The lack of specialized RT cores means RTX modes are unavailable. However, in Minecraft with software ray tracing (requiring a powerful CPU), achieving 25-30 FPS is possible.
4. Professional Tasks
Video Editing: Thanks to NVENC, rendering in Premiere Pro is accelerated by 30% compared to integrated graphics. Exporting a 10-minute 4K H.264 video takes about 8 minutes.
3D Modeling: In Blender (using CUDA), rendering a medium-complexity scene takes about 25 minutes. For comparison, the RTX 3050 handles it in 12 minutes.
Scientific Calculations: CUDA and OpenCL support allows the card to be used for basic machine learning tasks, but the limited number of cores (896 CUDA cores) makes it less efficient than specialized solutions.
5. Power Consumption and Thermal Performance
TDP: 120 W — 20% less than the original P106.
Cooling Recommendations:
- The standard cooler manages the load, but under stress, noise levels can reach 38 dB.
- For quiet operation, cases with 2-3 fans (e.g., Zalman S2) are recommended.
Temperatures: In games — up to 72°C, in mining — up to 80°C (regular dust cleaning is needed).
6. Comparison with Competitors
AMD Radeon RX 6500E (4 GB, $160):
- Pros: Support for FSR 3.1, lower price.
- Cons: Only 4 GB of memory, which is critical for modern games.
Intel Arc A580 (8 GB, $180):
- Pros: Better performance in DX12, 8 GB of memory.
- Cons: Higher power consumption (130 W), driver issues for older games.
Conclusion: The P106 090 ($170) strikes a balance with its memory capacity and stability but falls behind in supporting new APIs.
7. Practical Tips
Power Supply: A 450 W model with an 80+ Bronze certification (e.g., be quiet! System Power 10) is sufficient.
Compatibility:
- PCIe 3.0 x16 — full support.
- Motherboards: Compatible with most models on Intel 600+ and AMD B550+ chipsets.
Drivers: Regular updates until the end of 2026. For Windows 11, version 551.23+ is mandatory.
8. Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Low price ($170).
- 6 GB GDDR6 — enough for most tasks.
- Good energy efficiency.
Cons:
- No support for RTX and DLSS.
- Limited performance at 1440p.
- Noisy cooling system.
9. Final Conclusion
The NVIDIA P106 090 is a great option for:
- Budget Gamers playing in Full HD.
- Office PCs with upgrade potential.
- Mining Enthusiasts seeking a balance between price and efficiency.
If you're willing to make compromises on graphics and don't plan to use ray tracing, this card will be a reliable companion for the next 2-3 years. However, for professional tasks or 4K gaming, consider the RTX 4050 or AMD RX 7600.
Prices are current as of April 2025 for new devices.