Core Speed and Ultra Defined

TNT2 chip speed

You often see TNT2s cited in terms of their core/memory speed, usually with a set of numbers such as "150/183." The second number (183) is the memory speed, which we just discussed. The first number is the speed of the actual TNT2 chip. This number is almost always lower than the memory speed, and is recommended at 125MHz for vanilla TNT2, and 150MHz for Ultra.

What is this Ultra?

"Ultra" is an unofficial designation for TNT2 cards which are spec'd above standard (vanilla) speeds, and the term quickly caught on, as manufacturers started developing two tiers of TNT2, vanilla and Ultra. Note that neither the vanilla or "Ultra" designations are set in stone, they're merely common terms used among TNT2 makers to distinguish low-end and high-end versions.

Unlike RAM, there's little you can look for specifically that will better your chance of overclocking the TNT2 core. If you purchase an Ultra with a core speed of 150 or above, your chances are much higher of reaching 160, 175, or even 180MHz than if you purchase a vanilla TNT2.

What else differs with Ultra?

In many cases, you'll find that TNT2 Ultras will ship with active cooling - heatsink/fan combinations attached directly to the TNT2 chip. While a TNT2 at 125MHz runs fairly cool with only a heatsink, pumping that up 40% to 175 can create quite a heat issue, and active cooling is a necessity.

Including a good fan can add anywhere from 3 to $10 onto the cost of a board, as opposed to a few cents for a heatsink. That's also not considering factors such as power consumption and increased noise across the board's trace elements. To make things even more confusing, many manufacturers will include fans on their vanilla TNT2s as well. So much for simplicity, huh?

Overclocking utilities

No more plain reference drivers! Almost everyone shipping a TNT2 Ultra is including some kind of overclocking utility to go with it, and it seems Nvidia may actually be encouraging folks to do so. With most TNT2s, a simple click of a selection box or slider will allow you to select a faster speed for your graphics card.