With Green Popcorn lol
The release of NVIDIA’s GeForce 256 twenty-five years ago today, overlooked by all but hardcore PC gamers and tech enthusiasts at the time, would go on to lay the foundation for today’s generative AI.
The GeForce 256 wasn’t just another graphics card — it was introduced as the world’s first GPU, setting the stage for future advancements in both gaming and computing.
With hardware transform and lighting (T&L), it took the load off the CPU, a pivotal advancement. As Tom’s Hardware emphasized: “[The GeForce 256] can take the strain off the CPU, keep the 3D-pipeline from stalling, and allow game developers to use much more polygons, which automatically results in greatly increased detail.”
Where Gaming Changed Forever
For gamers, starting up Quake III Arena on a GeForce 256 was a revelation. “Immediately after firing up your favorite game, it feels like you’ve never even seen the title before this moment,” as the enthusiasts at AnandTech put it,The GeForce 256 paired beautifully with breakthrough titles such Unreal Tournament, one of the first games with realistic reflections, which would go on to sell more than 1 million copies in its first year.
