The Nvidia GeForce MX250 stands as a dedicated entry-level mobile graphics card designed for laptops. It inherits the Pascal GP108 chip from its predecessor, the GeForce MX150, and the desktop GeForce GT 1030. However, the MX250 introduces enhanced clock speeds for improved performance. Available in two versions, the standard 25 Watt iteration (with a 1D13 device ID) and a low-power variant boasting a 10 Watt Thermal Design Power (TDP) and slightly reduced performance (identified by the 1D25 device ID), the MX250 maintains the versatility seen in its predecessor, the MX150. The low-power MX250 variant, akin to the MX150 with 10W TDP, experiences a 32% reduction in clock speed. The GDDR5 memory interface now supports speeds of up to 3.5 GHz, equivalent to an effective speed of 7 GHz, representing an improvement from the MX150’s 3 GHz.
The GP108 chip is manufactured through a 14 nm FinFET process at Samsung (LPP), introducing several new features, including support for DisplayPort 1.4 (ready), HDMI 2.0b, HDR, and enhanced H.265 video decoding and encoding (PlayReady 3.0). While the MX250 supports 4K HDR with Netflix, the minimum 3 GB of graphics memory required for this feature is a limitation. Unlike larger Pascal chips, the compact GP108 lacks support for Simultaneous Multi-Projection (SMP) for VR and G-Sync. A comprehensive list of improvements and details on the new Pascal desktop GPUs can be found in our dedicated Pascal architecture article.
With increased core speeds (up to +3% in Boost for the 25 Watt version) and faster memory speeds, the MX250 exhibits improved performance over the older MX150. Initial benchmarks suggest a 5% increase. However, it’s important to note that the MX250 is best suited for modern applications running smoothly in low settings, as detailed on the MX150 page, which provides insights into supported games and benchmarks.
