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Editor’s take: A very early Nvidia graphic card has surfaced in an auction, attracting the attention of collectors and enthusiasts. The growing interest in tech memorabilia shows how once-ordinary items are now coveted symbols for innovation and nostalgia.
A rarely-seen “artifact” of early graphics technology is currently attracting considerable interest: an original Nvidia Riva TNT Engineering Prototype Kit, packaged with a promotional lunchbox in a special edition, is now being offered through a Heritage auction. This set dates back to 1998 and represents a transformational period for Nvidia. Before the adoption of “GPU,” 3D-capable graphics accelerators were more commonly known as 3D video cards.
Nvidia Riva TNT has a significant place in the history graphics processing. It was the moment that Nvidia became a serious competitor in the 3D graphics industry, challenging 3dfx’s dominance and paving the path for the modern GPU age. The Riva TNT, also known as “TwiN Texel” was launched in 1998. Introduced dual-pipeline architecture, which allowed it to process up to two texels in a clock cycle. This effectively doubled the pixel fill rate when compared to the majority of competitors at the same time, who relied on just one pipeline.
Beyond its architectural advancements, the Riva TNT stood out for supporting 32-bit color at a time when many rival cards were limited to 16-bit. It also featured faster SDRAM memory, higher capacities (up to 16MB), and support for AGP 2x, which doubled the data bandwidth between the graphics card and the motherboard. These technical improvements enabled Nvidia’s Riva to run games at higher resolutions with better image quality than most of its contemporaries.
Included in the kit is a pre-release Riva TNT card, still in its protective sleeve, though its operational condition is unconfirmed. The card and accompanying items are housed in a sturdy metal case that shows wear consistent with its age. Alongside the hardware, the package contains early driver and demonstration discs, as well as a boxed pen engraved with the Nvidia logo. Notably, the case’s interior foam reportedly features a handwritten note from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, though the authenticity of the signature has not been verified.
This promotional lunchbox is a rare collectible. It was originally produced in limited numbers for Nvidia employees and selected members of the media.
The design is bold and retro-inspired, with slogans from that era. It also includes a playful jab against the competition, such as “Defending the world from mediocrity.” . The lunchbox remains in good condition, aside from minor wear on the label. The authenticity of the signature, as with the graphics card is not confirmed.
As of the time this article was written, the bidding had reached $575. The auction is expected to attract higher offers before its conclusion in two weeks.
