Nvidia NVDEC

Nvidia NVDEC (formerly known as NVCUVID ^[1] ) is a feature in its graphics cards that performs video decoding, offloading this compute-intensive task from the CPU. ^[2]

It is accompanied by NVENC for video encoding in Nvidia's Video Codec SDK. ^[2]

Technology

NVDEC can offload video decoding to full fixed-function decoding hardware (Nvidia PureVideo), or (partially) decode via CUDA software running on the GPU, if fixed-function hardware is not available. ^{[2] [3]}

Depending on the GPU architecture, the following codecs are supported: ^[4]

• MPEG-2
• VC-1
• H.264 (AVC)
• H.265 (HEVC)
• VP8
• VP9
• AV1

Versions

NVCUVID was originally distributed as part of the Nvidia CUDA Toolkit. ^[3] Later, it was renamed to NVDEC and moved to the Nvidia Video Codec SDK. ^[1]

Operating system support

See also: Nvidia PureVideo

NVDEC is available for Windows and Linux operating systems. ^[2] As NVDEC is a proprietary API (as opposed to the open-source VDPAU API), it is only supported by the proprietary Nvidia driver on Linux.

Application and library support

• Gstreamer has supported NVDEC since 2017. ^[5]
• FFmpeg has supported NVDEC since 2017. ^[6]
• mpv has supported NVDEC since 2017 by the use of FFmpeg. ^[7]

GPU support

HW accelerated decode and encode are supported on Nvidia GeForce, Quadro, Tesla, and GRID products with Fermi or newer generation GPUs. ^[8]

Board	Family	Chip	Desktop/ Mobile/ Server	# Of Chips	# Of NVDEC /Chip	Total # of NVDEC	MPEG-1	MPEG-2	VC-1	VP8	VP9			H.264 (AVCHD) (except High 10)	H.265 (HEVC) 4:2:0			H.265 (HEVC) 4:4:4			AV1 4:2:0
											8 bit	10 bit	12 bit		8 bit	10 bit	12 bit	8 bit	10 bit	12 bit	8 bit	10 bit	12 bit
GeForce 710A > 810A	Kepler	GK208	M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GT 723A / 740A							Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GT 720M > 740M							Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GT 630 / 635/ 640 / 710 / 730			D				Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce 710A / 810M / 820M		GK107					Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GT 640M > 755M / GTX 660M							Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GT 630 - 640 GeForce GTX 650 GeForce GT 740							Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 645 -650 Ti Boost GeForce GT 740		GK106					Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 660 - 690 GeForce GTX 760 - 770		GK104					Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 760A/M > 880M		GK104					Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 680M/MX > 880M			M				Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 780 - 780 Ti	Kepler (2nd Gen)	GK110	D				Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX Titan / Titan Black							Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX Titan Z				2		2	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 745 - 750 Ti	Maxwell (1st Gen)	GM107		1		1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce 840M / 845M / 940M / 940MX / 945M			M				Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 850A > 960A							Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 850M > 960M							Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce 830A > 945A		GM108			0	0	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce 830M > 945M							Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 920MX - 940MX							Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce MX110 / MX130							Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 750 / 950 - 960	Maxwell (2nd Gen)	GM206	D		1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 965M		GM206	M				Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 910M / 920M / 920A		GM208B					Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 980M / 980MX		GM204					Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 960 Ti / 970 / 980			D				Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 980 Ti		GM200					Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX Titan X							Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce MX150	Pascal	GP108	M		0	0	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce MX230 / MX250 / MX330							Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GT 1030			D		1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1050 / 1050 Ti / MX350		GP107	D/M				Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1050 / 1050 Ti		GP106					Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1060							Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1060		GP104					Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1070M / 1080M		GP104B	M				Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1070 / 1070 Ti / 1080		GP104	D/M				Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1080 Ti		GP102	D				Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX Titan X / Titan Xp							Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Titan V	Volta	GV100					Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1650 / MX450	Turing	TU117	D/M				Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti / 1660 / 1660 Super		TU116					Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
GeForce RTX 2060 / 2070 / 2060 Super		TU106					Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
GeForce RTX 2080 / 2070 Super / 2080 Super		TU104					Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti		TU102	D				Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Titan RTX							Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
A100	Ampere	GA100	S			5	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
GeForce RTX 3050 Ti / RTX 3050		GA107	D/M			1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
GeForce RTX 3060		GA106					Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti / 3070 / 3070 Ti		GA104					Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
GeForce RTX 3080 / 3090		GA102					Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
GeForce RTX 4090	Ada	AD102	D		1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Board	Family	Chip	Desktop/ Mobile/ Server	# Of Chips	# Of NVDEC /Chip	Total # of NVDEC	MPEG-1	MPEG-2	VC-1	VP8	VP9			H.264 (AVCHD)	H.265 (HEVC) 4:2:0			H.265 (HEVC) 4:4:4			AV1 4:2:0
											8 bit	10 bit	12 bit		8 bit	10 bit	12 bit	8 bit	10 bit	12 bit	8 bit	10 bit	12 bit

See also

• AMD Video Core Next, AMD's equivalent SIP core since 2018
• AMD Unified Video Decoder, AMD's equivalent SIP core up to 2017
• Intel Quick Sync Video, Intel's equivalent SIP core
• List of Nvidia graphics processing units
• Qualcomm Hexagon
• Nvidia NVENC

References

1. "Video Decoder". CUDA Toolkit Documentation. Nvidia . Retrieved 2017-11-12.
2. "NVIDIA VIDEO CODEC SDK". NVIDIA Developer. Nvidia. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 2017-11-12.
3. "Nvidia Video Decoder (NVCUVID) Interface" (PDF). Nvidia. November 2015. Retrieved 2017-11-12.
4. "Video Encode and Decode GPU Support Matrix". NVIDIA Developer. Nvidia . Retrieved 2017-11-12.
5. Michael Larabel (27 June 2017). "GStreamer Adds NVDEC NVIDIA GPU Decoding Support". Phoronix .
6. Michael Larabel (11 November 2017). "FFmpeg Lands NVDEC-Accelerated H.264 Decoding". Phoronix .
7. wm4 (28 October 2017). "vd_lavc: add support for nvdec hwaccel". GitHub .
8. "Video Encode and Decode GPU Support Matrix [NEW]". 8 September 2020.

External links

• NVIDIA VIDEO CODEC SDK