v2.4.1.9
Stock Based Compensation Equity Incentive Plans (Details) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Jan. 25, 2015
Jan. 26, 2014
Jan. 27, 2013
Amended and Restated 2007 Equity Incentive Plan      
Increased number of shares by Amended 2007 Plan 10,000,000nvda_IncreasedNumberOfSharesByAmended2007Plan    
Number of shares may be issued under the Restated 2007 Plan 187,767,766nvda_NumberOfSharesMayBeIssuedUnderRestated2007Plan    
Number of Shares Available for Grant 24,501,781us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant 24,700,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant  
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Period 4 years 0 months 0 days    
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Rights, Percentage 25.00%us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingRightsPercentage    
Quarterly vesting schedule - options 6.25%nvda_Quarterlyvestingscheduleoptions    
Semi-annual vesting schedule - RSUs 12.50%nvda_SemiannualvestingscheduleRSUs    
Options expiration period 10nvda_Optionsexpirationperiod    
1998 and 2012 employee Stock Purchase Plan      
Number Of Shares Authorized Under1998 ESPP     78,000,000nvda_Numberofsharesauthorizedunder1998Employeestockpurchaseplanafterstocksplits
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, 1998 Plan, Prior to the effective date     54,567,667nvda_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesEmployeeStockPurchasePlansPriorToEffctiveDate
Maximum number of shares subject to outstanding purchase rights granted under the 1998 Plan that would have returned to the 1998 Plan     15,000,000nvda_MaximumNumberOfSharesSubjectToOutstandingPurchaseRightsGrantedUnder1998PlanThatWouldHaveReturnedTo1998Plan
Maximum shares available for future offerings under the 1998 Plan as of the effective date of the 2012 Plan     8,432,333nvda_MaximumSharesAvailableForFutureOfferingsUnder1998PlanAsOfEffectiveDateOf2012Plan
Maximum Aggregated Number of Shares under 2012 ESPP     55,432,333nvda_MaximumAggregatedNumberOfSharesUnder2012Espp
Shares issued during period under 1998 Plan   8,819nvda_Sharesissuedduringperiodunder1998Plan 2,687,698nvda_Sharesissuedduringperiodunder1998Plan
Available but reserved shares for future issuance under 1998 Plan     183,000nvda_Availablebutreservedsharesforfutureissuanceunder1998Plan
Shares remaining in the 1998 ESPP moved to the 2012 ESPP   174,181nvda_SharesRemainingIn1998EsppMovedTo2012Espp 12,129,302nvda_SharesRemainingIn1998EsppMovedTo2012Espp
Shares increased under Restated 2012 ESPP 12,500,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNonOptionEquityInstrumentsOther    
Shares purchased under ESPP 6,672,000us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesEmployeeStockPurchasePlans 6,124,000us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesEmployeeStockPurchasePlans 5,463,000us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesEmployeeStockPurchasePlans
Total shares purchased under 2012 ESPP 12,787,748nvda_Totalsharespurchasedunder2012ESPPPlan    
Shares reserved for future issuance under 2012 Plan 52,448,068nvda_Sharesreservedforfutureissuanceunder2012Plan 65,235,816nvda_Sharesreservedforfutureissuanceunder2012Plan  
Offering and purchase period under ESPP 24 months, which is divided into four purchase periods of six months    
Maximum employee subscription rate 10.00%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardMaximumEmployeeSubscriptionRate    
Potential maximum employee subscription rate by BOD approval 15.00%nvda_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardMaximumEmployeeSubscriptionRateBoardOfDirectorApproved    
Purchase price of ESPP, percent 85.00%us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardPurchasePriceOfCommonStockPercent    
Stock Options      
Options, Outstanding, Number 21,345,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingNumber 32,504,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingNumber  
Stock Options granted (in shares) 86,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodGross 6,149,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodGross 7,119,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodGross
Options, Exercises in Period (9,795,000)us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesStockOptionsExercised    
Options, Forfeitures in Period (1,450,000)us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsForfeituresInPeriod    
Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price $ 14.61us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingWeightedAverageExercisePrice $ 14.22us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingWeightedAverageExercisePrice  
Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price $ 18.75us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementsByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageExercisePrice    
Options, Exercises in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price $ 12.64us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementsByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodWeightedAverageExercisePrice    
Options, Forfeitures in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price $ 19.27us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementsByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsForfeituresInPeriodWeightedAverageExercisePrice    
Options, Exercisable, Number 15,120,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisableNumber    
Options, Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price $ 14.70us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisableWeightedAverageExercisePrice    
Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Number 20,356,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsVestedAndExpectedToVestOutstandingNumber    
Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price $ 14.62us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsVestedAndExpectedToVestOutstandingWeightedAverageExercisePrice    
Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term 5 years 10 months 24 days    
Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Exercisable Options, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term 5 years 1 month 5 days    
Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term 5 years 9 months 17 days    
Options, Outstanding, Intrinsic Value $ 130,923,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingIntrinsicValue [1]    
Options, Exercisable, Intrinsic Value 91,434,000us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisableIntrinsicValue1 [1]    
Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Aggregate Intrinsic Value 124,575,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsVestedAndExpectedToVestOutstandingAggregateIntrinsicValue [1]    
Entity Closing Stock Price 20.71nvda_Entityclosingstockprice    
Outstanding Options In Money 21,100,000nvda_Oustandingoptionsinmoney    
Exercisable Options In Money 14,900,000nvda_Exercisableoptionsinmoney    
Minimum number of PSUs issuable 1,300,000nvda_MinimumnumberofPSUsissuable    
Maximum number of PSUs issuable 2,500,000nvda_MaximumnumberofPSUsissuable    
Options, Exercises in Period, Total Intrinsic Value 61,900,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue 14,400,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue 21,100,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue
Total fair value of Options, Vested in Period 32,600,000us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardOptionsVestedInPeriodFairValue1 34,600,000us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardOptionsVestedInPeriodFairValue1 40,300,000us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardOptionsVestedInPeriodFairValue1
RSUs and PSUs      
Retricteds stock units, outstanding, Number 23,275,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNonOptionEquityInstrumentsOutstandingNumber 18,852,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNonOptionEquityInstrumentsOutstandingNumber  
Restricted stock units granted (in shares) 12,912,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod [2] 10,757,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod 8,136,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
Restricted stock units, Vested in Period (7,163,000)us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriod    
Restricted stock units, Forfeited in Period (1,326,000)us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsForfeitedInPeriod    
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value, RSUs, Outstanding $ 15.94nvda_WeightedAverageGrantDateFairValueRSUsOutstanding $ 13.82nvda_WeightedAverageGrantDateFairValueRSUsOutstanding  
Weighted average grant date fair value, RSUs and PSUs, granted $ 17.68us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue $ 13.46us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue $ 13.86us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
Restricted stock units, Vested in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value $ 13.78us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue    
Restricted stock units, Forfeited in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value $ 14.44us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsForfeituresWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue    
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value, RSUs and PSUs, Vested and expected to vest $ 15.96nvda_WeightedAverageGrantDateFairValueRSUsandPSUsVestedandexpectedtovest    
Aggregate Intrinsic value of RSUs vested and expected to vest $ 18,988,000nvda_AggregateIntrinsicValueOfRsusVestedAndExpectedToVest    
Number of Shares Available for Grant 24,501,781us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant 24,700,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant  
[1] The aggregate intrinsic value in the table above represents the total pre-tax intrinsic value for in-the-money options at January 25, 2015, based on the $20.71 closing stock price of our common stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on January 23, 2015, the last trading day of fiscal year 2015, which would have been received by the option holders had all in-the-money option holders exercised their options as of that date. The total number of in-the-money options outstanding and exercisable as of January 25, 2015 was 21.1 million shares and 14.9 million shares, respectively.
[2] Includes the total number of PSUs issuable if the maximum corporate financial performance target level for fiscal year 2015 is achieved. Depending on the actual level of achievement of the corporate performance target at the end of fiscal year 2015, the range of PSUs issued could be from 1.3 million to 2.5 million shares. The PSUs were granted during the first quarter of fiscal year 2015 to our CEO and senior management as approved by our Compensation Committee.