v2.4.1.9
Balance Sheet Components (Details) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Jan. 25, 2015
Jan. 26, 2014
Jan. 27, 2013
Inventories      
Raw Materials $ 156,846,000us-gaap_InventoryRawMaterials $ 126,896,000us-gaap_InventoryRawMaterials  
Work in-process 91,778,000us-gaap_InventoryWorkInProcess 94,844,000us-gaap_InventoryWorkInProcess  
Finished goods 234,269,000us-gaap_InventoryFinishedGoods 166,025,000us-gaap_InventoryFinishedGoods  
Total inventories 482,893,000us-gaap_InventoryNet 387,765,000us-gaap_InventoryNet  
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Depreciation 143,100,000us-gaap_Depreciation 164,000,000us-gaap_Depreciation 157,600,000us-gaap_Depreciation
Accumulated amortization of LHI and capital lease 139,600,000nvda_AccumulatedamortizationofLHIandcapitallease 146,400,000nvda_AccumulatedamortizationofLHIandcapitallease  
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross 1,179,257,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross 1,282,820,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross  
Accumulated Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Property, Plant, and Equipment (621,975,000)us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment (700,080,000)us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment  
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net 557,282,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet 582,740,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet  
Accrued Liabilities      
Deferred revenue 292,735,000us-gaap_DeferredRevenueCurrent 268,808,000us-gaap_DeferredRevenueCurrent  
Customer related liabilities 146,724,000nvda_AccruedCustomerProgramsCurrent [1] 163,945,000nvda_AccruedCustomerProgramsCurrent [1]  
Accrued payroll and related expenses 112,173,000us-gaap_EmployeeRelatedLiabilitiesCurrent 109,721,000us-gaap_EmployeeRelatedLiabilitiesCurrent  
Professional service fees 17,025,000us-gaap_AccruedProfessionalFeesCurrentAndNoncurrent [2] 13,572,000us-gaap_AccruedProfessionalFeesCurrentAndNoncurrent [2]  
Facilities related liabilities 7,603,000nvda_Facilitiesrelatedliabilities 5,216,000nvda_Facilitiesrelatedliabilities  
Warranty accrual 7,523,000us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrualClassifiedCurrent 7,571,000us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrualClassifiedCurrent  
Taxes payable, short term 2,810,000nvda_AccruedTaxesPayable 2,378,000nvda_AccruedTaxesPayable  
Interest Payable, Current 2,542,000us-gaap_InterestPayableCurrent 2,500,000us-gaap_InterestPayableCurrent  
Accrued legal settlement 0nvda_ConditionalSettlementDeterminedForAssetAcquisition [3] 30,600,000nvda_ConditionalSettlementDeterminedForAssetAcquisition [3]  
Other 13,672,000us-gaap_OtherAccruedLiabilitiesCurrent 16,794,000us-gaap_OtherAccruedLiabilitiesCurrent  
Accrued liabilities and other current liabilities 602,807,000us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrent 621,105,000us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrent  
Other Long-term Liabilities      
Deferred income tax liability 232,307,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesNoncurrent 157,953,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesNoncurrent  
Income taxes payable, long term 120,961,000us-gaap_AccruedIncomeTaxesNoncurrent 119,977,000us-gaap_AccruedIncomeTaxesNoncurrent  
Deferred Revenue 107,838,000us-gaap_DeferredRevenueNoncurrent 172,199,000us-gaap_DeferredRevenueNoncurrent  
Asset retirement obligation 7,428,000us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationsNoncurrent 11,056,000us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationsNoncurrent  
Liabilites other noncurrent 20,394,000nvda_LiabilitesOtherNoncurrent 13,940,000nvda_LiabilitesOtherNoncurrent  
Total other long-term liabilities 488,928,000us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesNoncurrent 475,125,000us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesNoncurrent  
Land [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives (A)    
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross 218,496,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LandMember		 [4] 218,496,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LandMember		 [4]  
Building [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives 5-25    
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross 19,268,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_BuildingMember		 19,268,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_BuildingMember		  
Machinery and Equipment [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives 3-5    
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross 397,319,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MachineryAndEquipmentMember		 412,862,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MachineryAndEquipmentMember		  
Computer Software, Intangible Asset [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives 3-5    
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross 112,967,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ComputerSoftwareIntangibleAssetMember		 120,435,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ComputerSoftwareIntangibleAssetMember		  
Leasehold Improvements [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives (B)    
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross 173,691,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LeaseholdImprovementsMember		 [5] 178,884,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LeaseholdImprovementsMember		 [5]  
Computer Equipment [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives 3    
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross 152,733,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ComputerEquipmentMember		 204,344,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ComputerEquipmentMember		  
Furniture and Fixtures [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives 5    
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross 48,692,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FurnitureAndFixturesMember		 58,874,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FurnitureAndFixturesMember		  
Capital Lease Obligations [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives (B)    
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross 28,481,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligationsMember		 [5] 28,481,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligationsMember		 [5]  
Construction in Progress [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives (C)    
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross $ 27,610,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressMember		 [6] $ 41,176,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressMember		 [6]  
[1] This includes primarily accrued customer programs. Please refer to Note 1 of these Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for discussion regarding the nature of accrued customer programs and their accounting treatment related to our revenue recognition policies and estimates.
[2] Please refer to Note 4 and Note 12 of these Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for discussion regarding the 3dfx litigation.
[3] Please refer to Note 10 of these Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for discussion regarding the warranty accrual.
[4] Land is a non-depreciable asset.
[5] Leasehold improvements and capital leases are amortized based on the lesser of either the asset’s estimated useful life or the remaining expected lease term
[6] Construction in process represents assets that are not in service as of the balance sheet date.