Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	6 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Jul. 29, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP, for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, Regulation S-X. The January 28, 2018 consolidated balance sheet was derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 28, 2018, as filed with the SEC, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments except as otherwise noted, considered necessary for a fair statement of results of operations and financial position have been included. The results for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for any future period. The following information should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 28, 2018.
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition We derive our revenue from product sales, including hardware and systems, license and development arrangements, and software licensing. We determine revenue recognition through the following steps: (1) identification of the contract with a customer; (2) identification of the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determination of the transaction price; (4) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (5) recognition of revenue when, or as, we satisfy a performance obligation. Product Sales Revenue Revenue from product sales is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for those products. Revenue is recognized net of allowances for returns, customer programs and any taxes collected from customers. For products sold with a right of return, we record a reduction to revenue by establishing a sales return allowance for estimated product returns at the time revenue is recognized, based primarily on historical return rates. However, if product returns for a fiscal period are anticipated to exceed historical return rates, we may determine that additional sales return allowances are required to properly reflect our estimated exposure for product returns. Our customer programs involve rebates, which are designed to serve as sales incentives to resellers of our products in various target markets, and marketing development funds, or MDFs, which represent monies paid to our partners that are earmarked for market segment development and are designed to support our partners’ activities while also promoting NVIDIA products. We account for customer programs as a reduction to revenue and accrue for potential rebates and MDFs based on the amount we expect to be claimed by customers. License and Development Arrangements Our license and development arrangements with customers typically require significant customization of our intellectual property components. As a result, we recognize the revenue from the license and the revenue from the development services as a single performance obligation over the period in which the development services are performed. We measure progress to completion based on actual cost incurred to date as a percentage of the estimated total cost required to complete each project. If a loss on an arrangement becomes probable during a period, we record a provision for such loss in that period. Software Licensing Our software licenses provide our customers with a right to use the software when it is made available to the customer. Customers may purchase either perpetual licenses or subscriptions to licenses, which differ mainly in the duration over which the customer benefits from the software. Software licenses are frequently sold along with post contract customer support, or PCS. For such arrangements, we allocate revenue to the software license and PCS on a relative standalone selling price basis by maximizing the use of observable inputs to determine the standalone selling price for each performance obligation. Revenue from software licenses is recognized up front when the software is made available to the customer. PCS revenue is recognized ratably over the service period, or as services are performed.
Fiscal Year	Fiscal Year We operate on a 52- or 53-week year, ending on the last Sunday in January. Fiscal years 2019 and 2018 are both 52-week years. The second quarters of fiscal years 2019 and 2018 were both 13-week quarters.
Reclassifications	Reclassifications Certain prior fiscal year balances have been reclassified to conform to the current fiscal year presentation.
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation Our condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of NVIDIA Corporation and our wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ materially from our estimates. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to revenue recognition, cash equivalents and marketable securities, accounts receivable, inventories, income taxes, goodwill, stock-based compensation, litigation, investigation and settlement costs, restructuring and other charges, and other contingencies. These estimates are based on historical facts and various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable.
Adoption of New and Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements	Adoption of New and Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements The Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued an accounting standards update that creates a single source of revenue guidance under U.S. GAAP for all companies, in all industries. We adopted this guidance on January 29, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach. Refer to Note 2 of these Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information. In January 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to amend certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. We are now required to recognize changes in the fair value of our equity investments through net income rather than other comprehensive income. We adopted this guidance in the first quarter of fiscal year 2019 and applied it prospectively. The adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. Recent Accounting Pronouncement Not Yet Adopted In February 2016 and July 2018, the FASB issued accounting standards updates regarding the accounting for leases by which we will begin recognizing lease assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for lease terms of more than 12 months. The FASB also recently provided a practical expedient transition method to adopt the new lease accounting requirements. We are evaluating the impact of adopting the new lease accounting standards on our consolidated financial statements, systems and processes in conjunction with our review of lease agreements. The updates will be effective for us beginning in the first quarter of fiscal year 2020. We expect the adoption of this accounting guidance to result in an increase in lease assets and a corresponding increase in lease liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.