GeForce GT 430 1024MB gets tested
NVIDIA today is filling up the lower segment of their DX11 class products as they are releasing the GeForce GT 430. It's the segment that is not necessarily focused at gamers, but generic PC users who work on their Desktop PC, but also Digital Media and HTPC users, as this segment offers a lot of value for money when it comes to managing high-definition content.
Boards like the one shown today will hit the shelves with a price tag under 100 bucks and while we had hoped it would be pitted against the ever-lasting GeForce GTS 250 graphics card, which was a 55nm G92b graphics product, we can immediately state that it's not faster, but in fact a good chunk slower. The GT 430 will be replacing the GeForce GT 220 with an average 1.5x performance of that card. These GPUs are primarily sold through distribution to system integrators.
When we look at the direct competition we feel that the GeForce GT 430 should compete with the Radeon HD 5570 and 5670.
The GeForce GT 430 is obviously based on Fermi architecture with an entry-level GF108 GPU which clocks in at 700MHz. This little GPU has only 96 shader processors on-board which are clocked at 1.4GHz. Paired with these products will be 1GB of GDDR3 memory, which operates at 900MHz (1800 MHz effective data rate) over a 128-bit memory interface.
The card itself is PCI Express 2.0 x16 and comes with a nice diversity of monitor connectors. As stated, the product is going to cost well under the 100 USD/EUR mark, we expect roughly 70 EUR / 90 USD once prices settle.
What we find interesting is how long the budget products will last, as with upcoming APU architectures from AMD and Intel's Sandy Bridge, the bar in the low end segment may need to be raised.
Today we'll be looking at an offering from the guys at Point of View, let's have a peek at their GeForce GT 430, and then head on over to the next page please.
Meet the GeForce GT 430 aka GF108
So, the card as stated is built around the new GF108 and comes with 96 shader processors which are clocked at 1400 MHz, this means in a 1:2 configuration that the core frequency of this product is 700 MHz. Tied to the GPU is a frame buffer of 1024MB, it's 128-bit gDDR3 and clocked at 900 MHz, which in gDDR3 terms boils down to an 1800 MHz effective data rate.
The GeForce GT 430 ships with 16 texture units. The memory subsystem of the GeForce GT 430 consists of two 64-bit memory controllers (128-bit). TDP then, the card consumes 49 Watts, which isn't a lot really. You'll spot that most designs are single slot with an exception here and there and though this is board-partner dependant, you can expect a DVI, VGA and HDMI monitor connector on each reference based graphics card.
With this card you can play games reasonably up-to a monitor resolution of 1280x1024 we think. Even then you'll run into scenarios where you'll have to forfeit on AA and image quality settings as games get more demanding with each release we see. Looking a bit wider, this would make a nice laptop GPU really.
But gaming on a tight budget, sure... it's possible. We do feel the card will make an excellent HTPC card, you have the latest video processor embedded into the GPU allowing acceleration, decoding and post processing of your high-definition content. The 96 shader processors (with the right software) can be utilized for more extravagant functions like complex image sharpening and such. NVIDIA's video processor really is pretty snazzy and also allows you to watch 3D movies (blu-ray) at home.
GeForce GT 430, and the entire 400 series, supports 3D output to any compatible large screen television through HDMI 1.4 at bitrates up to 65Mbps. GeForce GT 430 supports high definition 24-bit multi-channel audio up to 192 KHz, and lossless DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD audio bitstreaming.
So we'll be starting with a quick product overview with the help of the photo gallery, after which we'll tackle the rest of the information. Seeing is believing, here we go.
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