NVIDIA GeForce GT 430: Cheap DX11 Graphics
Our Summary and Conclusion
Performance Summary: Now that we have been through all of the data, let's take a moment to digest the numbers. For the most part, the Asus ENGT430 performed about on par with the Radeon HD 5550. Yes, there were a few tests where they traded places, but their scores usually mirrored each other during testing. As we mentioned before, the GeForce GT 430 replaces the GT 220 within NVIDIA's lineup. Although we did not have a GT 220 available for testing, the GT 240 included in the comparison group maintained a marked performance advantage over the GT 430. The GF108 based GeForce GeForce GT 430, however, used the least amount of power. It utilized about 8% less power than the HD 5550, despite offering similar performance.
At $79, the GT 430 steps into a crowded market segment where the competition is surprisingly fierce. In this space, a $20 price difference in either direction translates to considerable performance disparity. The driving factor behind this competition is a growing demand for affordable digital media and casual gaming capable systems, which is market segment NVIDIA states is more twice the size of the PC gaming market, and ultimately affects a much larger user base. Conduct a quick search and you'll see a substantial number of comparable products, like the HD 5550 for $69 and the HD 5570 for $74. Similar to the GT 430, they offer HDMI, DVI, and HDMI outputs, providing several options for digital media playback. NVIDIA's previous generation GT 220 still sells for about $72, but expect that price to drop a bit as more GT 430's infiltrate the market.
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To wrap things up, the new GeForce GT 430, and th e Asus ENGT430 in particular, provides users with a DX11 GPU that can handle HD video, Blu-ray 3D, photo editing, video editing, and low resolution gaming. In other words, those of you looking to upgrade from an integrated graphics solution now have an effective Fermi based option to consider. Our testing reveals that the HD 5570 provides more horsepower for gaming at approximately the same price point. On the other hand, the GT 430 offers lower power consumption, which an enticing advantage considering its target market. But while it remains fairly competitive with Radeon models within its price range, the card did little to separate itself from the pack. With that said, the GeForce GT 430 is still an intriguing upgrade option beyond integrated graphics, and deserves consideration if you happen to be looking for a small, affordable discrete graphics card for an digital media or HTPC.
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