GT 430 video card: specifications

NVIDIA is known as a supplier of functional and productive video cards. These include the devices of the GeForce line, which belong to the category of the most popular in Russia and in the world. The brand-manufacturer produces video cards under the GeForce brand in various price categories. Among the budget samples is the device GT 430. It is positioned as inexpensive, but at the same time very high-performance. This is a graphics card that supports the latest graphics processing technologies such as DirectX 11. What other features of this device? What is it superior to competitive solutions?

Components of the video card

The first aspect in which we can explore the NVIDIA GeForce GT 430 graphics card is the characteristics of the components that make up its structure. So, first of all, it should be noted that the device operates on the basis of a processor type GF108, functioning on the architecture of Fermi.

In the structure of this component there is a module GPC, responsible for processing graphics. Inside it, in turn, there are two additional processors responsible for working with threads. They also include special components - dispatching blocks. In their structure there are kernels of CUDA type, texture blocks and polymorphic engine. The video card also has two 64-bit memory controllers.

Competitive solutions

It will be useful to examine the position of the video card in the market with respect to competitive solutions. So, one of the analogs of the device is the device GT 240, which was introduced by the brand-manufacturer to the market earlier. As experts note, the features and characteristics of the GT 430 give reason to say that this device is superior to its predecessor. In particular, it has support for the DirectX 11 standard and other technologies that are in demand on the market - first of all in the gaming segment. Such as, for example, the output of high-quality HD-audio, conforming to the standard of Dolby TrueHD. Another significant function in terms of competitiveness, which includes the video card under consideration, is compatibility with DTS-HD Master Audio. The most important option that characterizes the device is the support for video playback in the standard Blu-Ray 3D. Of course, branded technology is also supported from the brand-manufacturer - the company NVIDIA.

If you look at competitors outside the brand line, then the nearest device is likely to be the AMD Radeon HD 5570 device. Despite the fact that it was introduced earlier than the GT 430, it can not be considered obsolete and is noticeably inferior to the product from NVIDIA.

Use in games

A significant aspect of the GT 430 study is the characteristics that allow you to evaluate the device from the point of view of fitness for modern games. The opinions of experts regarding them vary considerably. So, there are specialists who believe that for today's 3D games the card in question is not entirely optimal. Experts argue this point of view by the fact that there are not so many functional blocks in the video card. In addition, experts believe, the memory modules of the CDDR-3 type present in the device are characterized by a rather low bandwidth.

At the same time, there is another point of view regarding fitness for GT 430 games. Characteristics of the frequency of the graphics core - above all, they give the reason for specialists to say that the device, in general, is able to provide basic needs of gamers. In addition, the device, experts believe, has good characteristics of the shader domain.

Equipment

Let's start researching the GT 430 in more detail. An important consumer aspect of any electronic device is its configuration and appearance. It can be noted that the GT 430 graphics card can be produced not only by NVIDIA, but also by other brands under license. So, among the most famous vendors - the Chinese company ZOTAC, one of the key contractors NDIVIA in the production of electronic components.

If, for example, to study the configuration of the GT 430 video card released by this brand from the PRC, its structure will contain: the device itself, the instruction manual, the driver disk, the adapter. Also in the box, the user will find an information brochure and a company sticker from the manufacturer.

Main characteristics

Now we are exploring the key information itself, reflecting the functionality and performance of the GT 430. The characteristics that will be of interest to us can be represented in a fairly wide spectrum. So, you can note the communication capabilities of the device: it has three connectors for connecting to other devices - DVI, DisplayPort, and HDMI in version 1.4. Thus, the video card is compatible with the main modern types of monitors and can display images on them without problems.

Now about the performance of GT 430. The characteristics of the video card in the aspect that we are interested in is first of all the parameters of the sample of the device's RAM. So, in the modification from ZOTAC the corresponding figure is 1.1 ns. RAM, installed in the device, operates at a frequency of 1800 MHz.

The most important characteristic that affects the performance of the video card is the amount of RAM it is equipped with. For the GT 430 device, the corresponding figure is 2 GB. It is more than competitive for the modern market.

Optimum PC configuration

The most important nuance of the practical use of the video card is the capabilities of the computer on which the GeForce GT 430 is installed. Characteristics of the PC - what should they be in terms of using the resources of the video card? Experts recommend putting it on a computer that has:

- processor with a frequency of not less than 4 GHz (a sample from the line of Intel Core i7 will do);

- RAM of at least 4 GB and a frequency of 1890 MHz, such as DDR3;

- Operating system Windows 7, adapted for 64-bit PCs;

- Current drivers from NVIDIA.

Another important aspect of the video card, in which the study of its capabilities will be especially interesting for gamers - overclocking. Let's study it in more detail.

Overclocking Features

The optimal type of software suitable for the solution of the corresponding problem is MSI Afterburner, you can use version 2.0. As we found out to experts, the greatest stability in the video card in overclocking mode is used when dialing frequencies 840 MHz for the core, 1680 MHz for the shader domain, and 2000 MHz for the RAM module installed in the device. It is recommended that you install a quality cooling system on the device.

Temperature indicators

If we are talking about overclocking, it is important that there is no overheating of the video card. Therefore, another important aspect of the NVIDIA GT 430 research is the heat dissipation characteristics. Experts in the course of testing managed to find out that the video card in question has an acceptable level of heating. This is explained by the fact that in it, as we have already noted, not very many functional blocks are installed. The temperature of the card, in particular, is lower than that of its competitor from AMD, which we mentioned above.

Performance in tests

What are the performance indicators that were achieved by specialists in testing the NVIDIA GeForce GT 430? The technical characteristics of the device, as we noted above, allow us to say that the device is not inferior, but in some cases even surpasses its competitors. How much is this thesis confirmed in the tests?

If we talk about the indicators that experts fixed in the popular 3DMark Vantage program, the video card in question turned out to be more productive than, in particular, the device from AMD. At the same time, the device gave way to a competitor from its own brand - GT 240. The reason, according to experts, again in a small number of functional blocks.

However, tests related to the category of synthetic, not always able to give an objective idea of the performance of video cards. In particular, they can not be completely correlated with the real capabilities of devices that they are able to display in games. This can be due to a variety of factors - for example, the compatibility of the video card with specific technologies used by the game manufacturer. Thus, the specialists who conducted the corresponding tests came to the conclusion that when processing graphic elements in 3D games, the video card in question does not practically exceed, and in some cases even is inferior to the competitive solution from AMD.

However, do not forget that the GT 430 has a resource in the form of overclocking. If necessary, you can use it. And then the leader - both in synthetic tests and in games - may again be the GeForce GT 430. The characteristics of the device are of great importance, they objectively predetermine the superiority of the device with respect to competitive solutions in many modes of operation.

Performance with DirectX 11

The most interesting aspect, in which you can consider the GT 430 graphics card - its performance in DirectX 11 mode. What results did the specialists who tested NVIDIA GeForce GT 430 get? Its technical characteristics fully comply with the compatibility criteria with the corresponding standard. However, if we talk about the nearest competitor for the branded line, GT 240, DirectX 11, this device is not supported. Therefore, the experts compared the video card to the product from AMD.

What results in part of the work with DirectX 11 was achieved by specialists in testing the GT 430? The technical characteristics of the device and the product from AMD as a whole are comparable - but what is the ratio of performance indicators of devices in this mode?

Everything depends, as experts have learned, on the intensity of the use of video card resources. If we talk about the so-called heavy modes, then the leaders - NVIDIA GeForce GT 430. Its characteristics, nominally comparable with those of the product from AMD, nevertheless predetermined the superiority.

Another thing is "light" regimes. So, for example, when working at a resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels, the device from NVIDIA is noticeably inferior to devices from AMD. Specialists explain it this way - the video card does not have enough ROPs. They are present only in the number of 4 pieces on the device GeForce GT 430. Technical characteristics for achieving better results in the "light" modes of DirectX, experts believe, should be different.

Summary

What conclusions can we draw by examining the main features of the GT430 device from NVIDIA? First of all, we can note support for modern graphics standards, such as DirectX 11, which provides a video card GT 430. The characteristics of the device in terms of performance of RAM are also generally competitive. The heat dissipation of the device is acceptable. At the same time, what is inferior to many competitors of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 430 is the characteristics in terms of the number of functional units. They are not enough to ensure high performance of the device in a number of modes. The same can be said for components such as ROP.

The video card we are researching has not so many direct competitors. This device belongs to the number of budget decisions. Thanks to its good functionality and an adequate price, it has acquired the status of one of the most popular in Russia. As, however, and many other products from NVIDIA - one of the largest corporations for the production of video cards.