GPU Shortage Got You Down? GeForce GT 730 Makes a Comeback

MSI GeForce GT 730
MSI GeForce GT 730 (Image credit: MSI)

The graphics card shortage isn't going to improve in the near future. MSI for its part has resorted to resuscitating a model long forgotten in 2021. The GeForce GT 730 is far from being one of best graphics cards on the market. Nonetheless, the MSI GeForce GT 730 announced today is a viable option for desperate shoppers who want something that's a bit better than integrated graphics or for owners of Intel F-series or Ryzen chips that lack an iGPU.

The MSI GeForce GT 730 (N730K-2GD3H/LPV1) is the 13th installment in MSI's GeForce GT 730 lineup. The vendor listed the graphics card with 384 CUDA cores so this is the Kepler version of the GeForce GT 730. It features a 902 MHz boost clock and 2GB of DDR3 memory operating at 1,600 MHz across a 64-bit memory interface.

The graphics card sports a low-profile design and measures 146mm long, so it'll fit practically inside any PC case. The Kepler graphics card doesn't ask for much either; it's perfectly happy over a single PCIe 2.0 connection. MSI's GT 730 also relies on a big, passive heatsink, so you don't have to worry about noise.

As basic as the MSI GeForce GT 730 may appear, the Kepler graphics card supports up to three displays simultaneously. It comes equipped with one dual-link DVI-D port, one HDMI 1.4 port and one D-sub port. There is support for a maximum resolution of 4096 x 2160, but limited to a 30 Hz refresh rate.

The MSI GeForce GT 730 only sips 23W of power, meaning it draws what it needs from the PCIe expansion slot. MSI does recommend a 300W power supply as a minimum, though.

Nvidia will reportedly stop supporting Kepler graphics cards with the next GeForce R470 drivers. But this may not be a deal breaker, since we doubt anyone is picking up a GeForce GT 730 for gaming anyway.

Custom GeForce GT 730 models start at $77.98 in the U.S. It's sad when even a seven-year-old graphics card is selling for outrageous prices. Alas, that's the current status of the graphics card market, and we'll just have to live with it. 

The MSI GeForce GT 730 is expected to sell for 4,565 yen (~$41.64) with tax included in Japan -- a price we'll probably never see in the U.S.

Zhiye Liu
News Editor and Memory Reviewer

Zhiye Liu is a news editor and memory reviewer at Tom’s Hardware. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.

  • Phaaze88
    Will this avoid the 'No valid DX12 video card found' error?
    Reply
  • macgeek
    Admin said:
    It's 2021, and MSI has released a new GeForce GT 730 Kepler-based graphics card.

    GPU Shortage Got You Down? GeForce GT 730 Makes a Comeback : Read more
    I went from a GT 740 to an RX 5600 XT. The GT 740 is kinda okay, but it's definitely not great. Honestly, integrated graphics, especially AMD's, are better than that these days.
    Reply
  • purple_dragon
    You should not buy a GT 730 if you have a cpu with integrated graphics. It may be slightly better than Intel iGPU but probably worse than AMD iGPU.
    Reply
  • logainofhades
    MSI must have missed the memo, regarding driver support, for Kepler based cards....
    Reply
  • superop
    Are you joking? Why would you post this. Such an old piece of crap video card. Literally 1000% worst than even todays integrated graphics. I hope no one actually buys this. They will be so disapointe.
    Reply
  • excalibur1814
    "disapointe"

    I actually opened an English to French page to check if you'd used French. Nope.
    Reply
  • Giroro
    Remember how, 6 months ago, Nvidia "Launched" a GT 1010.

    Whatever happened to that? It probably would have been a lot better than a GT 730.
    Reply
  • mikewinddale
    superop said:
    Literally 1000% worst than even todays integrated graphics. I hope no one actually buys this.

    As the original article itself notes, not all CPUs come with integrated graphics.
    Reply
  • russell_john
    My only question is:

    How much did MSI pay you for this advertisement?
    Reply
  • jakjawagon
    A quick google suggests that Skylake or newer integrated graphics, or any Ryzen APU, will outperform this. Definitely only for systems without iGPUs.
    Reply