GeForce GT 430: The HTPC Crowd Gets Fermi On A Diet

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After addressing mainstream gamers with the GF106-based GeForce GTS 450, Nvidia is nudging a new GPU into the desktop space, built onto a card seemingly tailor-made for HTPCs. Does the new $79 GeForce GT 430 taste great, or is it just less filling?

Test Setup And Benchmarks

The cards we chose for comparison can all be found within $5 of the GeForce GT 430’s MSRP of $79, including the GeForce GT 220 DDR3, the GeForce GT 240 GDDR5, the Radeon HD 5570 DDR3, and the Radeon HD 5670 GDDR5.

To better represent a level playing field (and to address some of the concerns we've seen in the comments section), all of these cards have been set to reference clock rates for testing.

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Test System
MotherboardAsus M4A785TD-V EVO Socket AM3, AMD 785G, BIOS 0410
ProcessorPhenom II X4 970 3.5 GHz, Quad-Core, 6 MB L3 CacheOverclocked to 4.0 GHz
CPU CoolerCooler Master Hyper TX3
MemoryCrucial DDR3-1333 Dual-Channel 2 x 2048 MB, 669 MHz, CAS 9-9-9-24-1T
GraphicsGigabyte GV-N220OC-1GI (GeForce GT 220) 1 GB DDR3, 720/1566 MHz GPU/Shaders, 800 MHz MemoryAsus ENGT430 (GeForce GT 430) 1 GB DDR3, 700/1400 MHz GPU/Shaders, 800 MHz MemoryGigabyte GV-N240D5-512I (GeForce GT 240) 512 MB GDDR5, 550/1340 MHz GPU/Shaders, 850  MHz MemoryRadeon HD 5570 Reference 1 GB DDR3, 650 MHz GPU, 900 MHz MemoryRadeon HD 5670 Reference 512 MB GDDR5, 775 MHz GPU, 1000 MHz Memory***all clock rates set to reference specifications for the purposes of benchmarking***
Hard DriveWestern Digital Caviar Black 1000 MB 7200 RPM, 32 MB Cache SATA 3Gb/s
Software and Drivers
Operating SystemMicrosoft Windows 7 x64
DirectX VersionDirectX 11
Graphics DriversAMD Catalyst 10.9, GeForce 260.77 beta (GeForce GT 430), GeForce 258.96 (all others)
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Benchmark Configuration
3D Games
CrysisPatch 1.2.1, DirectX 10, 64-bit executable, benchmark tool General Benchmarks: Low Quality, Textures, Shadows, Physics, Shaders, Water, and Sound to MediumAnti-aliasing Benchmarks: Low Quality, Textures, Physics, Water, and Sound to Medium, Shaders to High
Just Cause 2Version 1.0.0.2, in-game benchmark,Low Settings, Shadows and Water to Medium, No AA, 2x AF
Aliens vs PredatorBenchmark Tool, Medium Settings, SSAO Off, Dx11 tesselation and shadow sampling off, no AA, 8x AF
StarCraft IIVersion 1.1.1, Custom Tom's Hardware BenchmarkHigh Quality Preset, No AA
DiRT 2In-game benchmarkDirectX 11, High Quality Preset, No AA
Synthetic
3DMark VantageVersion: 1.01, Total System score
Don Woligroski
Contributor

Don Woligroski was a former senior hardware editor for Tom's Hardware. He has covered a wide range of PC hardware topics, including CPUs, GPUs, system building, and emerging technologies.

71 Comments Comment from the forums
  • nforce4max
    Just as I thought it is slower than a GT240.
    Reply
  • fausto
    Anybody use HTPC state side with a satallite/cable provider? cable card? are you able to decode OnDemand and Premium Channels in the United States?

    Because it seems like HTPC's primary options are services like Hulu and Netflix.
    Reply
  • cknobman
    Not impressed.....at all.

    Its not like Nvidia was racing AMD to the market here so I fail to see why they insist on pushing out a product that is not priced competitively.

    Heck Nvidia's new product isnt even priced appropriately against their last generation cards much less AMDs year old offerings.
    Reply
  • christiangordon
    faustoAnybody use HTPC state side with a satallite/cable provider? cable card? are you able to decode OnDemand and Premium Channels in the United States?Because it seems like HTPC's primary options are services like Hulu and Netflix.
    I have used the HTPC cards and they don't work with Sat/ATT companies for OnDemand. They are basically good for 720p 1080p formats
    Reply
  • tmk221
    imho it's not worth anything close to 79$
    Reply
  • rolli59
    Slots in next to HD5570 low profile for small form factor cases with limited size PSU!
    Reply
  • neilnh
    faustoAnybody use HTPC state side with a satallite/cable provider? cable card? are you able to decode OnDemand and Premium Channels in the United States?Because it seems like HTPC's primary options are services like Hulu and Netflix.
    I use my HTPC for OTA HD networks (Fox, ABC, NBC, etc), Hulu, ESPN3, Blu-ray, and DVD-rips. I get HD on most of the shows I watch, and Hulu doesn't look bad for the others. There are very few gaps, but some would care a lot about them... HBO, NFL network, ESPN content that isn't available on ESPN3. Overall though, no monthly fee for all my TV with HD DVR... I like it. Some people use cable cards, but my whole reason for going the HTPC route was to save money, not pay more.
    Reply
  • rohitbaran
    Priced pretty high for its performance.
    Reply
  • ikefu
    The only reason for this card is if you actually watch 3D Bluray, for anything else the 5670 seems way better.

    I have a 55" 3d TV but hate the glasses so much I can't ever see myself using 3D playback. I'd go for 5670 just for the occasional gaming session.
    Reply
  • Onus
    This just shows how good the HD5670 is. And, with GDDR5 versions of the HD5570 available, there's just no reason for this card at this price. Pass.
    Reply