Nvidia Launches GeForce GT 1030 Budget GPU
Nvidia is probably better known for its expensive Graphics Processing Units, so it's a bit of a surprise that the company is now coming out with the low-end GeForce GT 1030 graphics card. This refresh of the GT 10 line features the new Pascal design and starts at around $75.
The new card still packs more power than the average integrated graphics system, and it can do the task of running low-spec games aimed at a broad audience like "League of Legends," "DOTA 2," or even "Counter-strike: Global Offensive," according to Gamespot.
This card is not just for gaming, however, as the GeForce GT 1030 can also power simple home theater setups, adding 4K resolution support where built-in video adapters can't.
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Although considered a low-end card, the GeForce GT 1030 comes equipped with 2 GB of Graphics Double Data Rate Type 5 (GDDR5) memory, comparable to some of the more expensive cards in the market today, according to PC Gamer. The Pascal chip in this GPU can be boosted to 1,468 MHz, and it supports true 4K resolution, up to 7,680 by 4,320 pixels at 60 Hertz.
By default, the GeForce GT 1030 can connect via DisplayPort 1.4, High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) 2.0b, and two Digital Video Interface (DVI) ports. The latest card from Nvidia comes with High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) version 2.2 in terms of HDMI support.
The specific ports could change from one manufacturer to another, however.
Starting at $75, the GeForce GT 1030 is being sold by the company as a cheap upgrade from integrated graphics. EVGA has tested their version of the GPU, and their variant of the GeForce GT 1030 performed twice as fast as the Intel integrated video chip on a Core i5-6600 processor.
Models are now coming out from several video card manufacturers this week, including Palit, MSI, EVGA, Gigabyte and Zotac. Each of these manufacturers has their own take of the GeForce GT 1030, and their customizations show up on the price tag. The prices currently range from $70 to as high as $100.
