Nvidia rolls out GeForce GT 430 DX11 graphics card for $79

If you've been pining for a new Nvidia entry-level graphics card, you've had a long wait since the company introduced the GeForce GT 220. But now that time is at hand, as the green giant has just introduced the GeForce GT 430, the lowest priced Fermi card to date -- $79 for a DirectX11 budget board.

The GT 430 not only provides some DX11 competition to the Radeon 5500 series, but also does something that other Fermi cards don't -- use power sparingly. With a thermal design power (TDP) of just 49W, it's ideal for small-form-factor systems and home theater PCs, and even uses less power than its primary competitor, the Radeon 5550, according to HotHardware.

HotHardware put an Asus version of the GT 430 through its paces, and while it held its own against the 5550, it didn't deliver much more than what you'd expect from a value-priced card. It couldn't top the Radeon 5570, which is similarly priced, and still trails the GeForce GT 240, which is only about $10 more. (Of course, the GT 240 doesn't support DX11 and uses much more power.)

Integrated graphics continue to improve, but a dedicated card, even a $79 one, can help when it comes to video- and image-editing tasks and is still necessary for handling new games at a playable rate (albeit at the lowest settings). Nvidia's back in the game with the GT 430 -- at least until the Radeon HD 6350 emerges.