14 DAY TRIAL // Amidst the many new introductions of next-generation graphics solutions, video board makers are, as it sometimes occurs, placed in a position where it is in their best interest to reduce their inventories of previous-generation devices and parts. This could be seen as the reason for Sparkle's launch of the 2GB GT 220 and the 128-bit GT210 cards last month. Now, likely due to this very reason, at least partially, MSI is preparing to launch its own latest version of the GT220, a low-profile part meant for compact cases, such as those used by Home-Theater Personal Computers (HTPCs).
The adapter goes by the name of N220GT-MD1GL/D3 and has a small PCB and a diminutive active cooler tasked with dissipating the meager amount of heat generated. The graphics processing unit operates at 625MHz.
Furthermore, the card features 48 processing cores, a shader frequency of 1,360MHz and 1GB GDDR3 memory. The VRAM itself is clocked at 1,580MHz and operates on an interface of 128 bits. Finally, as output capabilities, the device boasts DVI, D-Sub and HDMI outputs.
Unlike the products from the ATI Radeon HD 5000 series, the MSI N220GT-MD1GL/D3 does support DirectX 11, only DirectX 10.1. Still, considering that the main feature of DirectX 11 is tessellation, which mostly benefits games and has only just started being adopted, this limitation should not have a very high impact on the marketing performance of the product. As such, most, if no all, multimedia files should be handled with no problems by this entry-level so-called newcomer.
Unfortunately, there is no clear indication of when this new HTPC graphics card will show up, although it should be soon, nor is there any info about its price. Still, based on its specs and the previous pricing of GT220 cards in general, the actual tag should be lower than or at most 60 Euro.