14 DAY TRIAL // As some may or may not know, NVIDIA should release the GeForce GT 430 video board this week, which means that its partners will do the same, and ASUS' own model has, apparently, already been detailed.
NVIDIA has already covered the enthusiast-grade and the mainstream segments, which means it has to just release video boards for the entry-level market.
The board that should show up this week is known as the GeForce GT 430 and, like all of its 400 Series siblings, is powered by the Fermi architecture.
The graphics processing unit, in this case, goes by the name of GF108 and comes, performance-wise, under the GF106, which, in turn, is under the GF104 and GF100.
ASUS's model, according to reports, is dubbed ENGT430/DI/1GD3 (LP) and is designed with a low profile form factor.
The board has 96 CUDA cores, 1 GB of DDR3 VRAM and clock speeds of 700 MHz for the GPU, 1,400 MHz for the shaders and 1,800 MHz for the memory.
The video controller is also designed with a memory interface of 128 bits and with DVI and HDMI outputs, so that it may be compatible with various displays.
Finally, ASUS threw in a so-called dust-proof fan, which should be more than enough to handle whatever heat such a small creature can generate.
As for usability, the low profile form factor is the most telling and makes it more or less clear that the new graphics adapter is, for the most part, meant to become part of Home-Theater Personal Computers.
It should not be long until the hardware maker issues an official announcement and reveals exact pricing and availability details of the ENGT430/DI/1GD3 (LP).
Until then, those interested in buying one will find solace in the thought that said price tag is bound to be of under $100.