A discrete budget-class graphics accelerator with very, very modest characteristics and a very affordable price is the NVidia GeForce 210. The characteristics of this product are completely outdated today, and it is only suitable for solving the simplest tasks: watching videos and pictures, surfing the web and work in office applications. Well, "Photoshop" or demanding toys on it certainly will not even start. It is this graphic solution that will be considered in detail later.
Task list
In 2009, the accelerator NVidia GeForce 210 was introduced . Its characteristics were very modest and allowed to solve only simple tasks. Most often, such accelerators could be found as part of entry-level multimedia stations. Now this niche is fully reserved for integrated video cards, which currently have either a comparable level of performance or even higher.
They also have another important advantage over discrete entry-level adapters: they are included by default in the computer system and there is no need to purchase them additionally. Therefore, the video card considered in this material can only be considered as an inexpensive repair kit in the event of a breakdown of the used video subsystem.
Technical specifications
Using 40nm technology, an NVidia GeForce 210 silicon crystal was produced. Its characteristics indicate the presence of 260 million units. The core operating frequency is fixed at 589 MHz. The total number of CUDA shader processing units is 16, and their frequency is 1402 MHz. There are 8 TMU modules per conveyor. But the ROP blocks in this case are only 4. At the software level, there is support for Direct X version 10.1. The adapter itself is designed to be installed in the PCI-E 16X system board version 2.0.
RAM and its controller. Specifications
Only DDR2 chips can be used with the graphics chip that underlies this graphics adapter. In turn, the amount of RAM can be either 512 MB or 1 GB. The bus of this volatile memory has a capacity of 64 bits. And the frequency of the RAM chips in this case is 1000 MHz.
Thermal performance
The highest permissible temperature value is set at 105 0 for the NVidia GeForce GT 210. The characteristics of its semiconductor chip indicate that it has a thermal package at 30.5 watts. With such parameters, this accelerator can do even with a passive cooling system. But some video card manufacturers go further and equip the GT 210 with active cooling. In the first case, the PC noise level is lower, and in the second, there is the possibility of more overclocking of the video subsystem. The minimum value for the power of the computer’s power supply system (that is, the power supply) in this case is set to 300 watts.
Competing Products
HD Graphics line adapters on Intel and Radeon R5 - Radeon R7 processors on AMD AMD chips are direct competitors of NVidia GeForce 210. The technical characteristics of these products are very similar, but the inclusion of a video card in the CPU allows integrated solutions to prevail over discrete entry-level accelerators due to the fact that for them there is no need to pay extra. Therefore, purely from an economic point of view, the hero of this review loses both HD Graphics and Radeon R5 - Radeon R7. It is possible to justify the use of such a discrete graphics subsystem as part of a multimedia station only when the integrated video card for some reason does not work.
Cost to date. Reviews
NVidia GeForce 210 is currently priced at 1,500-1800 rubles. The specifications and reviews additionally indicate that they have very modest requests and it is completely unjustified to purchase such a product at a higher cost. Also, both experts and owners highlight the excellent energy efficiency of such a video card, as well as the low noise level during its operation. But the minimal speed is its main drawback and leaves no chance in comparison with integrated graphics solutions.
Summary
An absolutely irrelevant graphic product today is the NVidia GeForce 210. Its characteristics are comparable to integrated video adapters. But with direct comparison, the hero of this review is much inferior to its competitors. Therefore, it is possible to consider buying it only in case of a breakdown of the existing video subsystem.