MSI N240GT-MD512 OC/D5

INTRODUCTION

As the worlds patiently awaits NVIDIA Fermi which is aimed to challenge the ATI Radeon HD 5870, the graphics giant is not sitting idling. In fact, NVIDIA has been busying updating their existing lineup. NVIDIA has revamped the entire graphics line up to the 200 series.

Although many people may think that NVIDIA simply “recycles” their old cards and rebrand the name, the reality is that the latest line of the 200 series graphic cards actually packs some feature upgrades. The latest GT 240 from NVIDIA is manufactured with the 40nm processing technology that will ensure the card runs cooler than previous generation of cards. Not only that the card runs cooler, it also consumes less power. As a result, the GT 240 draws power directly from the PCI Express slot and does not need any auxiliary power. This is good news for those who wish to upgrade their system without spending extra money on a power supply.

In addition, NVIDIA is finally using GDDR5. While AMD has been using GDDR5 since HD 4000 Series, NVIDIA is slow in adapting the technology until now. The GT 240 also supports native HDMI port with 7.1 audio output.

NVIDIA also upgraded the DirectX to 10.1. Although the industry is moving toward DX11, it is nice to see the upgrade nonetheless.

All of these upgrades make sense because people who are looking for a card to setup their HTPC will not likely going to spend a lot of money for a high-end graphic card and opt for a budget card that fits their need and budget.