Nvidia released the GeForce GT 520 last week without any fanfare or marketing. The GT 520 will be the new entry level product and may confuse buyers who also notice the previously released GT 430.

SolidlyStated has done several head-to-head GeForce comparisons, but this time we’ll be keeping things simple. Neither of these are gaming cards, so we don’t need a spec battle or frame rate charts.

You might think that, because 520 is a larger number than 430, that the GT 520 is better. Well, check out the comparison below and you’ll see that it’s more of a toss up.

Geforce 430 vs 520

The number 5 and 4 represent the generation of the card. While the 500 series cards are newer, the GT 430 actually has twice the bandwidth of the GT 520, which may make it more useful for whatever purpose you had in mind. The newer series cards typically utilize new technology, smaller manufacturing methods, and lower power consumption.

They both support DX11 and 3D, have 1GB of DDR3, and run the same price. Here are the differences:

Geforce GT 520

  • 810 MHz core clock * winner
  • 1620 MHz shader clock * winner
  • 1400 MHz memory clock
  • 14.4 GB/s bandwidth
  • 64-bit memory interface
  • 48 CUDA cores
  • max power use- 29 watts * winner

Geforce GT 430

  • 700 MHz core clock
  • 1400 MHz shader clock
  • 1400-1800 MHz memory clock * winner
  • 22.4 – 28.8 GB/s bandwidth * winner
  • 128-bit memory interface * winner
  • 96 CUDA Cores * winner
  • max power use- 49 watts

This choice isn’t one that you should sweat over. If you simply want an entry-level card, go with what’s newest- and that’s the Nvidia GT 520.

While everything else is may even out on paper, the 520 will use 40% less power, putting a little extra coin back in your pocket.