The graphics accelerator model GeForce 7300 GS belonged to the manufacturer of a line of budget solutions. The performance of these adapters was sufficient to launch most of the toys in 2008. But since then, there have been many changes in the world of computer technology. Accordingly, this graphic device managed to become very outdated during this time interval. It is to his specifications and performance that this review is dedicated. In addition to this, a simple algorithm will be presented on how to find out how a video card is installed on a computer.
Manufacturer Positioning
This model of a graphics accelerator had a performance level greater than integrated graphics cards. But at the same time, its performance was lower than that of mid-range accelerators. Her cost was appropriate. Therefore, owners of stationary computers with such an accelerator could well count on the fact that computers will allow you to run most games with low quality output images. But for something more, the capabilities of this PC will not be enough.
Equipment
The GeForce 7300 GS delivery list included the following main components:
- Discrete graphics accelerator.
- Warranty card, the validity of which was one year from the date of purchase.
- User guide. Moreover, in multilingual performance.
- A disk with drivers and other related software.
In this case, the equipment was sufficient and allowed to install in a computer and start using such a video adapter.
Key Features
The characteristics of the GeForce 7300 GS indicate that the G72 microprocessor is at the heart of this discrete graphics accelerator. This chip was manufactured to 90nm tolerance standards. On its semiconductor base there were 112 million surface transistor components. The frequency of the graphics core was 550 MHz. This adapter had 4 pixel pipelines. It has the same number of TMU modules. But the number of vertex modules has been reduced to 3 pieces.
Memory subsystem
By the standards of 2008, RAM was quite well organized in the GeForce 7300 GS. The size of the video buffer nominally for this adapter should be 256 MB. But there were also solutions that had a reduced to 128 MB RAM size. The cost of the latest devices was significantly lower, as well as the level of performance.
Also, the memory chips of this accelerator could be either DDR3 or DDR2. The frequency in the first case was significantly higher and could be 800 MHz. But the chips of the DDR2 standard worked at 667 MHz, and this moment significantly reduced the performance of the graphics subsystem of a personal computer. The width of the bus for switching the RAM chips with the GPU in both cases was 64 bits. When using DDR3 format chips, the memory bandwidth of the graphics accelerator was 6.5 Gb / s. If the video card was equipped with DDR2 chips, then the latter value was reduced to 5.4 Gb / s.
As noted earlier, the memory subsystem of this accelerator looked pretty good by the standards of 2008. Today, even the most economical integrated graphics cards have more advanced options. Therefore, their performance is much better. Accordingly, with the processing of modern software this accelerator may have problems for the reason that this modification of the accelerator has insufficient bandwidth of the memory subsystem.
Communications
A very good set of connection methods was equipped with the GeForce 7300 GS graphics accelerator. A review of its characteristics indicated that this accelerator could be installed both in the outdated AGP connector on the system board and in the newer PCI-E. In the latter case, the version of the expansion slot should be 16X.
To display the same graphic information, this adapter was equipped with two ports. One of them is VGA. In this case, the information on the monitor came in analog format, the picture quality was very mediocre. The second communication port, which was an alternative to VGA, is DVI. This interface transmitted information in digital format, the picture quality when using it was an order of magnitude better.
Performance
This accelerator showed very low results in various tests. Of course, some manufacturers offered “forced” versions of such an adapter. For example, the MSI GeForce 7300 GS had initially high frequencies. But in reality, such a manipulation did not significantly increase the speed of the graphics subsystem. Real growth in most cases did not exceed 3-5 percent.
The computer device considered in this review in the test package PCMark'06 scored 1822 points. An older model with the marking 7600 GS in this case could already give out 2250 points. The real difference was 422 points. That is 19 percent. Therefore, for gaming systems, it was highly recommended to purchase an older model.
In the game F. E. A. R. the hero of this article gave out fps at the level of 28-38, these values are at the minimum acceptable level. But the 7600 GS, in turn, is capable of delivering already 34-45fps. The latest values provide a comfortable level of gameplay.
Accelerator Model Definition
Now we will figure out how to find out how the video card is on the computer. For these purposes, it is recommended to use specialized software, for example, the GPU-Z utility. This software is free, it can be easily found on the expanses of the World Wide Web and downloaded from relevant thematic resources. Then this small program is installed on a personal computer. The next step is to restart the computer. After this manipulation, all changes made during the installation process will finally take effect. Next, run the program and go to its main tab. On it, detailed information regarding the specifications and models of the graphic accelerator in discrete execution will be displayed.
Setting procedure
The setup procedure for this video accelerator is as follows:
- Dismantle the side panels of the system unit housing. Moreover, the latter should only be in the off state.
- Next, we find the PCI slot - E rev 16X or AGP on the system board. It all depends on the connector of the accelerator. If it is equipped with the first type of connection method, then we use PCI - E rev 16X. Otherwise, we use an outdated connector to connect. You must also consider the compatibility of the system board and video card.
- We connect the monitor to any output of the accelerator.
- The next important step is to turn on the computer.
- Then we install all the necessary drivers and adjust the parameters of the image displayed on the monitor screen.
Reviews
The GeForce 7300 GS reviews are focusing on slow performance. This is a key drawback of this accelerator at the time of its release. Now this list has been supplemented by an outdated element base. That is, this adapter is completely outdated and in performance significantly loses even to the current integrated video cards.
The advantages of this solution include reliability. Many such solutions are still used today. Also, the cost of the adapters was quite affordable. Also, the low level of energy consumption allowed them to use not coolers in conjunction, but ordinary aluminum radiators. Due to this, the noise level of the computer system unit was reduced.
Conclusion
This review was dedicated to the technical specifications of the GeForce 7300 GS. At the time of release, this accelerator was a typical entry-level solution. Now it is completely outdated and has lost its relevance. But at the same time, it can often be found as part of old system units.