Nvidia is reportedly preparing the entry level GTX 1630

(Image credit: Nvidia)

Nvidia is reportedly preparing a new entry level GPU, the GTX 1630. It would be the first new entry level graphics card that Nvidia has released since the launch of the GTX 1650 Super back in late 2019, which was itself a refresh of the GTX 1650.

The rumor comes via Videocardz. According to its sources, the GTX 1630 will replace the GTX 1050 Ti. Incredibly, the 1050 Ti is approaching six years old, yet is still sold in various worldwide markets. It goes to show just how much Nvidia has neglected the entry level market. It's is a little surprising seeing as Nvidia doesn’t offer integrated graphics solutions for desktops.

AMD competes with its RX 6500 XT and RX 6400 models. While their gaming performance is reasonable, they are hamstrung by some poor design choices, including a PCIe x4 connection, dual video outputs and a lack of AV1 decode support.

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Even if the gaming performance of the GTX 1630 is weaker than that of the AMD cards, if it can include an up to date video engine, triple display support and an 8x PCIe connection while not requiring external power, I believe that the GTX 1630 could be a very successful card for Nvidia. It covers a wide range of customers giving the likes of casual gamers to HTPC and workstation users something they're set to like.

The market hasn’t yet recovered from the effects of the pandemic, component shortages and the impact of mining demand. Since Nvidia is surely selling every higher margin chip it can get out of its suppliers, why would it use its limited wafer allocation on low margin GPUs? Times are changing though, and as slow as that change is, Nvidia likely sees an opportunity to reassert itself in the entry level marketplace now that things are slowly returning to normal.

Currently, there’s no word on availability or pricing, but given the GTX 1650 sells for around $200 (£185, AU$299), obviously we can expect the GTX 1630 to come in under this.

Chris' gaming experiences go back to the mid-nineties when he conned his parents into buying an 'educational PC' that was conveniently overpowered to play Doom and Tie Fighter. He developed a love of extreme overclocking that destroyed his savings despite the cheaper hardware on offer via his job at a PC store. To afford more LN2 he began moonlighting as a reviewer for VR-Zone before jumping the fence to work for MSI Australia. Since then, he's gone back to journalism, enthusiastically reviewing the latest and greatest components for PC & Tech Authority, PC Powerplay and currently Australian Personal Computer magazine and PC Gamer. Chris still puts far too many hours into Borderlands 3, always striving to become a more efficient killer.