Ranking the best small form factor SFF graphics cards for 2022

A large number of screens and their high resolution have a strong impact on the operation of video cards in a computer or phone. But often this small part of the device needs to be replaced due to a malfunction or lack of power for a comfortable pastime while gaming, creating digital images or at work.

It is difficult for a consumer to choose the right graphics card among new products and billions of old models. To make it easier to identify the right device, below is an overview of the best small form factor SFF graphics cards for 2022, detailing the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Criterias of choice

The criteria for choosing a graphics accelerator are made up of performance, size, power consumption, noiselessness, cooling system and PCI. To freely navigate the characteristics of this type of product, you need to know at least about each of the listed items.

Performance

Performance is affected by:

• Clock frequency - the power indicator directly depends on the number of frames per second taken, and on the clock frequency of the graphics core. The higher it is, the higher the performance and power of the GPU. It is measured in megahertz (MHz).
• Process technology - the process technology, which is the size of transistors, affects the operation of the processor - the smaller it is, the more transistors will fit on the chip. Process measurement value - nanometers (Nm);
• Memory bus width - the amount of information that the device processes per minute depends on the width of the memory bus, so this is the main parameter when choosing a graphics card.

The size

The advantage of low-profile cards is their small dimensions, but even in the case of such small electronic devices, you need to be clear about the number of expansion slots. If the motherboard has only one slot, and the card is designed for two, then you will have to go back to the electronics department and return the recently made purchase.

Energy consumption

Power consumption is the amount of electricity that the card needs to function properly. When there is not enough power, power supplies are connected.

The heating

TDP is the amount of thermal energy that needs to be dissipated to avoid overheating the graphics card.The lower the indicator, the better, since the likelihood that the computer will “burn” at hand directly depends on this item.

Noise level

Noiselessness is the main criterion when choosing a video adapter. Ideal if the latter does not make sounds during operation or cooling.

Cooling system

There are two types of cooling - active and passive. The active type is the removal of heat by blowing fans, and the passive type is natural convection, that is, due to the natural cooling of the environment.

Maintainability

Each device should have such a characteristic, since thanks to it you can give it for repair, and not go for a new one. Significantly saves the budget for those who do not understand electronics, and enables professionals in this field to repair part of a computer or phone.

PCI-E

PCI-E or PCI Express is a computer bus based on the PCI bus program and a high-performance serial-oriented physical protocol. It has several formats - x1, x2, x4, x8, x12, x16 and x32.

Tips

Power Supply

It must be coordinated with the characteristics of the case. In addition, the block must have connectors named 6-pin or 8-pin. They are necessary in order to connect the video card.

Purpose

Despite the external similarity of all the cards that process data to display those on the screen, they all have different functionality - some are designed for the office, others for gaming, and still others for working on creating digital images. Before purchasing, you should clearly define the purpose for which the graphics accelerator will be used.

Rating of video cards of the SFF format

Budget

MSI GeForce GT 710 Silent LP

Micro-Star International, also known as MSI, is one of the leading manufacturers of computer equipment. It was founded in Taiwan in 1986 and has been supplying the market with quality products that the whole world knows about for 35 years. To a greater extent, the company specializes in selling its products to other manufacturers in the form of separate parts for the PC. In addition, MSI sponsors many esports teams around the world, which proves the quality of the brand.

GeForce is part of Nvidia, a company specializing in systems-on-a-chip and graphics processing units. In the GeForce 700 Series, the MSI GeForce GT 710 Silent LP was released. The latter occupies a special place among popular models due to its affordable price and good performance.

The technical process of the mini-video card is 28 nanometers, the available connectors are DVI-D, support for HDCP, HDMI, VGA, and the type of slot that exchanges information with the motherboard is PCI-E 16x 2.0. As for the memory, its frequency reaches 16,000 MHz, the volume is 2048 MB, and the bus width is 64 bits.

The design of the cooling system is custom, that is, the design is made to order. The model has special ports for connection. Support for such standards as - DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5.
MSI GeForce GT 710 Silent LP can be purchased in electronics stores both in person and through the online store.
The cost of such an acquisition will cost - from 1,500 to 3,400 rubles.

• Noiselessness;
• Compactness;
• Minimum power consumption;
• Reliability;
• High quality graphics;
• Ability to connect 2 monitors.

• Not suitable for mini-iTX case;
• Overheats.

INNO3D GeForce GT 730 2GB LP (N730-3SDV-E5BX)

Hong Kong-based InnoVISION Multimedia Limited, also known as INNO3D, is another leading manufacturer of hardware for computers and graphics tablets. He began work at the end of the 20th century - in 1998 - and during this time he managed to expand the audience not only at home, but also outside of Asia. Like Zotac, it is owned by PC Partner.

The inexpensive model uses the developments of the GeForce brand, which is part of the American technology company Nvidia.

The manufacturing process of this device is 28 Nm, the available connectors are DVI-D, HDCP, HDMI, VGA, the slot type is PCI-E 16x 2.0. The memory type is GDDR3, its frequency is 1800 MHz, the volume is 2048 MB, and the bus width is 64 bits.

Has special ports for connection. Support for standards such as DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.4. Custom designed cooling system. The printed circuit board is shortened and finished in black.

Due to the popularity of the model, it can be easily found in any electronic goods store, however, those with limited time. Find INNO3D GeForce GT 730 2GB LP in online catalogs.

Price - 4,000 rubles.

• Warranty - 2 years;
• Active cooling system;
• Connecting 2 monitors;
• Reliability;
• Small size;
• Noiselessness;
• Does not heat up.

• Takes up 2 slots.

Average price

MSI GeForce GT 1030 AERO ITX OC

MSI's product uses the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 video adapter. It uses the GP108 core, which has become the smallest Pascal-based processor. This development became a competitor for the AMD Radeon RX 550 in 2017.Its architecture allows fast data transfer by compressing color parameters.

The small size of the card allows it to be used on the smallest computers, but it is considered an entry-level device. CUBA is used as software, which is considered to be cross-platform, that is, the ability to work with several operating systems, for example, Windows, Linux and macOS.

The process technology is 14 Nm, which is an indicator of good performance. Connectors such as HDCP, HDMI, VGA are used. The memory type is GDDR4, its frequency is 2100 MHz, the volume is 2048 MB, and the bus width is 64 bits.

A copy of the small format video card can be ordered online or found in a hardware store.

The cost of the MSI GeForce GT 1030 AERO ITX OC is up to 6,300 rubles.

• Suitable for office computers;
• Takes up little space;
• High speed;
• Pascal architecture;
• Acceptable price;
• No noise;
• High-quality cooling;
• Low power consumption.

• Unable to regulate cooling;
• Not suitable for modern games.

Palit GeForce GT 1030 2GB (NE5103000646-1080F)

Palit Microsystems Ltd is a Chinese manufacturer of graphics display adapters. Founded in 1988 in Taipei, where it is located to this day. The basis for production is the ISO 9001 standard, which was released in 1984 and was revised 4 more times in subsequent years. Therefore, the poor quality of video adapters from this company until 2015 can be explained. Moreover, in 2020, ISO 9001 was again amended, thanks to which defective products ceased to enter the market.

According to consumer feedback, previously unusable Palit products often hit the shelves and, thereby, significantly hit the company's image. Now it undergoes rigorous quality testing and certification for perfect compatibility with the Windows operating system. For this reason, goods are produced significantly less than in previous years.

In the Palit GeForce GT 1030, the processor runs on a good quality manufacturing process - only 14 Nm. The version of firmware that provides realistic effects of shine, blur and deformation of objects reaches version 5.0, and the degree of anisotropic filtering is 16x. With the help of the latter, the quality of surface textures is improved.

It has a custom system design, one fan and 30 watts of thermal power.

There are still many defective models in Russia, so you should pay attention to the production date - it should not be earlier than 2020. You can also buy the Palit GeForce GT 1030 over the Internet, but in this case, the likelihood of receiving a lower quality product will increase.

The average price of the device is 7,000 rubles.

• Lots of memory
• Power at height;
• Small;
• Light;
• No noise;
• Low power consumption;
• There is cooling with a radiator.

• Small acceleration;
• No low profile bar.

ASUS Radeon R7 240

ASUSTeK Computer Inc - originates in Asia. The company, founded in 1989 in Taiwan, specializes in electronic devices and their spare parts. It is considered one of the best manufacturers, because it produces more quality motherboards than any other company. Its graphics accelerators are also at a high level.

Radeon is a brand of graphics processors from Radeon Technologies and is considered part of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). AMD is the company that managed to create the world's first graphics card for computers.

The model itself, shown in the photo, has a high speed, which is indicated by the bit width of the video card bus - 128 bits. If it is lit about bus interfaces, then it is represented here - PCI-E, which is an interface. Which maintains a high speed and frequency of the bus, regardless of the number of connected devices.

Ideal for office computers.

Asus has production units in many countries of the world, so there will be no problems finding a mini video card of this model.

You will have to pay about 6-7,000 rubles for the purchase.

• Custom design of the cooling system;
• Compact placement;
• Works without noise;
• Large amount of memory;
• Good overclocking;
• Dual monitor support;
• The best ratio of price and quality.

• Low frame rate on Windows 10;
• Not suitable for games.

Expensive

Palit GeForce GTX 1050 Ti StormX

Anyone who has had to change or assemble a printed circuit board knows about Palit. For almost 15 years, the Chinese manufacturer has been trying to take the market by the number of devices produced, and not by their quality. But in 2015, the company changed its direction for the better and was able to change the opinion of customers about products from Palit Microsystems Ltd. Their production card was able to enter the ranking of the best small form factor video cards.

By the GeForce brand, you can immediately understand that the video adapter has a processor from Nvidia.The manufacturing process of the Palit GeForce GTX 1050 Ti StormX is 14 Nm, which is a good indicator that provides the power of the device. The graphics card is equipped with a fan. Video memory - GDDR.

Suitable for fans of modern games and digital design professionals.

It is recommended to buy at a personal visit to the outlet, as clear characteristics are not always given in the online store.

Price - 13,500 rubles.

• Requires little nutrition;
• Ability to work with 3 monitors;
• Does not heat up;
• Takes up little space;
• High performance;
• Works great with modern games
• Low power consumption.

• noisy;
• No VR support.

GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1050 Ti

GYGABITE is one of the best manufacturers of innovation and IT technologies. Throughout its existence - since 1986 - it has been committed to using the latest technology and strict quality control of manufactured goods. Constant monitoring of changes in the demands of the electronic devices market allows the company to produce products that are bought up in the shortest possible time.

The GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card combines a large memory capacity of 7680×4320 MB, a 1328 MHz GPU frequency from Nvidia, a 128-bit video memory bus, and support from CUBA and Vylkan.

Can be purchased online or at an electronics store.

The cost is 13,150 rubles.

• Full HD resolution;
• Performance;
• Work with 4 monitors;
• Lots of memory
• Fits into SFF case without problems;
• The presence of thermal pads between the heatsink and the memory chips.

• No 6-pin power connector;
• Noise from 2 fans.

Sapphire FirePro 2460 PCI-E 2.1

Sapphire Technology works exclusively on the production of this type of cards, so its products are significantly different from the same products from other manufacturers. Video adapters combine power, low power consumption and reliability. Based on AMD Radeon, it has absorbed the best from this company.

The device has passive cooling, thanks to which it is completely inaudible even under heavy load. Made on a plate of high rigidity, but the technical process leaves much to be desired - 40 Nm.

Professional card for gaming and digital graphics.

It is recommended to buy at specialized retail outlets, as sometimes it is not possible to find all the necessary characteristics in online stores.

The most expensive option among the best products in this category is 20,000 rubles.

• VR support;
• Lots of memory
• Silent;
• Compact;
• Does not require additional power;
• Fits easily into an SFF case.

• Process technology - 40 Nm;
• Inefficient cooling system.

Conclusion

Choosing graphics cards is a hassle, but knowing the criteria and the best models from well-known manufacturers that have earned the trust of millions of people makes the choice much easier. As for the video adapters themselves, each of them was Asian-made and had a large amount of memory and video memory bus width, but the needs of all buyers are different, so the latter can choose a card to their own taste.