NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 is a Turing-architecture GPU built on a 12 nm TSMC process, containing 4,700 million transistors across a 200 mm² die. It packs 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, with a base clock of 1740 MHz and a boost clock of 1785 MHz. Memory is 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus, delivering 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective). The card achieves 1.828 TFLOPS FP32 and 3.656 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1), with pixel and texture rates of 28.56 GPixel/s and 57.12 GTexel/s respectively. In the benchmark database, it records an average score of 24,233 and sits at the 67th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it outperforms a majority of entries while remaining far from the top tier.

Benchmark Performance

The GTX 1630's raw compute scores are modest but consistent. Its Geekbench OpenCL result is 24,858, while the Vulkan score is 23,607, yielding an average of 24,233. That average places it just 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700 (24,131) and 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6800S (23,964). Conversely, it trails the AMD FirePro W8000 by 1.2% (24,518) and the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 by the same 1.2% (24,519). These deltas are narrow—well within a 1.2% band—so the GTX 1630 effectively trades blows with all four rivals in aggregate compute workloads.

Breaking down the two sub-tests, the OpenCL score is about 5.3% higher than the Vulkan score, a gap that suggests the driver and architecture favor OpenCL execution paths. The Vulkan result, while lower, still lands within 1.4% of the average of the four nearest rivals, meaning the card's performance is not heavily dependent on API choice. The percentile rank of 67 indicates that 33% of all GPUs in the database score higher, but the GTX 1630 outperforms two-thirds of the field—a solid mid-pack standing for a card with only 512 shading units and 1.828 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput.

When compared to the nearest rivals, the GTX 1630's advantage over the RX 6800S is the largest at 1.1%, though that margin is statistically negligible. Its deficit against the FirePro W8000 and Quadro RTX 5000 is equally small. In practical terms, these differences would be imperceptible in most real-world tasks; the GTX 1630 is essentially performance-equivalent to all four cards in aggregate compute. The 67th percentile ranking, however, reflects the broader GPU landscape—there are many faster cards, but the GTX 1630 still outpaces the majority of entries, including older and lower-end models.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The GTX 1630 does not include dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores; both fields are null in the specification. This is consistent with its position in the GeForce 16 series, which was designed without the RT and AI acceleration hardware found in the higher-tier GeForce 20 series. Consequently, the card relies entirely on standard shader-based rendering for any ray-traced effects, which will incur significant performance penalties compared to GPUs with dedicated RT hardware. The absence of tensor cores also means no hardware-accelerated DLSS or similar AI-based upscaling features.

On the API front, the GTX 1630 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The DirectX 12_1 feature level covers the essential modern graphics pipeline, including conservative rasterization and rasterizer-ordered views, but it lacks the higher-tier features like mesh shaders or variable-rate shading that are found in DirectX 12 Ultimate. OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4 provide broad compatibility across Windows and Linux applications, making the card suitable for legacy workloads as well as current titles that leverage Vulkan. The memory subsystem consists of 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus, yielding 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth. This capacity and bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p gaming with reduced texture quality, but they will bottleneck high-resolution or high-texture workloads.

Display outputs include one DVI, one HDMI 2.0, and one DisplayPort 1.4a, allowing multi-monitor setups with up to three displays. The card uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, which is compatible with modern motherboards. Its 12 nm process and 4.7 billion transistors on a 200 mm² die are modest by current standards, but they keep power consumption low, as detailed in the next section.

Power and Cooling

The GTX 1630 has a TDP of 75 W, making it one of the most power-efficient cards in its class. NVIDIA recommends a 250 W power supply, which is well within the range of typical entry-level systems. The card draws all its power from the PCIe slot—there are no auxiliary power connectors. This simplifies installation in pre-built systems or compact cases where extra power cables are unavailable. The single-slot design is another advantage: the card measures 145 mm in length (5.7 inches), 69 mm in height (2.7 inches), and 18 mm in width (0.7 inches), allowing it to fit in tight spaces and alongside other expansion cards.

The low TDP also means cooling requirements are minimal. A single-slot cooler with a small fan is sufficient, and the card's 75 W draw generates limited heat. The 250 W suggested PSU provides a comfortable margin even for systems with a modest CPU and a few drives. Because no external power connectors are required, users upgrading from older integrated graphics or low-power discrete cards will find the GTX 1630 to be a drop-in replacement without any PSU modifications. The 12 nm process and 4.7 billion transistors contribute to the efficiency, though the card's performance ceiling is constrained by its 64-bit memory bus and 4 GB frame buffer.

Who Should Consider It

Given its average benchmark score of 24,233 and 67th percentile ranking, the GTX 1630 is positioned for users who need a basic, low-power discrete GPU for everyday computing, light gaming, or compute tasks that fit within its 4 GB memory limit. The 4 GB GDDR6 frame buffer and 96 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for 1080p gaming at medium to low settings, but they will struggle with high-resolution textures or modern AAA titles at high detail. For esports and older games, the card's 1.828 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput is more than sufficient to maintain playable frame rates.

The lack of ray tracing and tensor cores means the GTX 1630 is not suited for workloads that rely on hardware-accelerated RT or AI features. However, its OpenCL and Vulkan compute scores are respectable, making it a viable option for compute applications that are not memory-bandwidth-bound. The 75 W TDP and single-slot form factor make it ideal for small form factor (SFF) builds, HTPCs, or secondary workstations where space and power are at a premium. The card's end-of-life status (released on 2022-06-27) means it may be available at discounted prices, but users should verify driver support for their specific operating system.

For those who prioritize low power draw and compactness over raw performance, the GTX 1630 fits the bill. Its 67th percentile standing indicates it outperforms a majority of GPUs in the database, so it is not a slouch for basic tasks. However, users planning to play demanding titles or work with large datasets should consider cards with more memory and higher bandwidth, as the 64-bit bus and 4 GB capacity will quickly become limiting factors.

How It Compares

AMD Radeon Pro W5700: The GTX 1630 is 0.4% faster than the Radeon Pro W5700, which scores 24,131. This margin is negligible, and the two cards are effectively tied in aggregate compute. The W5700 is a professional workstation GPU, while the GTX 1630 is a consumer card, but their benchmark scores are nearly identical.

AMD Radeon RX 6800S: The GTX 1630 leads the RX 6800S by 1.1%, with the latter scoring 23,964. Despite being a higher-tier mobile GPU, the RX 6800S falls slightly behind the GTX 1630 in this database. The difference is small enough that real-world performance would vary by workload.

AMD FirePro W8000: The GTX 1630 trails the FirePro W8000 by 1.2%, with the W8000 scoring 24,518. This is the largest deficit among the rivals, but still within a narrow margin. The FirePro W8000 is an older workstation card, yet its compute performance remains competitive with the GTX 1630.

NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000: The GTX 1630 is also 1.2% behind the Quadro RTX 5000, which scores 24,519. The Quadro RTX 5000 includes ray tracing and tensor cores, but in raw compute without those features, it edges out the GTX 1630 by a similar margin. The GTX 1630's lack of RT and tensor hardware does not hurt its aggregate score, but it lacks the feature set of the Quadro.

Overall, the GTX 1630 sits in a tight cluster with four rivals, all within a 1.2% performance band. Its 67th percentile ranking reflects a mid-tier position, and its low power draw and compact size make it a practical choice for constrained systems.