GTX480 / GTX470 Reviews and Discussion

[shadow187]

They won't take more than 300Watts each, let's assume a 275watt draw. That's 550Watts for GPU, You're going to OC a cpu to compensate for bottlenecks, so you're at 150Watts for the CPU. With 100 watts left, that's going to your cooling, RAM, motherboard, and everything else, which is really stretching it.

 

[builderbobftw]

Nevermind, the chart I was looking at was total draw, not graphics draw.

 

[Mousemonkey]

It also depends on the PSU, a Corsair 750w was able to output around 900w IIRC.

 

[shadow187]

Fa-ailure.

 

[Mousemonkey]

I found the article where I saw that :- http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story2&reid=73
917w and it didn't go bang!

 

[-Fran-]

Why are you guys still talking about "watts" alone on PSUs? Talk about Amps per +12V Rail, geez.

Anyway, the heat produced by the 1 slot 4850 is easily comparable to the GTX470, but (and a big one) it was easy to build an improved solution to make it quieter and not so hot. I doubt the GTX470, and more over the GTX480, will have that "plus" without water-blocking them and rising their price a lot.

Anyway, looks like ATI might go the same road as nVidia on Southern Island. That will be interesting to see 😛

Cheers!

 

[OvrClkr]

Here are the numbers more in detail.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/03/26/nvidia_fermi_gtx_470_480_sli_review/7

 

[-Fran-]

Yep, my point precisely... Look at the HSF of the GTX's and compare it to the ATI's. For reference HSF's they're *very* well built and do an excellent/superb job, but the next "step up" would be water? I doubt another HSF design will reduce a lot of heat without putting a really big price tag on the cards =/

Anyway, those temps show the heat *on the chip*, but *dissipated heat* doesn't show anywhere (it would be interesting to measure that in lab conditions 😛). At least, my 4890 is a room heater alright, lol.

Cheers!

 

[notty22]

I beg to differ, in regards to the stock hsf. The gtx 470 has a smaller version of whats on the gtx 480. Compact 5 heat pipe cooler, with a limited grill area. Good and more impressive than what was under the reference ATI cards. BUT , compare it to whats being offered now, in the non reference cards. MSI, Gigabyte, Powercolor, Asus are all making a gargantuan sized heat pipe sink thats twice as long as whats in the gtx 470.
For example , here is the MSI 5870 lightning heat sink

Something like this with twin, lower rpm, quieter blade fans, is exactly what Fermi needs. This is probably costing the aib a extra 15-20
dollars a card. Something NV probably tried avoiding , to keep card price down. Some opinion, conjecture there on pricing.
The GtX 470

 

[Mousemonkey]

That HSF is nice enough to have on the mantle as ornament, seems a bit of a shame to hide it away in a PC case.

 

[-Fran-]

But the MSI lightning is supposed to be running way hotter than the stock 5870, right?

At least, that's the whole point of the card being able of OCing it. So it's kind of an awkward comparison. Stock HSF to stock HSF would be proper IMO. OCing most definitely needs a better HSF than stock clocks, wich is kinda my point with the GTX's. If you put that one on the GTX470 would run cooler? You'll need the extra mounting metal it has so it would still be a little more than the difference with the 5870 in price, not much, but still 😛

Cheers!

EDIT: Yeah, MM. I also think it's one sexy HSF and a pitty to have it hidden XD

 

[roofus]

The 480 should be shipped with a water block pre-installed. I think those that air cool the 480 will be shopping for a new video card within a year. I wish everyone luck that buys one with air cooling intentions but I cannot wrap my head around the idea of buying a card I know runs that hot unless I intend on liquid cooling it anyways.

 

[OvrClkr]

Do we have any pics of the 5850's stock cooler?

 

[notty22]

Stock 5870, pretty good, much like Fermi, more compact than the non reference ones I showed above.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ATI/Radeon_HD_5870/4.html

GTX 470

 

[OvrClkr]

^^ yea but you are comparing the 5870 cooler to the 470 cooler, is the 5850 cooler the same as the 5870 but smaller?

 

[notty22]

The only shot of the 5850 I found is this one, its the back side, they didn't take it apart it seems. Looks the same but a little smaller. IMO the above photos disproves that there can be no better air cooling for the GTX 4XX. There is superoior cooling on the newer 5 series cards. The same will happen with Fermi.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Heres the cooler used on the new powercolor 5870. this is another superior HS, IMO.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Powercolor/HD_5870_PCS_Plus/

 

[-Fran-]

Yeah, looks like the 5870 but a tad smaller. So for the GTX470 there might be an air cooled solution without a horrible price tag on it... I'll give you that notty, but I still have my doubts about the GTX480 in that regard. Maybe a modified Bitfrost could do, or a modified Accelero Xtreme.

Now that you guys showed the pictures, there might be hope for an improved air cooling solution after all, at least for the GTX470.

Cheers!

 

[OvrClkr]

Yea well the power color^^ is basically an aftermarket cooler.

The 5850's stock cooler seems under par compared to other ones but I guess AMD never worried about that since it does not put out that much heat.

 

[firebird]

As far as our discussion goes, for the enthusiast users, who doesn't OC their cards?

I can't remember the last time I bought a CPU or GPU and didn't push it as far as it could go. It's like a free upgrade.

So when I look to purchase a new (since my 3870's) I'm looking at the cards OC'ing potential with and without the stock cooler.

What I've realized though, is that heavy OC'ing with anything but H2O just puts the heat back in to the case unless you can somehow use the reference style cooler that the cards now employ.

Why doesn't someone make a card cooler that has the fan oriented vertically at the end of the card to pull air in from the front of the case instead below the card? Seems like most new cards are long enough to that the fan would not be over or under the cards directly adjacent to it.

 

[Mousemonkey]

As far as our discussion goes, for the enthusiast users, who doesn't OC their cards?

I run my 8800GT's and E8400 at stock, does that rain on your parade?

 

[strangestranger]

I too do not overclock my 4870x2. It has never dissapointed me in performance.

 

[builderbobftw]

I run my 8800GT's and E8400 at stock, does that rain on your parade?

I run my 4870 and E6600 at stock, does that rain on your parade?

Not everyone OCs.

Think before you type dude.

 

[Mousemonkey]

I too do not overclock my 4870x2. It has never dissapointed me in performance.

Hmm, we are both using cards that are more than 25 minutes old so maybe we are not 133t enough to be considered enthusiasts any more. 🙁

 

[builderbobftw]

If his card is 25min old, you'res is 4 hours old MM.

 

[Mousemonkey]

I run my 4870 and E6600 at stock, does that rain on your parade?

Not everyone OCs.

Think before you type dude.

I thought your 4870 was dead, in which case it's running slightly lower than stock isn't it? [:mousemonkey]