The GeForce GTX 480 Update: 3-Way SLI, 3D Vision, And Noise

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noodlegts

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TOMS

MAY I SUGGEST:

If you're benching tri-sli GTX480 for pete's sake please turn ON some AA and AF. My single GTX280 can run 4x AA and 16x AF on most games at 1920x1200....

Also, please overclock your CPU to at least 4GHz for such tests. Tri-SLI is very CPU demanding and 3ish GHz isn't cutting it.

THANK YOU!

PS thanks about putting out those noise numbers though, I'm tired of people complaining about that when they're just as loud as everything else.
 

starfoxacefox

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I personally think they should have also tested pair of HD 5970 for this review, but 2 GTX480 pulling 600+ watts. No thanks! Already have 8,000BTU and 2 1/2 Ton A/C system to keep up with 10+ system in here. Keeping 2+ GPU on one PCB always work out better than one. If Nvidia did a pair of GTX480 on one PCB I would use it in customer system, but high power rating and heat output is big turn off for anyone. So use more power, put out more heat and likely have to change PSU, just wasted $$$ for 5 to 15 more FPS.

Foxler
 

cangelini

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[citation][nom]Relayer[/nom]Why does the additional GTX480 draw so much power compared to one? An extra 337W almost doubles the entire system draw with one card. Any explanation for that?[/citation]

This is something I'll have to take up with Nvidia. It'd almost appear that adding a second card is increasing processor utilization, thus increasing system power. Practically, the increase cannot be coming from the second card alone.
 

cangelini

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[citation][nom]neiroatopelcc[/nom]The power supply didn't act up when you pulled more from it than it was supposed to deliver?I loaded my 620W with 762W (3x4870), and as a result the capaciators regulating the frequencies have started making an annoying whiney sound - and lost the capability to generate a stable power output I might add. Don't overload your power supplies - it isn't healthy.[/citation]

No, hence the props to Enermax, and my hesitation to include that value in the power chart.
 

cangelini

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[citation][nom]xenofin[/nom]When GPU-Z is running, GPU clocks up to 3D-clock frequency, which is not "idle" at all. When idling at 2D-clock frequency (i.e. desktop), my GTX 470 temps are 46-48 Celsius, and I think GTX 480 temps does not exceed 60 Celsius.[/citation]

This is not true. You can very clearly watch the clocks drop to their idle figures (in the case of the GTX 480, 50/67/100 MHz).
 

cangelini

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[citation][nom]ajulian[/nom]And, Why didn´t you use the 2Gb version of the Radeon HD 5870, for me it´s pretty clear that the 1Gb Card will see its performance greatly hurted at 2560 x 1600 and even at 1920 x 1080 4X AA and 16X AF, would be more fair, don´t you think so?[/citation]

Unfortunately, the only 2GB cards here are a pair of Eyefinity 6 boards, which cost $100 more each. That extra 1GB does not establish parity with GTX 480, even at those higher resolutions. For more on the numbers there, please see this piece.
 

cangelini

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[citation][nom]zipzoomflyhigh[/nom]A 3-way SLI review with no mention of power requirements. Way to go Tom's Hardware. FAILThat last statement should be complimented with the mention of how much more power supply you would need when your comparing the "value" of crossfire vs. SLI. FAIL[/citation]

For the fifth time, I think (?), it's in the story and the comments, Zip!
 

mrboycom

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GTX 480 price is rip-off. 3X GTX 480 is 3X rip-off. Nvidia is really sick when giving the price for the product. Where do their funds go? Researching? lost? Or may-be they want wayyy too much profit. their price is crazy.
 
"I knew this 800W 80 PLUS Gold unit would be fine for a pair of GeForce GTX 480s, but I was unsure if it'd handle a trio. Despite power numbers that crested 900W from the wall, it did its job well, and never exhibited stability issues, even in the packed HAF 932 enclosure."

Power consumption is over 9000!!!

Wait, nvm, I mean 900.
 

victomofreality

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I'm sick and tired of the "the cards are designed to run hot" defense. Sure they are but they will raise the ambient temp inside the case and other parts of your computer aren't designed to run that hot/can fuck up over clocking the cpu. which to answer anonymous x might be why they only had the cpu to 3.3
 

avatar_raq

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Hey Chris, nice piece there, as usual !
Few questions/points:
1) What about the P6X58D mobos, are they bad for SLI/CF? Aren't their PCI-e slots 16x ?? Why not mention them in the table of certified mobos?
2) Guru3D did a similar article using a core i7 975 EE @ 3.75Ghz and they demonstrated better 3 way SLI scaling.. So I -like many others- do believe a CPU bottleneck is at work in your system
http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-480-3way-sli-review/1
Can't you repeat the tests with another mobo and core i7 980 @ say 4.0 Ghz?
 

fausto

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why oh why do they even bother to include call of duty? any card can run that game.

i still refuse to buy one of these super hot cards. waiting on supplies to get better, or a can't pass up deal or ATI's next top single gpu card.
 

husker

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[citation][nom]mitchellvii[/nom]Just wondering - do guys that drop a grand on a tri-sli rig tell girls in a bar that they need to come back to their place to check out their rig? Sorry, I am just trying to think of a rationale to do something this silly.[/citation]

Just wondering - why did you read and comment on an article regarding a tri-sli rig? At least the beautiful woman making me breakfast was impressed with mine. :)

/joking
 

notty22

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IMO, this is a real world test, conditions were not perfect, but are they ever ? [citation][nom]mitchellvii[/nom]Just wondering - do guys that drop a grand on a tri-sli rig tell girls in a bar that they need to come back to their place to check out their rig? Sorry, I am just trying to think of a rationale to do something this silly.[/citation]
Do you realize how dumb this comment is ? People have hobbies to enjoy life, beyond getting by. Some people snowmobile, collect coins, race cars. I have paid 700 for a flowed, modded carburetor. Who are we to judge ? Oh in regards to women? They enjoy very expensive jewelry. Thats something you might figure out, is also a justified expense !:)
 

blll_gates

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next comparison: geforce gtx 480x 2 for $1000 or radeon 5850x 3 for $1000? And overclock both sets of cards on a sufficient performance motherboard. I'm a bargin shopper and I'd love to see the comparison.
 

scrumworks

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"getting the GeForce GTX 480 into a well-ventilated chassis makes a difference". Yeah, it sure does. That crazy chassis' fans are masking the true GPU noise levels so you cannot make anything out of the test. Well, you indirectly can if you compare sli/crossfire results where the levels are not bound anymore to case's ambient noise. GTX480 fan is clearly more audible/annoying than HD5870s on load. You can listen samples e.g. from Hard OCP: http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/03/26/nvidia_fermi_gtx_470_480_sli_review/7
 

Pei-chen

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Fact is neither dual-5970 nor tri-480 make any sense. The fastest AMD setup people should build is a single 5970 or dual 5870 (2GB card preferred). For Nvidia, the fastest setup should be a dual 480.

Anything over makes little sense as the 3rd card only works at 30% efficiency at best.
 

Pei-chen

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[citation][nom]Bluescreendeath[/nom]"I knew this 800W 80 PLUS Gold unit would be fine for a pair of GeForce GTX 480s, but I was unsure if it'd handle a trio. Despite power numbers that crested 900W from the wall, it did its job well, and never exhibited stability issues, even in the packed HAF 932 enclosure."Power consumption is over 9000!!! Wait, nvm, I mean 900.[/citation]
The 800w PSU number means maxima output. The 900w at the wall number means maxima power draw. They are not the same number and should not be compared directly.

Assume the PSU is 80% efficient at all loads, 900 at wall means the power output is 720w. The PSU is only 90% loaded at that point. Good PSU are sometime so overbuilt and under rated that they can run at 120% rating.
 

youssef 2010

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[citation][nom]lashton[/nom]and why not check it against the 5890, the 480GTX is nvidia fastest card, put it against ATI Fastest Card[/citation]
he's right but he got the card number wrong as 2 5970s will almost cost the same as the three 480s ($1500 vs.$1497)

 

youssef 2010

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[citation][nom]pei-chen[/nom]The 800w PSU number means maxima output. The 900w at the wall number means maxima power draw. They are not the same number and should not be compared directly.Assume the PSU is 80% efficient at all loads, 900 at wall means the power output is 720w. The PSU is only 90% loaded at that point. Good PSU are sometime so overbuilt and under rated that they can run at 120% rating.[/citation]
You're right about the 90% load.Don't know about the 120% part though.How do you know this, I mean did somebody tell you or was it a personal experience?
 
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