GeForce GTX 480 Real World Temperatures & Sound @ [H]

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FrgMstr

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GeForce GTX 480 Real World Temperatures & Sound - We have now spent some quality time with NVIDIA's Fermi in the form of its GeForce GTX 480 SLI and GTX 480 video card configurations. There has been a lot of talk about the sound and temperatures produced by these new GPUs. We look to put a fork into all the rumors and misunderstanding in the enthusiast community.
 
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I loe your honest reviews. I am glad that the GTX480 is not another 5800 Dustbuster. I actually had an old HP witha 5950 ultra which was the Dustbuster card clocked higher but with better and quieter cooling. It was still pretty loud.
 
"Even with the SLI set up well ventilated, I could still here the system with my headphones on."

This, to me, is failure. PCs, like children, should be seen and not heard.
 
Straight and to the point with real world testing. Glad the card isn't another dust buster like the FX5800.

And, we still love you even though you kept on saying Celsius when the meter was set to Fahrenheit. :p
 
No matter how you slice it............it's still toast.

I would have liked to see you use Afterburner to crank the fan duty cycles to 90-100% both for noise and for the cooling effect.

Great video.
Shows the card still works no matter how hot it runs........but for how long?:eek:

Very awesome to see Metro 2033 rocking at 120 FPS......very cool.

Hey, Mr. Bennett, does this mean you have you personal hardware in that swanky ThermalTake Level 10 now?
 
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magoo said:
No matter how you slice it............it's still toast.

I would have liked to see you use Afterburner to crank the fan duty cycles to 90-100% both for noise and for the cooling effect.

Great video.
Shows the card still works no matter how hot it runs........but for how long?:eek:
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ever wondering why XFX didn't get to have fermi ?

j/k :D
 
shansoft said:
ever wondering why XFX didn't get to have fermi ?

j/k :D
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I saw that too:
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/news/video/xfx-jumps-gtx-480-gtx-470-ship/

70C and 60% fan speed at idle? 93C on load? In a case with good ambient temp. I wonder how the return rate will be in a few months.

Thanks for this article Kyle! I just ordered a 5870 PCS+ to replace a bricked ASUS 5870. Though I considered the GTX480, I was scared of the noise and temps. This article gives me peace of mind and no buyers regret! I couldn't live with that noise and would have cursed myself if I got weak and bought a GTX480 for being new and shiny...
 
Without the air conditioning on in my house it raised my office temperature by over 10F overnight while leaving a 3D game running.
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Just one of several items in that piece that I'm still trying to wrap my brain around. That's just SLIing two cards. You guys that are going SLI more than 2 of these? Good luck.

Mandatory water cooling situations here I would think if you're going to SLI 2 or more of these.
 
Maybe it is possible to undervolt the cards? I did that with my GTX 260... From 1.125V default to 1.025V and I didn't lose any stability. It made a huge difference in temperatures.
 
Nice video but I would of liked a chart/picture of the numbers to make it easier for me to get my head around all those numbers. I also would suggest sticking to Celsius for the video and having the equivalent Fahrenheit in the review.
 
kuyaglen said:
Nice video but I would of liked a chart/picture of the numbers to make it easier for me to get my head around all those numbers. I also would suggest sticking to Celsius for the video and having the equivalent Fahrenheit in the review.
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Hey now, watch it...Kyle is a Texan, and you don't get much more American than a Texan who drives a Hummer. Take your celcius where the sun don't shine! :p
 
Very informative video review as per usual, thanks. These are the type of reviews that websites should be doing alongside the typical numbers game.

(my opinion) GTX 480 is simply out of the question chiefly due to heat and noise among other 'issues'. 70c+ idle temp is just crazy.
 
If anyone here had a 9800GX2, from reading what Kyle wrote, I'd say it's really not much of a difference.

However, I definitely will be waiting for the next revamp of these current gen card from both ATI and nVidia.

Most games nowadays are still CPU bound (at least for us older Core 2 users, can't say for i* users though).

Great review, Kyle!
 
Many thanks for that badass review there Kyle. Stuff like that is why I keep coming back to the [H].
 
AWESOME. 93C is bananas!! And that's without a clogged up fan and ideal airflow. Yikes.

Can I just say thanks Kyle for including both Fahrenheit and Celsius? Us Canadians appreciate it!! :D

I like the sound of this architecture. I think further versions of this platform will be much cooler. Oh well that's what warranties are for.
 
Well just look at it this way. You can lay the pc case on the side and "GAME & GRILL™" at the same time. Wait that is dang catchy right there. That will be trade marked in a matter of minutes.....................
 
Kyle, when you do the multi-monitor review and give it a thumbs up, I'm all in baby!:D
 
n1ce_hat said:
AWESOME. 93C is bananas!! And that's without a clogged up fan and ideal airflow. Yikes.

Can I just say thanks Kyle for including both Fahrenheit and Celsius? Us Canadians appreciate it!! :D

I like the sound of this architecture. I think further versions of this platform will be much cooler. Oh well that's what warranties are for.
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Yes, it is nice he was giving temps in both Celsius and Fahrenheit, it's a shame he kept giving the wrong name to the ambient temperature in the case (among others). He kept saying degrees c, when he meant degrees f (Which, if you looked carefully, you could see on the thermometer). 76c is incredibly hot, and completely wrong.
 
Didn't want to make a whole new thread for this, but this thread reminded me of it and some of you might get a kick out of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOVjZqC1AE4

I'd imagine this architecture will go on to some degree of success. Current benchmarks aren't overwhelming, but the heat and noise seem to be the main complaints, not its performance.
 
MiG31_Foxhound said:
Current benchmarks aren't overwhelming, but the heat and noise seem to be the main complaints, not its performance.
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Exactly, let's face it, even nVidia knew than if there were SOME performance to be had from Fermi who would put up with the heat and noise. My decision to go 480s is ALL about the best performance. Period.:cool:
 
Wimps! This setup is going to rock games. You guys aren't [H]ard. Go over to Tom's or AT and complain about noise or heat. I'll be rocking DX 11 games with my badass SLI rig.
 
My GTS320MB idled at 80C but it worked great for about two years before I upgraded. I hated how it brought the case temperature up, however it never messed anything up. So I guess if you don't mind the sound it's okay. It was also very loud which I hated. This seems to be the same case.
 
I'm sure that NVIDIA would love to downplay this review as an April's Fool Joke :eek:

A Couple of Things:

  1. Fermi is better at Scientific Computation and Tessellation than current ATI 5XXX cards. Then again, how good does Tessellation really have to be? And how much can game developers really use Tessellation in their games? I guess not much more than most ATI cards can handle. With that being said, the bottom line is price/performance ratio, and ATI has NVIDIA beat.
  2. Fermi should have been called Thermi. I'm no engineer, but I think that the only thing that can fix "Thermi's" leakage problems is a die shrink to maybe 28nm. The problem is that by then ATI will have a new generation of cards out.
  3. I can only wonder what went trough the "heads" of NVIDIA. A corporation is a mirror of the people's minds that run it, and their products are a mirror of their employees. Someone must have realized how wrong it was to squeeze 3 billion transistor on a 40nm die, and on top of that an immature manufacturing process.
  4. Everyone is wondering to why XFX won't be selling Fermi cards. And everyone is speculating. Here is my speculation: XFX is greedy, more so than any other graphics card manufacturer. Keep in mind that ASUS and MSI are selling ATI cards as well, but they didn't get "punished" by NVIDIA. Recently I had a GeForce 8800GTX go bad because of the NForce 196.75 driver (you know, the one with the fan speed issues...). I've sent it to XFX and they've replaced it with a GTS 250 /w 512MB GDDR3 without even asking me if I would agree. When I protested, XFX ignored me. Now I will escalate the issue to the BBB. I can only wonder how some of you that own an ATI 5XXX series card from XFX will feel in 2 to 3 years when the cards will fail, and XFX will replace them with whatever low end card ATI has out at the time. The only thing that I've asked for when I was talking to XFX was that they either send me another GTX 8800 or a card that can match its performance. A GTS 250 /w 512MB GDDR3 can't match the performance of a 8800GTX when I crank up the resolution or the AA level because it has less RAM. As far as I'm concerned, XFX can go to hell in a hand basket, because I for one will never buy one of their products again or recommend them to anyone. Their lifetime warranty is a joke. And just to make a point, in 2009 I had an EVGA 8800GTX that went bad, and I've RMAd it. Guess what EVGA sent me as a replacement? Another EVGA 8800GTX that works perfectly to this day.
Kyle, thank you again for the review. I for one will not be buying a Fermi ("Thermi") card. I will skip this one, even do I do like NVIDIA products, and yes, I also like what ATI has to offer. But Fermi is a fail (for now) in my opinion.
 
Did I see that right 79C idle with dual monitors attached?!

That is much better than the previously reported 90C.
 
anyone who's adopted 4870 cf at launch, or 4870x2 cf at launch needs to shut the fuck up about the noise generated by these fermi cards. if you've used either of these configurations, you know how loud they get after some time in game. i'm also certain that some of us 4870x2 cf users-especially the ones who didn't water cool the cards-had to increase fan speed beyond stock settings to keep these sucker comfortable.
 
Great review. 93C at any load is a bit weird but steady. The Stacker is an excellent case for airflow so any case with less airflow look out.
The Celsius degrees sound low in some readings but when converted over to Farenheit it's too much heat.
90F is a hot day in most places and having 175F coming out the back of your PC will not help at all.
People will still compare these cards to older generations, but this is a new era and we expect better efficiency and temperatures from new technology.
 
And don't forget about the "Easy Oven Bake" 9800 GX2's. Them dual sandwich setups know they got hot. As didn't touch that card after gaming for about 5 minutes. If you did you learned real quick not to do it again.
 
Great review/documentary!

I like how after each session, Kyle become more proficient using just his thumb to switch the meter's dial. :)

I think if you have one or two of these in a well ventilated case, there might be some addtional tweaks one can do, like put a 120mm fan blowing across the length of the card. However, it appears the 90c at load is going to be the norm.

Watercooling these heat beasts will prove very effective.
 
rennyf77 said:
anyone who's adopted 4870 cf at launch, or 4870x2 cf at launch needs to shut the fuck up about the noise generated by these fermi cards. if you've used either of these configurations, you know how loud they get after some time in game. i'm also certain that some of us 4870x2 cf users-especially the ones who didn't water cool the cards-had to increase fan speed beyond stock settings to keep these sucker comfortable.
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Not even close, son. My dual 4870's and 4870X2's never made that much noise even while gaming for hours.
 
Rendermonkey said:
Did I see that right 79C idle with dual monitors attached?!

That is much better than the previously reported 90C.
Click to expand...

According to Legit Reviews, Nvidia provided a bios "fix" where the fan speed was increased to counter the higher temps in dual monitor setups, providing more noise, but less heat:

Legit Reviews tested a new version of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 BIOS. We were told it had updated fan profiles in it and it should help with our dual monitor heat issue.
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http://www.combatsim.com/printer.php?id=13346

I see that some say that the increased noise and heat doesn't matter while they game. I can agree that the tolerance for noise is larger when gaming. However, high noise when surfing internet can't be anything desirable for most? With such high fanspeed and temp (putting strain on other components cooling as well), I would find it intolerable to use that card for other things then gaming.

I can't say that I would feel specially [H]ard if I chose to put up with such noise at idle. I'd rather feel stupid not doing the research. Noise is a stressfactor even for those that doesn't actively listen to it.
 
I was seriously considering getting a GTX 480 until I watched that video and read the article. I live in San Antonio, TX where the average temperture in the summer is 100+ degrees everyday. The ambient temps in my house is about 80 degrees with the AC running. I know that sounds hot but when its 100+ degrees outside that feels great. If I had a GTX 480 running I would be sweating to death just surfing the internet. There is no way I could run that card in my computer without my wife bitching about the sound and me suffering from heatstroke.
 
I wonder how numerous Nvidia will have bios updates for these card after there available for sale.

Could tweaks from bios updates adjust the heat/noise output along with power usage?
 
I really want to see the temps of this card under water. :(

Vegasr said:
I wonder how numerous Nvidia will have bios updates for these card after there available for sale.

Could tweaks from bios updates adjust the heat/noise output along with power usage?
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No I think it's more of an architectural thing, but I don't know for sure. To me this seems like a rush to get something on the market, and the revision's that work better heat/power will be down the road.
 
Kyle, could you check how far down you get the fans in Idle while surfing internet without the card blowing up in your face? Especially with dual screens?
 
DooKey said:
Wimps! This setup is going to rock games. You guys aren't [H]ard. Go over to Tom's or AT and complain about noise or heat. I'll be rocking DX 11 games with my badass SLI rig.
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Agreed. The cards are hot, and make noise. And? Since WHEN has a bleeding edge new chip video card been quiet? Okay the design is probably ahead of its time and should be on 32nm or whatever. Cards have been chewing more and more power since the 9700 Pro, how is this new?

God's sake listening to the whining crybabies on here, I'd think Nvidia re-released a 6200GS that sucked 400w. Maybe next time they'll release an apology letter with their new card after spending millions of dollars and countless man hours developing new tech. Jesus can't you just be happy the damn thing is out to push AMD for more competition?

Nice review Kyle, seemed fair to me.
 
The Greddy exhaust on my Lancer most likely produces a louder db than 2 480GTX's at full loud so the noise will be a minor issue with me. It also must be noted Kyle must have one crappy headset if he could still hear the fans while using them =P.
 
DarkLegacy said:
The Greddy exhaust on my Lancer most likely produces a louder db than 2 480GTX's at full loud so the noise will be a minor issue with me. It also must be noted Kyle must have one crappy headset if he could still hear the fans while using them =P.
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Depends if he was just sitting there with his headphones on, or was listening to music/gaming.

I can still hear my computer with my JVC RX700's on, if I'm just sitting here. Which are massive (I can see them on my head out of the corner of my eye) studio quality, noise canceling headphones. I also have six 88CFM fans on the outside of my computer for radiators, so to be honest, nvidia's new cards aren't really going to make my computer sound any louder.
 
toddw said:
Agreed. The cards are hot, and make noise. And? Since WHEN has a bleeding edge new chip video card been quiet?
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? Kyle just said he can't even hear his 5970 unless he listens for it. I guess the 5970 was never bleeding edge.
 
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