5970 or GTX 480

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toyota

toyota

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
12,957
1
0
halley said:
If I remember well, xfire supports only 4. I don't know what would happen if you install 3 5970's (2 cores x 3 = 6) in your case.
On the other side, nvidia supports only 3 GPU's in the same setup. If nvidia decides to put 2 GTX480 GPU's on the same card and call it GTX485, what would be the functionality of the 4th GPU?
Click to expand...
I dont know if I am understanding you correctly or not but Nvidia can do sli with two dual gpu cards just fine. some people already run gtx295 quad sli and I believe even 9800gx2 quad sli was an option too.
 
Puffnstuff

Puffnstuff

Lifer
Mar 9, 2005
16,025
4,795
136
I'm supporting fermi this time around so whenever the evga hydrocopper or even a bfg water blocked card becomes available I'll buy one.
 
scooterlibby

scooterlibby

Senior member
Feb 28, 2009
752
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toyota said:
I dont know if I am understanding you correctly or not but Nvidia can do sli with two dual gpu cards just fine. some people already run gtx295 quad sli and I believe even 9800gx2 quad sli was an option too.
Click to expand...

You are correct
 
Dorkenstein

Dorkenstein

Diamond Member
Jul 23, 2004
3,554
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Is the 5970 being phased out or something? I can't find them in stock, and it's been that way for a while.
 
X

x3sphere

Senior member
Jul 22, 2009
722
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www.exophase.com
Zebo said:
5970 and 480s are failures waiting to happen. too much heat and power into a small area. Get two 5850s just as fast as 5970 , cheaper, quieter and if something happens you still have one card while other is in the mail. I will never buy another x2 card after many issues.
Click to expand...

Can't say I've ran into similar issues with a dual GPU setup. I have a 5970 and it runs very cool, relatively speaking of course for such a powerful video card. Usually hovers around 70 C with fans on auto. About the same as the 5870 I used to own. That's under a real world gaming situation, not stress tests or anything like that. I barely hear the card when in idle and even while gaming there is only a faint audible sound. My CPU fan is louder, in fact.

The GTX480 may be a different story however.. I've seen a few videos that show it averaging in the high 90s under an SLI configuration.
 
apoppin

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
34,890
1
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alienbabeltech.com
x3sphere said:
Can't say I've ran into similar issues with a dual GPU setup. I have a 5970 and it runs very cool, relatively speaking of course for such a powerful video card. Usually hovers around 70 C with fans on auto. About the same as the 5870 I used to own. That's under a real world gaming situation, not stress tests or anything like that. I barely hear the card when in idle and even while gaming there is only a faint audible sound. My CPU fan is louder, in fact.

The GTX480 may be a different story however.. I've seen a few videos that show it averaging in the high 90s under an SLI configuration.
Click to expand...

i believe it depends on how it is designed and built. Take my HD 4870-X2 as an example. it runs hot as a dual GPU card and especially in TriFire with the DK HD 4870/1GB open design right next to it, just roasted my HD 4870-X2 and it *often* ran in the 90s C. It has been a great little room heater and it still runs fine to this day although it just entered retirement i think it is still under VT warranty.

GTX 480 will hit 90s without being in SLI; i think it is normal for the way they designed it - it obviously has even more O/C'ing headroom. Imagine a GTX 480 512 SP Ultra's TDP :p
- And if they do a GX2, all it would need is its own power-brick; forget 8-pin+8-pin PCIe
:D
 
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cbn

cbn

Lifer
Mar 27, 2009
12,968
221
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apoppin said:
Imagine a GTX 480 512 SP Ultra's TDP :p
- And if they do a GX2, all it would need is its own power-brick; forget 8-pin+8-pin PCIe
:D
Click to expand...

The power brick doesn't sound like such a bad idea.

It would open a lot of doors (even with 480 GTX) for people using Big Box store OEM computers.
 
apoppin

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
34,890
1
0
alienbabeltech.com
Computer Bottleneck said:
The power brick doesn't sound like such a bad idea.

It would open a lot of doors (even with 480 GTX) for people using Big Box store OEM computers.
Click to expand...

Didn't AMD actually do something similar with notebooks and external 5000 series mobility graphics cards?

i know they introduced them at CES - i was there at their party; i think they are powered externally
 
toyota

toyota

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
12,957
1
0
Computer Bottleneck said:
The power brick doesn't sound like such a bad idea.

It would open a lot of doors (even with 480 GTX) for people using Big Box store OEM computers.
Click to expand...
just think of the heat in those cheap oem cases many of which have no fan. not to mention the tards that would put a gtx480 in a system with a ridiculously slow cpu.
 
D

Dark Shroud

Golden Member
Mar 26, 2010
1,576
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toyota said:
just think of the heat in those cheap oem cases many of which have no fan. not to mention the tards that would put a gtx480 in a system with a ridiculously slow cpu.
Click to expand...

There is a point where a graphics card designer needs to just suck it up an use a tri-slot cooler ehausting out the back of the case.
 
cbn

cbn

Lifer
Mar 27, 2009
12,968
221
106
toyota said:
just think of the heat in those cheap oem cases many of which have no fan. not to mention the tards that would put a gtx480 in a system with a ridiculously slow cpu.
Click to expand...

Sometimes the CPU is pretty good. In fact, I have seen quite a few of them have Core i5 750 or Core i7.

As far as airflow goes, thanks for reminding me.

Just the other day I was reading about how 480 GTX in Coolermaster Cosmos gets load temps of ~94C while the same card in Coolermaster Centurion is hitting 101C.
 
toyota

toyota

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
12,957
1
0
Computer Bottleneck said:
Sometimes the CPU is pretty good. In fact, I have seen quite a few of them have Core i5 750 or Core i7.

As far as airflow goes, thanks for reminding me.

Just the other day I was reading about how 480 GTX in Coolermaster Cosmos gets load temps of ~94C while the same card in Coolermaster Centurion is hitting 101C.
Click to expand...
yeah the newer midrange or better oem comps there is usually a pretty darn good cpu and plenty of system memory. I was referring to the people with lower end Compaqs and/or older comps. believe me I have seen people put current high end gpus with even a Pentium D or P4. some people refuse to buy a newer pc and think dumping the fastest cards you can buy will let them "max" every game. and like apoppin said that type of person usually has a very low res monitor too.
 
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cbn

cbn

Lifer
Mar 27, 2009
12,968
221
106
Dark Shroud said:
There is a point where a graphics card designer needs to just suck it up an use a tri-slot cooler ehausting out the back of the case.
Click to expand...

Good idea.

Brick power supply plus triple slot cooler for 470/480 GTX/HD5870/HD5850 sales aimed at OEM Computer owners.

That would take of both power and ventilation deficiencies for people using pre-built systems.
 
M

Mr. Pedantic

Diamond Member
Feb 14, 2010
5,039
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If cost is no issue and you must get something now, I'd go with 2x5970 in crossfire and make sure you got a beefy PSU.
Click to expand...
No. If cost is no issue, then he'd be better off getting 4 5870s and watercooling them. Better performance right off, and better overclocking too.
 
cbn

cbn

Lifer
Mar 27, 2009
12,968
221
106
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