EVGA GTX 480 for $250 @ Amazon

[n0x1ous]

Until you get a quieter rig, and then you realize all that you were missing. Ambient sounds make a ton of difference in an FPS, e.g. hearing footsteps that much further away is a life saver. If you're going to play the competitive FPS gaming card, I would think you would know that. But different strokes for different folks.

I've had and have other rigs that are quieter. with the right headphones and volume I can hear everything perfectly. Besides, the 480s aren't as loud as all the AMD fanboys wanted people to think.

 

[lavaheadache]

I had 2 late model Galaxy GTX 480's that were actually pretty quiet, for that matter, so was my 580. I do have a friend with an early EVGA superclocked 480 that can make quite a racket though.

 

[Cookie Monster]

I dont get why people think this is a bad deal? The GTX480s that are being sold now use GF100 cores that are similiar to power characteristics of the GF110 cores (i.e. not as leaky as the initial ones). Only the cards that were based on the initial batch of the GF100 cores were considered power hungry i.e. hot which in turn caused it too be loud. Cant find that review which compared the initial launch card to a retail one after 6(?)months where it showed that the retail card was consuming far less power and hence being less noisy.

I think its a sick deal, seeing as it has more vRam than a GTX570, a more robust VRM for overclocking making it a better deal than the HD6950 or the GTX570 or anything in the 300 dollar price range. Factor in overclocking and you have a card thats within a HD7870/7950 or GTX580. If power is of concern then obviously this isn't the card for you but for most, I dont think its much of a problem.

Plus a quick re-timming and AB fan profile quickly tames the card when it comes to noise/heat.

For those arguing about serious gaming or what not, those chaps tend to wear headphones or earphones +mufflers on top so noise does not really matter.

 

[BFG10K]

A lot of people (myself included) only play with headphones on so noise really isn't a factor.

I game with headphone and I had no trouble hearing the wail of a GTX480 (and even a GTX470) over gaming sounds.

I honestly cannot understand people who don’t consider these cards to be loud, especially after we’ve seen the objective dBA and Sone readings proving they are.

People must be running them inside rigs with 3000RPM system fans or something. Compared to those I guess a GTX480 wouldn’t be loud.

 

[Grooveriding]

I've had and have other rigs that are quieter. with the right headphones and volume I can hear everything perfectly. Besides, the 480s aren't as loud as all the AMD fanboys wanted people to think.

Loudest cards ever. They perform nicely, but thermals and acoustics are among the worst there have ever been. I am so looking forward to upgrading and adding my new cards to my water loop. Had enough of the racket and heat they throw off.

In my experience I can hear them even with a pair of sennheiser cans on.

 

[skipsneeky2]

The loudest card i ever had was a evga gtx295.

Man i hated that card for its noise,the fact if a game had no sli support it would perform like a gtx260 which was a lesser card then the gtx280 i replaced,and that it looked fugly as all hell,about the only gpu i ever purchased that i regretted.

The only card i sold off pretty quickly,but that was also the the machine i had as well,god 2010 was such a terrible year with a lack of interesting titles i basically sold my i7 940 pc that year and didn't get back into gaming until Jan of 2011 with a new whole build and the first title since ut3 to grab my interest being BC2.

Gtx480 looks to be a more forgivable card then my old gtx295 was.

 

[n0x1ous]

I game with headphone and I had no trouble hearing the wail of a GTX480 (and even a GTX470) over gaming sounds.

I honestly cannot understand people who don’t consider these cards to be loud, especially after we’ve seen the objective dBA and Sone readings proving they are.

People must be running them inside rigs with 3000RPM system fans or something. Compared to those I guess a GTX480 wouldn’t be loud.

Loudest cards ever. They perform nicely, but thermals and acoustics are among the worst there have ever been. I am so looking forward to upgrading and adding my new cards to my water loop. Had enough of the racket and heat they throw off.

In my experience I can hear them even with a pair of sennheiser cans on.

What speed you guys running the fans at?

I dunno, maybe my hearings not that good but I dont really notice them with headphones on or maybe I have the volume up that drowns them out.

 

[BFG10K]

What speed you guys running the fans at?

You mean the GPU or the system?

All GPUs were on auto fan speeds. The GTX480 would hit as high as 3000RPM during gaming. It literally sounded like a hairdryer inside my Antec case.

My GTX470 wasn’t as bad (up to 2400 RPM), but it was still noticeably loud over headphone gaming.

This GTX580 seldom exceeds 2200RPM so it’s way quieter than either card. Not quiet, but tolerable for the performance I get. My previous GTX285 was pretty quiet.

My CPU fan is an 800RPM Scythe Slipstream (currently spinning at ~400 RPM because the CPU’s idle). I usually use the same fans in cases too, but at the moment I use Antec Tricools @ 1200RPM. They’re definitely louder than the Scythes but I put up with the extra noise because I want the bling from their transparent blue LEDs.

The PSU is semi-passive so its fan doesn’t even spin at low temperatures.

 

[KCfromNC]

560ti 448s on newegg are dipping to $250 after rebate. Pick an overclocked one and that's nearly 570 performance which means basically 480 performance. So the OP is a decent deal, but not that far out of the ordinary for a card at this level of performance.

 

[Grooveriding]

I have 6 Scythe GT 1850s I run at about half-speed, they are super quiet. Also one Noiseblocker 1700RPM for my rear exhaust at about half speed, it's silent.

Fan speed ranges around for me as I have it on a custom curve. When gaming the fans get up to about 80% to keep the cards under 85C. Obviously my experience is a bit different as I have 3 sandwiched together.

Anything over 65% is pretty in your face and after 70% it's plain loud. At least the fans don't whine, but it does sound like a hair dryer with all the air the blow out. The heat is what gets my attention the most; I can literally feel the air temperature around my desk go up when I start to game. No joke, it gets significantly warmer :awe:

 

[ArchAngel777]

Well, I decided to go against myself for once. I actually picked one of these up. For $209, I don't really see how I can go wrong. My current 460 GTX is loud anyway. So at least I will be getting more performance and if I can get the fan profile right, it might just justify the purchase and find a perfect home. If not, it can go in my brothers rig.

 

[n0x1ous]

I have 6 Scythe GT 1850s I run at about half-speed, they are super quiet. Also one Noiseblocker 1700RPM for my rear exhaust at about half speed, it's silent.

Fan speed ranges around for me as I have it on a custom curve. When gaming the fans get up to about 80% to keep the cards under 85C. Obviously my experience is a bit different as I have 3 sandwiched together.

Anything over 65% is pretty in your face and after 70% it's plain loud. At least the fans don't whine, but it does sound like a hair dryer with all the air the blow out. The heat is what gets my attention the most; I can literally feel the air temperature around my desk go up when I start to game. No joke, it gets significantly warmer :awe:

Were you held back at all by your previous 920 cpu? did SB-E help your scaling or are you always GPU limited at your rez?

 

[wbynum]

I dont get why people think this is a bad deal? The GTX480s that are being sold now use GF100 cores that are similiar to power characteristics of the GF110 cores (i.e. not as leaky as the initial ones). Only the cards that were based on the initial batch of the GF100 cores were considered power hungry i.e. hot which in turn caused it too be loud. Cant find that review which compared the initial launch card to a retail one after 6(?)months where it showed that the retail card was consuming far less power and hence being less noisy.

I think its a sick deal, seeing as it has more vRam than a GTX570, a more robust VRM for overclocking making it a better deal than the HD6950 or the GTX570 or anything in the 300 dollar price range. Factor in overclocking and you have a card thats within a HD7870/7950 or GTX580. If power is of concern then obviously this isn't the card for you but for most, I dont think its much of a problem.

Plus a quick re-timming and AB fan profile quickly tames the card when it comes to noise/heat.

For those arguing about serious gaming or what not, those chaps tend to wear headphones or earphones +mufflers on top so noise does not really matter.

Here is a review talking about the improvements in both temp and power of the revised 480's six months after launch:

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=607&Itemid=72

Looks pretty decent to me. IMO, at $210 the 480's were a very good deal. At $250 I would probably wait a few weeks and see how the new batch of cards pan out.

 

[Lonbjerg]

Until you get a quieter rig, and then you realize all that you were missing. Ambient sounds make a ton of difference in an FPS, e.g. hearing footsteps that much further away is a life saver. If you're going to play the competitive FPS gaming card, I would think you would know that. But different strokes for different folks.

I have this speaker system:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/multimedia/display/creative-gigaworks-s750.html
If I can hear my PC when I game...my speakers have broken...or are not turned on.

No fan can follow the s750's in sound pressure...and I seldom go over 50% volume.
So couldn't care less about noise, heat, die size, codename...or price.
I'm a gamer..so performance is my key metric....and always have been.

 

[n0x1ous]

couldn't care less about noise, heat, die size, codename...or price.
I'm a gamer..so performance is my key metric....and always have been.

+1 :thumbsup:

 

[ArchAngel777]

Here is a review talking about the improvements in both temp and power of the revised 480's six months after launch:

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=607&Itemid=72

Looks pretty decent to me. IMO, at $210 the 480's were a very good deal. At $250 I would probably wait a few weeks and see how the new batch of cards pan out.

Wow, a lot of jerk type comments for his article. I thought it was pretty well done and informative. Suprised at so many negative comments.

 

[ArchAngel777]

I can literally feel the air temperature around my desk go up when I start to game. No joke, it gets significantly warmer :awe:

I'd imagine that you could. You are probably generating 1000W of heat with that setup. I imagine that if you ran Furmark, you'd probably hit 1200W+

Most consumer space heaters have two settings - 800W (low) and 1500W (high).

 

[MrK6]

I've had and have other rigs that are quieter. with the right headphones and volume I can hear everything perfectly. Besides, the 480s aren't as loud as all the AMD fanboys wanted people to think.

I have this speaker system:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/multimedia/display/creative-gigaworks-s750.html
If I can hear my PC when I game...my speakers have broken...or are not turned on.

No fan can follow the s750's in sound pressure...and I seldom go over 50% volume.
So couldn't care less about noise, heat, die size, codename...or price.
I'm a gamer..so performance is my key metric....and always have been.

So both of you recommend sacrificing your hearing to save a few dollars? That isn't a good trade-off.

 

[n0x1ous]

Wow, a lot of jerk type comments for his article. I thought it was pretty well done and informative. Suprised at so many negative comments.

Didnt you know? Saying anything positive about GF100 is forbidden.

 

[n0x1ous]

So both of you recommend sacrificing your hearing to save a few dollars? That isn't a good trade-off.

how is using headphones at a good volume sacrificing my hearing? Look I know its impossible for you to say anything positive about NV.

The thread is about a good deal for a good performing part. Key word PERFORMANCE. Not all the other BS like noise,heat,die size, stuff to justifty lower performance etc etc.

Go troll another thread.

 

[Lonbjerg]

So both of you recommend sacrificing your hearing to save a few dollars? That isn't a good trade-off.

Bad troll :thumbsdown:

What is your obsession every other metric than perfomance?
Do you whine over that a Lambo makes more noise than a Honda?
Do you whine over that a Lambo drives faster/better than a Honda?
Do you whine over that a Lambo has worse perf/gallon than a Honda?

Only thing that matters is that the lambo beats the Honda in the metric that matters: Driving

same things goes for GPU's.

The ONLY time other metrics are pulled up are when the perfomance crown is lost...as a way of declaring a loss into a win...

 

[MrK6]

how is using headphones at a good volume sacrificing my hearing? Look I know its impossible for you to say anything positive about NV.

The thread is about a good deal for a good performing part. Key word PERFORMANCE. Not all the other BS like noise,heat,die size, stuff to justifty lower performance etc etc.

Go troll another thread.

If you're upset and want to defend your purchase, please feel free to, but don't make it personal. If you put up poorly formed arguments (like the "GTX 480 is for competitive FPS players"), I'm going to rebut them. There are plenty of better performing options out there from either company that additionally have more features, and furthermore offer similar price/performance. This simply isn't a good buying decision in any respect, and since AT is a place of informed people, it should be said.

 

[n0x1ous]

If you're upset and want to defend your purchase, please feel free to, but don't make it personal. If you put up poorly formed arguments (like the "GTX 480 is for competitive FPS players"), I'm going to rebut them. There are plenty of better performing options out there from either company that additionally have more features, and furthermore offer similar price/performance. This simply isn't a good buying decision in any respect, and since AT is a place of informed people, it should be said.

never said "GTX 480 is for competitive fps" quote quote. Said that noise isn't an issue with headphones and that would apply to any card. When you put up poorly formed statements like their are similar price/performance choices, they must be corrected. Their isn't right now. 7850 will be, but isn't available now, so as of this moment for 210 or 220 its the best price/performance there is. As far as features its DX11 and has all the relevant features that matter in current PC games.

Its hard for AMD FBs to understand that performance is all that really matters, so for people who want great performance at a great price it IS a good buying decision.

your right, AT is a place for informed people. Unfortunately not everyone that posts at AT Forums is informed and unbiased.

As I said, please stop trolling my thread with your propaganda.

 

[DeeJayeS]

Bad troll :thumbsdown:

What is your obsession every other metric than perfomance?
Do you whine over that a Lambo makes more noise than a Honda?
Do you whine over that a Lambo drives faster/better than a Honda?
Do you whine over that a Lambo has worse perf/gallon than a Honda?

Only thing that matters is that the lambo beats the Honda in the metric that matters: Driving

same things goes for GPU's.

The ONLY time other metrics are pulled up are when the perfomance crown is lost...as a way of declaring a loss into a win...

Lets take this hypothetical:

Card 1: playable frame rates, sounds like a leaf blower
Card 2: 5% slower but still playable frame rates, whisper quiet

Which card "performs" better? I think most of us would take card 2 all else being equal. Not whining, not trolling, not obsessing, just sayin'...

 

[MrK6]

never said "GTX 480 is for competitive fps" quote quote. Said that noise isn't an issue with headphones and that would apply to any card. When you put up poorly formed statements like their are similar price/performance choices, they must be corrected. Their isn't right now. 7850 will be, but isn't available now, so as of this moment for 210 or 220 its the best price/performance there is. As far as features its DX11 and has all the relevant features that matter in current PC games.

Your argument was you care only about absolute performance in games and will improve your gaming experience using other means to compensate for your poor choice of video cards. I simply summarized it, hence the summarily quotation marks. In any case, this card is available for $250 per your OP, not $210 or $220, although it's interesting you're already changing the goal posts. Just as an example, a GTX 560 Ti 448 is a better buy, and is also available for $250: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814500231 (+ free BF3, so even cheaper really)

Its hard for AMD FBs to understand that performance is all that really matters, so for people who want great performance at a great price it IS a good buying decision.

your right, AT is a place for informed people. Unfortunately not everyone that posts at AT Forums is informed and unbiased.

As I said, please stop trolling my thread with your propaganda.

The fact that you've now personally attacked me twice only detracts from your argument and shows how weak it is. The GTX 480's are a poor purchase no matter what metric you choose to look at it. It's unfortunate you fell into the trap, but taking out your disappointment on me or any other member is not an appropriate response and this will be brought to the mods' attention. If you actually believed in what you wrote about being "informed and unbiased," you would realize your error, apologize to me, and return your cards to pick up two GTX 460 Ti 448's.