Finally a GTX 460 @ 900 core review. Beats both a gtx470 and 5870!

[RussianSensation]

One would naturally hope that a more efficient card would require less power to achieve similar performance.
Sheesh. D:

GF104 is less efficient than GF100, so your comment makes little sense. You may think GTX460 is more efficient than GTX470/480, but it isn't. It only appears so because they downclocked the GPU clocks and reduced the number of CUDA cores, thus simplifying the complexity of the chip. Once you factor performance per CUDA core, the performance per watt of GF104 is hardly any more efficient. Plus both cards are still on the same 40nm process. It's pretty clear that NV will have to do a lot more than reshuffling of TMUs before they can claim improved efficiency for Fermi architecture.

FYI, GTX480 often comes awfully close to GTX460 768MB/1MB in SLI. So people need to take into consideration why exactly GF104 appears to be more "efficient" - in stock form, it's about a 50% slower chip than the 480 CUDA core GF100.

 

[Ares1214]

A card overclocked 33% beats stock cards?! UNHEARD OF! Its like saying my X4 955 @ 4.3 GHz beats a stock i7. Good for me, OC the i7.

 

[toyota]

GF104 is less efficient than GF100, so your comment makes little sense. You may think GTX460 is more efficient than GTX470/480, but it isn't. It only appears so because they downclocked the GPU clocks and reduced the number of CUDA cores, thus simplifying the complexity of the chip. Once you factor performance per CUDA core, the performance per watt of GF104 is hardly any more efficient. Plus both cards are still on the same 40nm process. It's pretty clear that NV will have to do a lot more than reshuffling of TMUs before they can claim improved efficiency for Fermi architecture.

FYI, GTX480 often comes awfully close to GTX460 768MB in SLI. So people need to take into consideration why exactly GF104 appears to be more "efficient" - it's a 50% slower chip.

a gtx480 uses about 85% more power than a gtx460(according to xbit) while providing about 40-50% more performance. how does that make the gtx480 more efficient?

 

[happy medium]

A $210 card overclocked 33% beats 365$ stock cards?! UNHEARD OF! Its like saying my 170$ X4 955 @ 4.3 GHz beats a $250 stock i7. Good for me, OC the i7.

Is this a attempted thread crap? Let me help you.

Corrected,
and is "good for me" if you don't need more then a x4 955 @ 4.3, and most of us don't.

 

[F1shF4t]

Here is another POV on the $3/month difference. If you got the card for $200 and you keep it for 2 years then it's like you would have paid $260 for the card.
Not that good deal after all.

Actually thats an interesting point to think about. I've just "upgraded" from crossfire 4870 to a single 5870 (got it cheap of a friend, really a sidegrade but was tired of crossfire issues).

If the comp only idles 24/7 then the 5870 will pay for itself after 3 years. Bit more complex when you consider non 24/7 on time and load levels, selling the 4870s would also affect the calc. Either way just food for thought.

 

[Red Storm]

Is this a attempted thread crap? Let me help you.

Corrected,
and is "good for me" if you don't need more then a x4 955 @ 4.3, and most of us don't.

Obviously he would like to see a comparison when the 470 and 5870 have also been OC'd to their max as well.

 

[happy medium]

Obviously he would like to see a comparison when the 470 and 5870 have also been OC'd to their max as well.

Well, I would hope they would be faster, they cost more.

The most impressive thing about this overclock is the excellent overclock scaling it recieves in actual game performance per clock.

 

[Ares1214]

Is this a attempted thread crap? Let me help you.

Corrected,
and is "good for me" if you don't need more then a x4 955 @ 4.3, and most of us don't.

Jeez, way to put the pricing in favor of Intel/NV! This is using strictly newegg pricing.

460 (the one they used) $220-240 (depending on which sonic they meant).
GTX 470: $300
5870: $370, $350 counting rebates.
X4 955: $140
i7 950: $300
i7 930: $285

Yeah, so your only off, well a lot. And even with those underexagerations, its still not terribly impressive. Overclock a card 33%, id hope it beats a card 30% more expensive...We all know the 460 is a great deal, but its pretty obvious overclocking a card 33%, its gonna catch up to the cards above it at stock.

 

[happy medium]

Jeez, way to put the pricing in favor of Intel/NV! This is using strictly newegg pricing.

460 (the one they used) $220-240 (depending on which sonic they meant).
GTX 470: $300
5870: $370, $350 counting rebates.
X4 955: $140
i7 950: $300
i7 930: $285

Yeah, so your only off, well a lot. And even with those underexagerations, its still not terribly impressive. Overclock a card 33%, id hope it beats a card 30% more expensive...We all know the 460 is a great deal, but its pretty obvious overclocking a card 33%, its gonna catch up to the cards above it at stock.

Let me spell it out for ya, I have a 1900x1080 monitor and I game often. My wife and or budget only allows for $220, but I want gtx470/5870 *like* performance.

Do I,
A) Steal the extra money ()
B) Beg wife (not!)
C) Quit gaming :'(
D) buy a smaller monitor and use my agp card.
E) buy a gtx460 and overclock it

I'd pick E

I do see your point also.

 

[SolMiester]

yeah last time I looked performance, power consumption, price, temps, size were ALL factors in making a video card or almost any other component. depending on the individual, those factors can all weigh differently of course.

if someone is planning to significantly oc their gtx460 then an additional 100 mores watts could be a concern.


EDIT: bryanW1995, there was NOTHING wrong with my original comment in this thread. and I just told you that I mentioned the additional power consumption BECAUSE the op did not. saying that I was trolling just because I mentioned something he omitted is ridiculous.

Your comment was derogatory and meant as a troll. I dont know anyone who buys a gaming card with the object of power efficiency, its more like performance, price, whether or not it fits the case and driver support along with extra functions.

 

[MrK6]

Your comment was derogatory and meant as a troll. I dont know anyone who buys a gaming card with the object of power efficiency, its more like performance, price, whether or not it fits the case and driver support along with extra functions.

Yeah, the entire HTPC crowd does, actually. People have different priorities, and because some are different from yours doesn't mean they are any more or less valid.

 

[Ares1214]

Let me spell it out for ya, I have a 1900x1080 monitor and I game often. My wife and or budget only allows for $220, but I want gtx470/5870 *like* performance.

Do I,
A) Steal the extra money ()
B) Beg wife (not!)
C) Quit gaming :'(
D) buy a smaller monitor and use my agp card.
E) buy a gtx460 and overclock it

I'd pick E

I do see your point also.

Oh, i see your point too, the 460 is a win as far as price to performance. Its just im not surprised it beating them. OC a 5870 33%, it creams a 480. Overclock a 480 33%, it beats the 5970. Overclock a 5770 33%, and theres a pretty good possiblity it will beat the GTX 460.

 

[Tempered81]

GF104 is less efficient than GF100, so your comment makes little sense. You may think GTX460 is more efficient than GTX470/480, but it isn't. It only appears so because they downclocked the GPU clocks and reduced the number of CUDA cores, thus simplifying the complexity of the chip. Once you factor performance per CUDA core, the performance per watt of GF104 is hardly any more efficient. Plus both cards are still on the same 40nm process.

 

[toyota]

Your comment was derogatory and meant as a troll. I dont know anyone who buys a gaming card with the object of power efficiency, its more like performance, price, whether or not it fits the case and driver support along with extra functions.

wow, what an asinine comment. how in the hell is " I guess you left out the part where it consumes 100 watts more than a stock gtx460. " a derogatory and trollish comment? I even put the shocked smiley in there to emphasize that I was surprised that power usage went up that much. if it was derogatory or trollish then I would have rolled my eyes. and for like the 10th freaking time I wasn't saying that power consumption was the most important factor. open your damn eyes and actually read my comments explaining why I posted it.

some of the replies in this thread are so for beyond ignorant that it is not even worth the effort to fire back at times. you take a comment and twist the point of it even though I have made it clear exactly what I was trying to say.

 

[SolMiester]

Yeah, the entire HTPC crowd does, actually. People have different priorities, and because some are different from yours doesn't mean they are any more or less valid.

An HTPC with a gaming card....?! right!, hardly call it a HTPC then can we if they are gaming on it...it would be a.......PC in the lounge!

 

[SolMiester]

wow, what an asinine comment. how in the hell is " I guess you left out the part where it consumes 100 watts more than a stock gtx460." a derogatory and trollish comment? .

The 1st 6 words......you know the tone\sarcasm

 

[thilanliyan]

So what? It means little to a gamer. Stop putting power consumption into a conversation on a gaming card. No one buys a gaming card and cries about power draw.

I buy gaming cards and it certainly does matter to me. Most importantly power consumption affects cooling and hence noise.

 

[formulav8]

I've built htpcs with gaming cards. In fact my main rig is first of all a htpc that I watch tv on, game on, ect.. Its actually in my living room using a 32" tv. Just because you wouldn't think someone would want a gaming card in a htpc doesn't mean someone else wouldn't.

Many people care about power consumption and such as well. Especially when you build/upgrade/fix computers for a living like I do. Every last penny counts. Power consumption of each part has an effect on the other parts. Heats, noise, and everything all comes into the spotlight. 100 watts could mean needing a higher end power supply, more fans, bigger case, noise dampening, and more.

Why the nvidia fanny's keep crying in every thread that someone doesn't bow down and praise is truly nutty. NVidia doesn't like any of you anways.

 

[happy medium]

Most importantly power consumption affects cooling and hence noise.

Well even at full load the card in the review is cool and quiet. I think we are talking about power consumption only in this case.

 

[SolMiester]

I've built htpcs with gaming cards. In fact my main rig is first of all a htpc that I watch tv on, game on, ect.. Its actually in my living room using a 32" tv. Just because you wouldn't think someone would want a gaming card in a htpc doesn't mean someone else wouldn't.

Many people care about power consumption and such as well. Especially when you build/upgrade/fix computers for a living like I do. Every last penny counts. Power consumption of each part has an effect on the other parts. Heats, noise, and everything all comes into the spotlight. 100 watts could mean needing a higher end power supply, more fans, bigger case, noise dampening, and more.

Why the nvidia fanny's keep crying in every thread that someone doesn't bow down and praise is truly nutty. NVidia doesn't like any of you anways.

IMHO, anyone who buys gaming cards, games and high end PC equipment and then goes on about power consumption is very anal....

 

[happy medium]

I've built htpcs with gaming cards. In fact my main rig is first of all a htpc that I watch tv on, game on, ect.. Its actually in my living room using a 32" tv. Just because you wouldn't think someone would want a gaming card in a htpc doesn't mean someone else wouldn't.

Many people care about power consumption and such as well. Especially when you build/upgrade/fix computers for a living like I do. Every last penny counts. Power consumption of each part has an effect on the other parts. Heats, noise, and everything all comes into the spotlight. 100 watts could mean needing a higher end power supply, more fans, bigger case, noise dampening, and more.Why the nvidia fanny's keep crying in every thread that someone doesn't bow down and praise is truly nutty. NVidia doesn't like any of you anways.

In this case you should buy a 5870 (i bet it won't fit) and will cost you 140$ more.
OR simply don't overclock the gtx460.

How hard is that?

 

[formulav8]

Or simply get a card that is balanced and fullfills my needs? How hard is that

 

[formulav8]

IMHO, anyone who buys gaming cards, games and high end PC equipment and then goes on about power consumption is very anal....

That great that your that way. Don't expect everyone else to be...

 

[happy medium]

Or simply get a card that is balanced and fullfills my needs? How hard is that

ANd that card is? A gtx460 or ? CANCEL THAT!

How did this thread become the "whats the right HTPC card thread"?
Who derailed this one?

 

[happy medium]

Yeah, the entire HTPC crowd does, actually. People have different priorities, and because some are different from yours doesn't mean they are any more or less valid.

Figures.