GTX 470 is exceedingly loud

[SHAQ]

Get Afterburner and set an auto fan profile. My cards are a half inch apart and the hotter one never exceeds 86C at 84% fan speed. One card should not go over 80C if you set a profile and less than that if you don't OC it.

 

[RussianSensation]

I used to be very skeptical about the factory heatsink installation being as horrible as people make it sound but replacing the thermal paste on my 470 kicked off a good 15 degrees on average and a good 10 degrees at load.

.

Just curious, how did you apply the paste on the 470? X fashion across the GPU or straight lines across the heatsink pipes?

 

[taserbro]

Just curious, how did you apply the paste on the 470? X fashion across the GPU or straight lines across the heatsink pipes?

I used a drop in the middle like in this video.
Honestly I doubt that would have made a huge difference unless I had done the worst case scenario of trying to spread it...

 

[Petey!]

Just curious, how did you apply the paste on the 470? X fashion across the GPU or straight lines across the heatsink pipes?

drop in the middle of GPU, and lines down the cooler, on the metal pieces beside the copper heatpipes.


I just skimmed through the thread really briefly but you have 2 glaring problems.

1) You need a new case. Something with good airflow. Shoot out how much your willing to spend and we can recommend a good case in that price range.

2) Your CPU is bottlenecking your card. If you dont wanna invest in a new system, I'd be grabbing a good CPU cooler, and overclocking the hell out of that chip. Will buy you a little time anyway.

I have a 470 that that maxes out at 80 degrees while gaming, and the fan never goes above 60, usually hovers around 55, which is pretty much silent.


Yes these cards can be loud, but generally only if your case airflow and ambients are poor, and at least they dont have the SUPER annoying whine (8800 GT) when the fan gets going, just the air noise.

 

[Menalaus]

Right, case fans got here today finally (package sat all day yesterday not moving anywhere). They do about jack for the air flow, so I guess it's new case time.

1) You need a new case. Something with good airflow. Shoot out how much your willing to spend and we can recommend a good case in that price range.

Considering the card is the only thing I wanted to spend anything on, something cheap. And, of course, something that supports my mobo:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128050

2) Your CPU is bottlenecking your card. If you dont wanna invest in a new system, I'd be grabbing a good CPU cooler, and overclocking the hell out of that chip. Will buy you a little time anyway.

I got a new proc, nothing to worry about now.

So case suggestions then?

EDIT: My own browsing has come back with this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119215

Any weigh-ins on the case?

 

[ZipSpeed]

If you're on a budget, the Antec Three Hundred are fairly popular cases.

 

[Menalaus]

This the case you're talking about?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129068

It looks like the Cooler Master is the better deal, especially with free shipping & handling. Any other weigh-ins?

 

[nitromullet]

He's probably talking about this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-042-_-Product

...personally, between the two I'd get the Cooler Master for the extra $10.

 

[toyota]

the Antec Three Hundred has MUCH better airflow than the Coolermaster CM690 II.


http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/2010/02/18/cooler-master-cm-690-ii-case-review/3

 

[Menalaus]

Are you sure? It looks smaller and has fewer fans than the Coolermaster.

 

[toyota]

Are you sure? It looks smaller and has fewer fans than the Coolermaster.

did you even LOOK at the link?

 

[RussianSensation]

BTW, have you tried replacing the TIM as recommended by the guys above?

These guys got an 11*C drop in temperatures at load.

Once I get around, I am going to replace the TIM myself.

 

[BFG10K]

Are you sure? It looks smaller and has fewer fans than the Coolermaster.

Fan count is less important than fan type and placement, along with case design. In fact, there’s a point of no return for fan count, and too many fans can actually hinder performance and raise temperatures.

The fact is, the Antec gamer cases have some of the best airflow around, period. This has been objectively proven against much bigger cases with more fans.

On my 902, the way the central drive cage sits, it literally acts as a wind tunnel to funnel fresh air into my GTX480. These cases look very simple, but they have a superb design that works well in practical situations.

Anyway, I love it how people are quick to blame cases or fan profiles instead of the real problem, which is the GTX470 being a loud card. My GTX470 was loud in my Antec 902; my GTX285 was dead quiet in comparison. The GTX285 was also at least ten degrees cooler under load.

Also the loaded fan profile is designed to keep the card at around 85C (same as my GTX480) so unless you want higher temperatures from lowered fan speeds, a fan profile will do squat for noise levels.

 

[Menalaus]

did you even LOOK at the link?

I did, it just seemed strange that a case with more fans and more space would have such performance issues.

BTW, have you tried replacing the TIM as recommended by the guys above?

These guys got an 11*C drop in temperatures at load.

Once I get around, I am going to replace the TIM myself.

Well, so far it seems that case air flow is the problem, so once the new case comes in, I'll see how much of a difference it makes and where to go from there.

Fan count is less important than fan type and placement, along with case design. In fact, there’s a point of no return for fan count, and too many fans can actually hinder performance and raise temperatures.

The fact is, the Antec gamer cases have some of the best airflow around, period. This has been objectively proven against much bigger cases with more fans.

Fair enough. I put in an order for the case.

Anyway, I love it how people are quick to blame cases or fan profiles instead of the real problem, which is the GTX470 being a loud card. My GTX470 was loud in my Antec 902; my GTX285 was dead quiet in comparison. The GTX285 was also at least ten degrees cooler under load.

I was aware at the time when I bought the GTX470 that it was "noisy" when under stress, but the problem is that it's being over-stressed due to poor air flow (as we've discovered by now). To be honest, however, I wouldn't mind lowering the temp run further. So far this has been suggested:

http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/Product_Read.asp?idx=407

But the product still doesn't seem to be on sale.

 

[ZimZum]

Anyway, I love it how people are quick to blame cases or fan profiles instead of the real problem, which is the GTX470 being a loud card. My GTX470 was loud in my Antec 902; my GTX285 was dead quiet in comparison. The GTX285 was also at least ten degrees cooler under load.

Didn't you say that the 470 was the loudest video card that you had ever tested? Of course that was before you got a hold of a 480 . Before the OP goes spending money on new cases he should temper his expectations a bit. That card is never going to be "silent" no matter what you put it in.

 

[Grooveriding]

OP I have just joined you.

Switched from a HAF 932 to an 800D in preparation to go water and the temps on my cards have skyrocketed.

I've gone from 85 under load to about 95-98 :/ Crazy stuff. Credit to the HAF as an excellent case for aircooling, but the 800D is garbage for air. Wow.

I can live with it for a few months I guess, hopefully the cards don't burn out before I sell them and get a couple 6870s.

 

[ZimZum]

Credit to the HAF as an excellent case for aircooling, but the 800D is garbage for air. Wow.

The 8000d has great airflow. It just doesnt have a fan the size of a hubcap blowing air directly on the GPU/Mobo like the 932 does.

 

[RussianSensation]

I've gone from 85 under load to about 95-98 :/ Crazy stuff. Credit to the HAF as an excellent case for aircooling, but the 800D is garbage for air. Wow.

I think most people don't appreciate what a case with good airflow can do until:

1) They have upgraded from their cramped case and saw 8-10*C+ drops in temperatures for CPU/GPU at load

2) "Downgraded" to a case with worse airflow and saw their case temperatures rise significantly.

Since most case reviews generally focus on features and construction quality, the "performance aspect" of cases has been largely underestimated. The differences are there though.

 

[busydude]

I think most people don't appreciate what a case with good airflow can do until: 1) They have upgraded from their cramped case and saw 8-10*C+ drops in temperatures for CPU/GPU at load 2) "Downgraded" to a case with worse airflow and saw their case temperatures rise significantly. Since most case reviews generally focus on features and construction quality, the "performance aspect" of cases has been largely underestimated. The differences are there though.

I love my Azza and I guess yours is keeping the temps of GTX 470 in check.

 

[Xarick]

I have a antec 300. Great airflow.. lots of room inside the case. \

 

[RussianSensation]

I love my Azza and I guess yours is keeping the temps of GTX 470 in check.

Ya I really like it too. The quality of the construction could be better, and I wish the fans were a little quieter (+ only the top 200mm fan has fan speed control). For the $, it's a good case I'd say.

 

[Menalaus]

Well, the case got here today. All I can say is wow, what a difference. Whereas before my best idle temperature was 51C, I'm looking at 43C with this new case. Played a few system-intensive games and the max temperature I hit was 74C. The noise is definitely not an issue any more for me. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[RussianSensation]

I am glad that "the case is not important" myth was once again proven wrong, and also that you didn't waste $ for nothing! Enjoy

 

[amenx]

The only time my 470 gets loud is when I run furmark or use MSI afterburner with the same settings I used on earlier cards (ie, with lower fan thresholds). At 70% the fan is noticeable but not too annoying (for me). Above that it is. I set my fan profile kick in to 70% when it reaches 85c, which it rarely does. So below 85c, fan noise is a non-issue for me. I have not seen my card go to 90c yet (the point 80% fan speed kicks in). And I have a ref cooler.

 

[blastingcap]

Repeat after me ,raise the front side bus and overclock the cpu. J/K
Really man, you need to overclock.

Wouldn't that raise the temps even more in his undercooled case?

OP I think you got good advice so far, particularly from Russian.

As a stopgap solution, try using headphones, manually setting fanspeeds, and underclocking/undervolting the GTX470 if you really can't return it for a more appropriate card.