Gtx 470

[rickon66]

Went on a family visit to the St. Louis area last week and made a trip to Micro Center store. I knew that I was going to buy some parts for a new build and ended up getting a i7-930, Gigabyte MB, case and 6Gb of memory. I was having a difficult time deciding on a video card and after an hour of flip flopping between a 5850 or a GTX 470 I ended up bringing home a GTX 470. Now, after returning home to TN I am having second thoughts about the video card, maybe I should have picked the 5850 based on the reports of heat and noise that I am reading about(I did not have any internet access while away from home). Should I send it back or keep it. Sending it back will be a bit of a hassle, it will have to be sent directly back to the store. Any real world experiences of Anandtech members would be appreciated.

 

[Dark4ng3l]

You can probably live with the card really. A single 470 won't be that bad if you have a reasonably well ventilated case(considering the parts you bought that should be the case).

Then again if you decided the 470 is no longer what you want maybe you should return it and just get what you want instead. If you think you will regret the purchase there is no point in trying to endure the negative aspects of the card if you are just going to be thinking about how you screwed up your purchase every time the fan starts up...

 

[Capt Caveman]

How much did you pay for it?

I just picked one up from TigerDirect for $234. I'm also concerned about the heat as I had a 8800GT which was very hot.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I really like my 470. It gets to like 93c when playing crysis and it sounds like a high speed 120mm fan when playing crysis but the other games I've played (dirt2, bioshock 2) the fan speed never got to the point where it was noticeable. At idle you'll never even hear it. Even while playing crysis the noise didn't bother me. I thought it was actually kinda cool. I wouldn't mind picking up another 470 for my second computer or even a 5850 but both still too much money for a 2nd computer. I'm very happy with my purchase. You won't be dissapointed.

 

[rickon66]

$234 To quote a really annoying commercial "WOW, that is really a low price!!

I paid $349.99 plus tax, which I know is high, but I kind of got caught up in the moment. There is no MicroCenter here in Tennesse and I have never been in a store that has so much computer stuff. I am happy with the rest of my choices, the low price on the processor and case made up somewhat for the higher prices on the rest.

OILFIELDTRASH-Thanks for the info, it helps, and you are running the same power supply I'll be using. By the way, I could be called REFINERYTRASH(25years with BP/Amoco)

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Don't feel bad. I paid $377 after taxes for my 470 at a compusa store. I get a $30 rebate though. I was tired of online purchases because I got a refurbed 470 from amazon and a doa 5870 from newegg. It was nice to have the card in my hand then and there. That power supply was a good choice. I've had it about a year and a half and it's been solid.

Refinery work? I bet that pays some kick ass dough.

 

[Scali]

As I said at the introduction:
The GTX470 has two problems:
- Power consumption (and thus indirectly heat/noise)
- Price

By the sound of it, you've already defeated the price argument. Owning a Radeon 5770 currently, upgraded from a GeForce 8800GTS, I'm not too sure about the power consumption argument anymore...
Yes, the old card had more power consumption, but the cooler was of much better quality. It was much more silent than the current one, and I never had overheating problems either (probably partly because the exhaust was bigger, and the flow design better).
Another issue with my 5770 is that the fan runs at 100% until you have booted into the OS far enough that the driver can take over fan control.
So in retrospect, I preferred the older, more powerhungry card in terms of heat/noise.

So well, my take on this: Keep the card if it's not giving you problems with heat/noise.

 

[Skurge]

If you don't want to keep the card, don't keep it. Regret is not cool.

 

[Hauk]

$234 To quote a really annoying commercial "WOW, that is really a low price!!

I paid $349.99 plus tax, which I know is high, but I kind of got caught up in the moment.. (25years with BP/Amoco)

He prolly paid $319 or so up front so don't feel so bad about price. Show me where I can buy a GTX 470 for $234 cash with no rebate/cashback bullshit to mess with.. I'll grab a couple.

 

[RussianSensation]

Another issue with my 5770 is that the fan runs at 100% until you have booted into the OS far enough that the driver can take over fan control.

I think most performance ATI cards spin the fan at 100% upon initial boot. My 4890 does it too. Once it boots into the OS, the fan speed drops to just 27% at idle. It may be a protecting mechanism. I don't see how it's an issue though since I imagine it's much more inconvenient to keep shutting down your computer every night and then wait a minute for it to boot every day (unless you have an SSD). I prefer to keep my computer on 24/7. From reviews online, 5770 seems to be a quiet card as well. Did you try setting up a custom fan profile?

 

[Scali]

I think most performance ATI cards spin the fan at 100% upon initial boot. My 4890 does it too. Once it boots into the OS, the fan speed drops to just 27% at idle. It may be a protecting mechanism. I don't see how it's an issue though since I imagine it's much more inconvenient to keep shutting down your computer every night and then wait a minute for it to boot every day (unless you have an SSD). I prefer to keep my computer on 24/7. From reviews online, 5770 seems to be a quiet card as well. Did you try setting up a custom fan profile?

The problem is mainly when you boot into an OS that doesn't have a proper ATi driver.
If I boot FreeBSD or a linux live DVD, it will just keep spinning 100% all the time.
I think that's silly. Firstly, I don't think I've ever heard it spinning 100% during a game, so I doubt even in 3d-mode it would need 100% fan speed.
Secondly, why would it boot up in 3d-mode anyway? It should boot up in 2d-mode, with low GPU clocks and fan speed, so that it's not burning up your GPU for nothing.
If you have no proper driver loaded anyway, there's no way you can make use of decent acceleration, and as such you don't need the full GPU power anyway, and thus no need for full fan speed.
So boot it up in 2d-mode, everything nice and low, and let the driver switch it into performance mode when required.

ATi used to do it right with their older cards. I have an old 9600XT that's nice and quiet until you really use it.
I have an X1900XTX which goes 100% when it powers up, but immediately goes back down to idle (perhaps they just want to make sure that the fan speeds up that way).
Why did they change a good thing?

 

[Skurge]

Well my 5770 in the other PC only spins up for about half a second when you power up. Its a Club3D model. My 4870 does the same.

Could be in the bios.

 

[Wreckage]

In several games the 470 is faster than a 5870, so I'm sure you will be happy with the card.

The noise issue had been blown out of proportion by ATI supporters. It's about the same as a 5870
http://techreport.com/discussions.x/18774

 

[Scali]

Well my 5770 in the other PC only spins up for about half a second when you power up. Its a Club3D model. My 4870 does the same.

Could be in the bios.

Could be... Mine is a very early Sapphire model (shroud cooler type).

 

[Skurge]

In several games the 5850 is faster than a 470, so I'm sure you will be happy with that card.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2010/07/12/nvidia-geforce-gtx-460-graphics-card-review/8

Nvidia supporters claim the noise issue has been blown out of porpotion. Much louder than a 5850

http://www.anandtech.com/show/2977/...x-470-6-months-late-was-it-worth-the-wait-/19
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/03/26/nvidia_fermi_gtx_470_480_sli_review/7

 

[RussianSensation]

Those STALKER: CoP results look contradictory to what is reported elsewhere.

1) Xbitlabs:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/geforce-gtx-465_8.html#sect2

GTX470 = 5870

2) Techspot
http://www.techspot.com/review/299-palit-inno3d-geforce-gtx-460/page11.html

GTX470 > 5870

3) LegitReviews
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1357/12/

GTX470 > 5870

4) Computerbase.de
http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/...tx_460/17/#abschnitt_stalker__call_of_pripyat

GTX470 > 5870

So in general, a 5850 is not faster than a GTX470 in STALKER: CoP.

5850 is better than the GTX470 in Crysis though!


1920x1200 4AA/16AF - http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/..._460/20/#abschnitt_performancerating_mit_aaaf
5870 (+7&#37 > GTX470 (+11%) > 5850 (+8%) > GTX460 1GB on average.

 

[Axon]

470 is no louder than any other high-end performance GPU I've ever had. It gets hot, but that doesn't mean all that much in a single-GPU system with good airflow. It's designed to run hot.

I'd just stick with it, the 470 is a good card. Conversely, had you bought the 5850, I'd say stick with that as well.

 

[BFG10K]

470 is no louder than any other high-end performance GPU I've ever had.

It’s a lot louder than my GTX285, and it also runs hotter too. It’s also no faster overall.

 

[rickon66]

Thanks for the info and opinions everyone, very informative.

 

[Skurge]

Those STALKER: CoP results look contradictory to what is reported elsewhere.

1) Xbitlabs:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/geforce-gtx-465_8.html#sect2

GTX470 = 5870

2) Techspot
http://www.techspot.com/review/299-palit-inno3d-geforce-gtx-460/page11.html

GTX470 > 5870

3) LegitReviews
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1357/12/

GTX470 > 5870

4) Computerbase.de
http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/...tx_460/17/#abschnitt_stalker__call_of_pripyat

GTX470 > 5870

So in general, a 5850 is not faster than a GTX470 in STALKER: CoP.

5850 is better than the GTX470 in Crysis though!


1920x1200 4AA/16AF - http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/..._460/20/#abschnitt_performancerating_mit_aaaf
5870 (+7%) > GTX470 (+11%) > 5850 (+8%) > GTX460 1GB on average.

I know, I just cherry picked that bench. I'm just messing with wreckage.

 

[Genx87]

It’s a lot louder than my GTX285, and it also runs hotter too. It’s also no faster overall.

You must be running a nearly silent system then. I can barely hear my 470 over the other fans in the system when in the middle of gaming. Idle I cant hear it at all.

 

[MrK6]

You must be running a nearly silent system then. I can barely hear my 470 over the other fans in the system when in the middle of gaming. Idle I cant hear it at all.

I think that says something about how loud the rest of your system is.

OP, $350 + tax is a hell of a price to pay for only a GTX 470. Hell, online you could get a 5870 for that much money. Up to you what you want to do, but I don't think that was an financially prudent move.

 

[Genx87]

I think that says something about how loud the rest of your system is.

OP, $350 + tax is a hell of a price to pay for only a GTX 470. Hell, online you could get a 5870 for that much money. Up to you what you want to do, but I don't think that was an financially prudent move.

My system isnt loud by any stretch of the imagination. I have had loud systems in the past. This one I can barely hear the fans if my speakers are off. Compared to the 4850 that it replaced this is quiet as hell. The only way I could see somebody complaining about how loud the 470 is if they are running a truely silent system.

 

[flexy]

the 470 is certainly no "bad" cards by any means. But i think you paid too much.

 

[toyota]

My system isnt loud by any stretch of the imagination. I have had loud systems in the past. This one I can barely hear the fans if my speakers are off. Compared to the 4850 that it replaced this is quiet as hell. The only way I could see somebody complaining about how loud the 470 is if they are running a truely silent system.

well I almost laughed the first time I heard the gtx470 ramp up the fan speed and after a 30 seconds of furmark it was unbearable to me. during actual gaming it was obviously not as loud but well beyond what I would call acceptable. for comparison I have never really heard my gtx260 fan ramp up if left on auto settings and it also runs way cooler.