[H]ard Does New Heat / Noise Test (real world) for 480

[Madcatatlas]

Aha! Apoppin, why is it that your Vantage score with the 480 is higher than the 5870 on stock cards? I thought it was ment to be the other way around.
I`ve previously asked why the 5870 scores higher in vantage and then i saw your scores!

 

[apoppin]

Aha! Apoppin, why is it that your Vantage score with the 480 is higher than the 5870 on stock cards? I thought it was ment to be the other way around.
I`ve previously asked why the 5870 scores higher in vantage and then i saw your scores!

well i really don't know what was meant to be but i can just give you my results as i copied them down

Overclocked to 975/1300, the HD 5870 jumps up to 20795 from 19602 at stock
- the stock GTX 480 shows 21239. As soon as i do overclocked figures for the GTX 480 (tomorrow), it will act as a check on my figures; on the off chance that i transposed a number. Also, i get to triple and quadruple check everything as the new drivers come out.

Seriously, who care about Vantage? it is the most useless test i do with completely meaningless numbers.

 

[apoppin]

Isn't Crysis VRAM limited at 2560x1600 at 4x MSAA? I'm thinking you'd be better off at 1920x1200 at 4x MSAA so that you can dodge that scenario.

it is sure acting that way. It appears to be out of framebuffer and it is choking
- however, looking back at Afterburner, they were at 99% usage in a straight line

- However, based on tests with 4870-X2, i am going to rerun one HD 5870 (reference) at 25x16 with 2xAA .. that should still work the GPU 100% but not be a hitching faltering mess

We are checking noise, so those settings may not make any difference as long as the GPU is maxed out. However, i will know when i drop down to 2xMSAA with HD 5870
(of course, i will try 2x and 8xMSAA on GTX 480 to compare/contrast the experience with the radeons)

 

[apoppin]

No matter how you look at it, there is a definite spin up with HD 4870-X2 that HD 5870 does not have. Very noticeable.

 

[Madcatatlas]

looking forward to seeing multiGPU becoming as native a solution as dualcore/multicoreCPU

 

[apoppin]

Aha! Apoppin, why is it that your Vantage score with the 480 is higher than the 5870 on stock cards? I thought it was ment to be the other way around.
I`ve previously asked why the 5870 scores higher in vantage and then i saw your scores!

i just retested it at stock GTX 480 speeds

21309 vs 21238 as in my chart .. within 70 Marks; well within any error margin of benching

i gotta say that my conclusions are completely different than KyleB's ... either his is defective, mine is extra cool and quiet, or he has become a noise princess due to living with a truly quiet card (5870) for the past 6 months

Nothing blew off of my desk, i did not need oven mitts to handle GTX 480 nor did it overheat the insides of my case; i could not hear it in the next room with the door closed .. it did not stand out as being louder than HD 4870-X2; yes, the HD 5870s are much quieter with the GPUs at full load.

GTX 480 is very comparable to HD 4870-X2 .. both raised my case temps after 20 minutes over *either* of the HD 5870s. GTX 480 got the case 3 degrees F hotter than the 4870-X2.

Both the GTX 480 and the HD 487-X2 have a definite "spin up"; the GTX 480 might be just the slightest bit more noticeable - in contrast to HD 5870 that barely spin up.

Wait for the video. i'd like to REtest GTX480 at 8xMSAA and HD 5870 at 2X AA in Crysis... it would make the HD 5870s look a lot smoother instead of lurching from frame to frame. But no matter what, each of the 4 video cards i tested was run for 20 minutes looping Crysis at 2560x1600 and they pegged the GPU at 100% usage. i got them each as loud as they ever goes IN GAMING.
Screw FurMark testing. it is just stupid to draw RW conclusions from using it.

 

[RussianSensation]

Screw FurMark testing. it is just stupid to draw RW conclusions from using it.

Ya I agree! The only other possible scenario where heat is a major concern would be distributed computing on a GPU. For those who use their card for Folding@Home or say ATI cards for Milkyway@Home distributed computing, the gaming situtation is then not the worst scenario. In Crysis, my card gets about 72*C at load and the fan speed is 32%. However, in Milkyway the ugly side of the 4890 comes out at 79*C and 38% fan speed. :thumbsdown: Not fun.

 

[GaiaHunter]

GTX 480 is very comparable to HD 4870-X2 .. both raised my case temps after 20 minutes over *either* of the HD 5870s. GTX 480 got the case 3 degrees F hotter than the 4870-X2.

And what about longer than 20 minutes? Any difference in temps?

20 minutes isn't exactly real world gameplay time.

 

[Madcatatlas]

And what about longer than 20 minutes? Any difference in temps?

20 minutes isn't exactly real world gameplay time.

OMG! more Mechwarrior fans! and on topic: heat is an issue for mechs too!

 

[MrK6]

OMG! more Mechwarrior fans! and on topic: heat is an issue for mechs too!

NVIDIA should have used CLAN Double Heatsinks on the GTX480

 

[Madcatatlas]

NVIDIA should have used CLAN Double Heatsinks on the GTX480

QUOTE of the CENTURY! permission to use in sig sir! lol

 

[apoppin]

And what about longer than 20 minutes? Any difference in temps?

20 minutes isn't exactly real world gameplay time.

20 minutes is all i videoed

You can leave it on forever. As long as your ambient temps remain the same and your case has great airflow like mine, it does not go up any further with GTX 480 although i let it loop a lot longer than 20 minutes. However, i did not bother to loop the HD 4870-X2 for longer than 20 minutes or so.

You basically have a single GPU with better performance than the HD 4870-X2 with about the same thermal characteristics and noise level. imo it is OK and fair trade off for performance. Others may disagree.

 

[3DVagabond]

Isn't Crysis VRAM limited at 2560x1600 at 4x MSAA? I'm thinking you'd be better off at 1920x1200 at 4x MSAA so that you can dodge that scenario.

No. We just crank the piss out of everything.

I'm sorry, apoppin. I've been following this a bit and trying not to comment negatively, because I know what you are doing is a lot of work. It's pretty useless though to do benchmarks where the only criteria is that everything is maxed out (more or less I do realize that there are some settings that aren't totally maxed).

I'd much rather have you tell me at what settings these cards can play these games at reasonably, rather than how badly they choke with unrealistic settings. Also comparing with the noisiest cards ever made isn't much of a test. Just compare the 480/470 with the 5870/5850 for comparison to current, direct competition. Then say against the GTX-285 to show if they have improved or gotten worse since there last generation. We would hope they improved and be competitive, wouldn't we? Not just be better than the worse ever made.

 

[apoppin]

No. We just crank the piss out of everything.

I'm sorry, apoppin. I've been following this a bit and trying not to comment negatively, because I know what you are doing is a lot of work. It's pretty useless though to do benchmarks where the only criteria is that everything is maxed out (more or less I do realize that there are some settings that aren't totally maxed).

I'd much rather have you tell me at what settings these cards can play these games at reasonably, rather than how badly they choke with unrealistic settings. Also comparing with the noisiest cards ever made isn't much of a test. Just compare the 480/470 with the 5870/5850 for comparison to current, direct competition. Then say against the GTX-285 to show if they have improved or gotten worse since there last generation. We would hope they improved and be competitive, wouldn't we? Not just be better than the worse ever made.

i do these settings because as time goes on, the settings that were impossible last generation are now possible and so on. The way i do it allows you to track hardware and driver changes back to when i first began benching.

i leave "real world" tests for the experts in that methodology like at HardOCP. Mine are the traditional benching methods that most sites use.

For the *audio* test, i basically loaded each video card to 100% usage by looping it at unrealistic settings in Crysis to get it as hot as possible in a gamelike situation for at least 20 minutes - then you *can compare* (2) HD 5870s (ref and non-ref) to GTX 480 and to HD 4870-X2 - the 3 cards i finally decided on.

i have to edit my video or you will be watching for hours just like i tested. i am just going to show you the video of the start up - when each card ramps up - and then the end of the test where you hear the card at the LOUDEST it will be in any game. Then we read the case temps. GTX 480 heats my case by about 3 degrees F more than with my HD 4870-X2 inside. Noise is so similar but neither are annoyingly loud - nor did i hear either of them in the next room with the door closed.

That is a real world test i performed early this morning in a silent house. And the GTX 480 is very similar to HD 4870-X2 in the amount of sound it produces with the same kind of "spin up" that the HD 5870 does not have.

When you say there should be improvement; there is - GTX 480 at stock beats the HD 5870 at stock - you are paying for the extra performance by $100 more and having more heat and noise. And if you overclock your HD 5870 to match GTX 480 you will run into your own noise and thermal issues. And of course, you can overclock GTX 480 further also.

Each card fits into its own price-performance category. They do not directly compete.

 

[Keysplayr]

No. We just crank the piss out of everything.

I'm sorry, apoppin. I've been following this a bit and trying not to comment negatively, because I know what you are doing is a lot of work. It's pretty useless though to do benchmarks where the only criteria is that everything is maxed out (more or less I do realize that there are some settings that aren't totally maxed).

I'd much rather have you tell me at what settings these cards can play these games at reasonably, rather than how badly they choke with unrealistic settings. Also comparing with the noisiest cards ever made isn't much of a test. Just compare the 480/470 with the 5870/5850 for comparison to current, direct competition. Then say against the GTX-285 to show if they have improved or gotten worse since there last generation. We would hope they improved and be competitive, wouldn't we? Not just be better than the worse ever made.

Also, I've noticed on past benches, people invariably ask "Why did you only test at 2xAA or 4xAA? Why not 8xAA???". And this applies to most game settings available. So, as Apoppin has done, I've cut to the chase and used full blast settings. As in "Can go no higher on anything". Might as well with cards this powerful. As was said, you should try HOCP for the "Best playable" settings in a given situation for a given card. They've been doing that for a few years now. I like their reviews.

 

[MrK6]

QUOTE of the CENTURY! permission to use in sig sir! lol

Lol, go for it. Glad to see there are fans around .

 

[3DVagabond]

I do read [H]ardOCP. You're right. I find the reviews very useful. We already know which card is faster. All of this is adding nothing useful to that, is all I'm saying.

 

[apoppin]

I do read [H]ardOCP. You're right. I find the reviews very useful. We already know which card is faster. All of this is adding nothing useful to that, is all I'm saying.

Yes, GTX 480 is faster but there is a penalty with heat and noise. i am *adding* that it is not noisier nor much hotter than a 4870-X2.

We all know the HD 5870 is cool and quiet at stock speeds.

 

[3DVagabond]

Why compare it with a 4870-X2? We already know that last gen ATI had heat problems. Are we trying to prove that because of that it's OK for current gen NV to have heat problems?

 

[Stoneburner]

This is sad. First, immediately before the previews of Fermi started, it was mentioned you'd likely need a new PSU to handle the card. Second, immediately after the reviews, fudzilla said that FERMI was okay on heat as long as you had a decent case! Brilliant! Buy a new case! Third, and hopefully last, we now need to buy houses with specific wood and sound insulation!.

 

[Voo]

Yes, GTX 480 is faster but there is a penalty with heat and noise. i am *adding* that it is not noisier nor much hotter than a 4870-X2.

Yeah and the 4870x2 really wasn't a card you wanted to have in your nice quiet PC.. actually the whole 48xx series wasn't that great at power and noise, I'm really glad that Ati worked on that. Also just because Nvidia had the infamous dustbuster the 4870x2 was still loud and hot - that excuse doesn't work in either case

Though I don't think it got as hot as Fermi with standard fan profiles, so it'd be more interesting to see how they stack up at comparable temperatures - if I don't have a problem with one card running @90° that should be the case for every card (anybody here uses the standard fan profiles? Imho those 15minutes with RivaTuner are worth every second)

 

[apoppin]

Why compare it with a 4870-X2? We already know that last gen ATI had heat problems. Are we trying to prove that because of that it's OK for current gen NV to have heat problems?

it did?

i don't remember anyone here complaining about 4870-X2 - it was ATI's flagship card for a LONG time
-- i really liked mine; perhaps that is also why i like GTX 480.

i would call it a failure if GTX 480 did not completely shame 4870-X2
- i would upgrade 4870-X2 to a GTX 480 on performance alone

Since it is not hotter and the TDP is about the same, i get a newer more powerful card that can run DX11

As to what i am trying to demonstrate is relative noise levels of HD 5870, GTX 480 and HD 4870-X2. From what some of you appear to believe, it is too hot to handle after you shut it off, it blows your papers off of your desk, and you can hear it in the next room with the doors shut.

Nope. it is not that loud.

 

[MrK6]

i would call it a failure if GTX 480 did not completely shame 4870-X2
- i would upgrade 4870-X2 to a GTX 480 on performance alone

Since it is not hotter and the TDP is about the same, i get a newer more powerful card that can run DX11

Wait, so you're impressed that it's possibly faster than almost two-year-old hardware? :hmm: Which is a funny point to bring up because it really doesn't "shame" a 4870X2; for instance: http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/nvidia_gtx480/4.htm (read the whole review, not just the page I linked to). People were impressed with the 4870X2 at the time because it was the performance king by a long shot. People were impressed by the 5870 because AMD took that same performance, cut the TDP in half, and made an incredibly overclockable, feature-rich, DX11 product. The GTX480 did none of this.

As to what i am trying to demonstrate is relative noise levels of HD 5870, GTX 480 and HD 4870-X2. From what some of you appear to believe, it is too hot to handle after you shut it off, it blows your papers off of your desk, and you can hear it in the next room with the doors shut.

Nope. it is not that loud.

Others disagree. There are numerous reviews on the net that have pointed out all of these facts (well, I dunno about "blowing papers off your desk," but the other two, yes).

 

[Keysplayr]

Lol, go for it. Glad to see there are fans around .

Mechwarrior fan here. Cannot wait for the new series!

 

[Dark4ng3l]

I always sucked at Mechwarrior. There was no way I could walk around and aim/shoot at the same time. Maybe it was the wrong game to attempt playing KB only.