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Quietest card?

T

Traxan

Senior member
It's getting time to upgrade from my GTX 670, and I'm as concerned about quiet running as performance. When I play StarCraft that PNY card sounds like a prop plane.

So who can recommend a card that doesn't roar under a load?
 
Buy a gtx970.. ~41.5db and about 2x faster than your 670.


From Tom's review.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nvidia-geforce-gtx-980-970-maxwell,3941-15.html

"The bottom line is positive when it comes to noise as well. No matter if you’re looking at Gigabyte’s card or the reference model, Maxwell can be cooled safely and quietly without resorting to liquid cooling during gaming."

Maxwell = gtx960, 970 or 980

I have a gtx960 Gigabyte G1 gaming and I don't think the fan has ever spun over 50%.
 
Last edited:
Traxan said:
It's getting time to upgrade from my GTX 670, and I'm as concerned about quiet running as performance. When I play StarCraft that PNY card sounds like a prop plane.

So who can recommend a card that doesn't roar under a load?
Click to expand...

It's not GPU-specific, really. Not all GTX 670s are created equal. (960s, 290s, etc.)

It just depends on the cooler and your case. The PNY cards I have had with blowers tend to run loud because those coolers tend to be loud. If you have a roomy case and a monster triple-fan cooler, they'll be tons quieter.

Aftermarket coolers are an option regardless - a 960 or 970 will dissipate what, like ~150w tops, right? There are even passive coolers that are rated for GPUs in that range.

Also, if you're willing to deal with higher-than-average-but-still-safe temps, you can tweak the maximum fan speed settings in the drivers.

You can look at the listings on Anandtech Bench for relative noise numbers:

http://anandtech.com/bench/GPU15/1239

But you'd probably have to go back to the review for the card in question to know the brand and type of cooler - I can only assume that when an OEM (ASUS, MSI, etc.) isn't mentioned, they're talking about a reference card.
 
Any MSI Gaming Card, ASUS Strix, or Gigabyte Windforce card will do fine...but MSI and ASUS are the quitest I think...at least the 970/980 variants.

ASUS Strix 970 is just 29db under full load

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/GTX_970_STRIX_OC/24.html

It is $269.99 after $30 rebate and probably the best buy for a GPU right now

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121899

Their 980 is 30db under full load

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/GTX_980_STRIX_OC/24.html

It is $430 after $40 rebate right now

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121905
 
$280 MSI Gaming or Asus Strix GTX970, but you are going to need to wait a bit until they come back in stock. Skip the 980 as it's overpriced and not worth it. Also, if you are happy with the performance of your existing card, you could just buy an after-market cooler or sell your card and buy a GTX950/960/R9 380 for $150. If you are mostly playing SC2, no need for a $280+ videocard.
 
I got a Corsair/MSI 980TI Hydro GFX for a SFF/HT build and it's amazingly quiet, it can't even be heard at 1 meter.
 
Just to close the loop on this, I got an Asus 970 Strix and it is dead silent. Such a relief from the roar of that 670. Thank you all for the recommendation.
 
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