Remember the Geforce FX days?

n7

Elite Member
Jan 4, 2004
21,281
4
81
This isn't my discovery; it's indirectly linked to in another thread here, but this truely deserves it's own thread.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWuSKXo98kE

I cried from laughing :laugh:

I never owned one [FX5800] myself, so i can't say for sure, but i would venture the HD 2900 XT's fan @ 100% comes pretty close :p
 

hans007

Lifer
Feb 1, 2000
20,212
18
81
Originally posted by: tuteja1986
old... almost all of them don't work at nvidia no more ;( i wonder why :!




seeing as nvidia stock is up like... 900% since that card came out... i'd assume they are all just filthy rich.
 

speckedhoncho

Member
Aug 3, 2007
156
0
0
A colleague told me there was a major design flaw of the FX cards that was resolved with the 6k series; does anyone remember what it was?
 

CP5670

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2004
5,660
762
126
That was great. :laugh: Did Nvidia actually make that video themselves?
 

Laminator

Senior member
Jan 31, 2007
852
2
91
Forget the HD 2900 XT. The X850 XT/X850 XT PE has an unbearably loud and grainy dual-slot cooler; I had to buy a custom cooler just to get rid of the noise.
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
Originally posted by: n7
but i would venture the HD 2900 XT's fan @ 100% comes pretty close :p

No, it doesn't. I have a 2900XT myself. Left on its own, the card almost never goes to 100%, and even when it does, its barely audible over other noises in the case and the game's normal sound.

The 2900XT fan is also a duller, lower pitch. It doesn't have that high pitch whine that other coolers have. My 1900XT was more audible, I think, though the only time it went to 100% was during the POST test.
 

n7

Elite Member
Jan 4, 2004
21,281
4
81
Originally posted by: Bateluer
Originally posted by: n7
but i would venture the HD 2900 XT's fan @ 100% comes pretty close :p

No, it doesn't. I have a 2900XT myself. Left on its own, the card almost never goes to 100%, and even when it does, its barely audible over other noises in the case and the game's normal sound.

The 2900XT fan is also a duller, lower pitch. It doesn't have that high pitch whine that other coolers have. My 1900XT was more audible, I think, though the only time it went to 100% was during the POST test.

Oh, i know the HD 2900 XT never goes up to 100%, but have you actually cranked yours up to 100%? ;)

I have.

Rivatuner reported 10,000 RPM when i did so, & it was certainly not barely audible lol :laugh:
It was more like everything else in the room became barely audible :p
 

RajunCajun

Senior member
Nov 30, 2000
213
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0
A colleague told me there was a major design flaw of the FX cards that was resolved with the 6k series; does anyone remember what it was?

DirectX 9 used Shader Model 2.0. Pixel Shader 2.0 (PS 2.0) called for 24 bit color applied to pixel shaders per Microsoft/DX9. This is exactly what ATI built into the R300 line. Nvidia didn't go along - FX cards ran at 16bit or 32 bit pixel shader, not 24 bit. If they ran at 16 bit performance was good but image quality was not up to R300 standards. They COULD run at 32 bit with better IQ, but performance was horrendous IN CERTAIN GAMES. Half Life 2 (and all spin offs using the source engine) was a prime example. By default FX cards run under DX8 under source - DX9 you will get you single digit FPS! Other games (like Halo PC) ran PS 2.0 very well because of driver tweaks by Nvidia. However, they were never able to resolve source-powered games using this. FX will run older games great, but for most new stuff in last couple years it's not worth getting.

Geforce6 gpus ran SM2.0 using 24 bit color (like R300 and all subsequent ATI gpus) and performance was greatly enhanced.
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
Originally posted by: n7

Oh, i know the HD 2900 XT never goes up to 100%, but have you actually cranked yours up to 100%? ;)

I have.

Rivatuner reported 10,000 RPM when i did so, & it was certainly not barely audible lol :laugh:
It was more like everything else in the room became barely audible :p

Yes, I cranked it up to 100% when I first got the card. It was loud, and I could hear it over the other parts of my computer, but not enough to really annoy me. It still had a lot lower pitch compared to my X1900XT, which also made it easier on the senses. My computer has a lot o devices in it though, with plenty of other fans cooling various parts. It always has a dull fan sound when its on.

My hearing is probably damaged in that range regardless. The equipment where I work has many fans of varying designs cooling it which run almost 24/7. After years of working in that environment, I'd be shocked if I didn't lose some hearing.
 

honestjohn

Member
Nov 29, 2006
107
0
0
Originally posted by: n7

I have.

Rivatuner reported 10,000 RPM when i did so, & it was certainly not barely audible lol :laugh:
It was more like everything else in the room became barely audible :p

Yeah, I did it myself once using Rivatuner. Just ONCE. I immediately stopped it because it sounded like it was going to break. I previously had a X1950 Pro AGP cranked up to 100% and that thing didn't bother me at all. But this? It's obviously designed not to work at full throttle.
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
34,890
1
0
alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: honestjohn
Originally posted by: n7

I have.

Rivatuner reported 10,000 RPM when i did so, & it was certainly not barely audible lol :laugh:
It was more like everything else in the room became barely audible :p

Yeah, I did it myself once using Rivatuner. Just ONCE. I immediately stopped it because it sounded like it was going to break. I previously had a X1950 Pro AGP cranked up to 100% and that thing didn't bother me at all. But this? It's obviously designed not to work at full throttle.

mine is ... it is incredibly stable and silent
--for the *sheer volume* of air it moves :p
--- but yeah, it actually startled me

you can feel the exhaust behind the case and i think the fan is designed for some serious OC'ing ... the next step would be water cooling and i think that is where AMD's partners should go for completely noiseless hi-performance video cards.
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
126
Originally posted by: n7
Originally posted by: Bateluer
Originally posted by: n7
but i would venture the HD 2900 XT's fan @ 100% comes pretty close :p

No, it doesn't. I have a 2900XT myself. Left on its own, the card almost never goes to 100%, and even when it does, its barely audible over other noises in the case and the game's normal sound.

The 2900XT fan is also a duller, lower pitch. It doesn't have that high pitch whine that other coolers have. My 1900XT was more audible, I think, though the only time it went to 100% was during the POST test.

Oh, i know the HD 2900 XT never goes up to 100%, but have you actually cranked yours up to 100%? ;)

I have.

Rivatuner reported 10,000 RPM when i did so, & it was certainly not barely audible lol :laugh:
It was more like everything else in the room became barely audible :p

I guess you play your games with no sound then
 

Matt2

Diamond Member
Jul 28, 2001
4,762
0
0
Originally posted by: apoppin
Originally posted by: honestjohn
Originally posted by: n7

I have.

Rivatuner reported 10,000 RPM when i did so, & it was certainly not barely audible lol :laugh:
It was more like everything else in the room became barely audible :p

Yeah, I did it myself once using Rivatuner. Just ONCE. I immediately stopped it because it sounded like it was going to break. I previously had a X1950 Pro AGP cranked up to 100% and that thing didn't bother me at all. But this? It's obviously designed not to work at full throttle.

mine is ... it is incredibly stable and silent
--for the *sheer volume* of air it moves :p
--- but yeah, it actually startled me

you can feel the exhaust behind the case and i think the fan is designed for some serious OC'ing ... the next step would be water cooling and i think that is where AMD's partners should go for completely noiseless hi-performance video cards.

I hope we're not headed towards WC as a requirement. I have a WC loop, but would rather not add a video card to it.