Report: graphics cards and thermal characteristics

[IlllI]

http://www.behardware.com/arti...l-characteristics.html



updated testing done with

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Radeon HD 5850: [/FONT]http://www.behardware.com/articles/747-11/report-graphics-cards-and-thermal-characteristics.html

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Radeon HD 5870: [/FONT]http://www.behardware.com/articles/747-13/report-graphics-cards-and-thermal-characteristics.html

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]GeForce GTX 460: [/FONT]http://www.behardware.com/articles/747-22/maj-dossier-cartes-graphiques-degagement-thermique.html

(there are others you can find by clicking on 'review index' in the upper right corner)

 

[error8]

Very very nice link here. It's a bookmark.:thumbsup:

It's surprising how the solder on these cards doesn't melt, at the temperatures they're hitting.

 

[Idontcare]

Most lead-free solders have melting points >150C, and certainly the ones used in IC packaging do.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solder#Lead-free_solder

That's not to say the mechanical properties of the solder are not comprimised by the elevated temps and corresponding increase in shear stress from CTE mismatch between PCB and IC package. (e.g. NV's problems a year ago)

These things are intentionally actively cooled to these temperature regimes for an engineering reason, no cooler (needless expense) and not hotter (reliability issue).

 

[MrK6]

Excellent read, thanks for posting. I especially enjoyed how they showed numerous thermographs for each card, they really went all out.

 

[cbn]

Originally posted by: IlllI
http://www.behardware.com/arti...l-characteristics.html

One thing this article makes clear (to me anyway) is that ATI needs to reduce their idle power consumption.

Whatever Nvidia did with the GTX 200 cards ATI should do also.

 

[fffblackmage]

Originally posted by: Just learning

Originally posted by: IlllI
http://www.behardware.com/arti...l-characteristics.html

One thing this article makes clear (to me anyway) is that ATI needs to reduce their idle power consumption.

Whatever Nvidia did with the GTX 200 cards ATI should do also.

Did ATI try to do the lower idle power consumption thing first? I remember that was one of the big features with the x1950xt's; lower voltages and frequencies in 2d mode. I don't remember when nVidia tried lowering idle power consumption.

If ATI was first, I'm surprised they haven't done much since then on improving this.

 

[brblx]

i'd like to see them use a card with the larger g92 or a g80, those would top just about anything else in temps, i would think.

 

[error8]

Originally posted by: Just learning

Originally posted by: IlllI
http://www.behardware.com/arti...l-characteristics.html

One thing this article makes clear (to me anyway) is that ATI needs to reduce their idle power consumption.

Weird thing is why this hasn't been done already? It's so easy to use a program like ATi Tray tools to drop the voltage of the gpu and frequencies and yet, ATi engineers didn't thought about doing this from the beginning. It's like they didn't care about power consumption in idle. 4890 saw an important drop in idle consumption, but 4870 heated up like crazy.

 

[Sylvanas]

Originally posted by: Just learning

Originally posted by: IlllI
http://www.behardware.com/arti...l-characteristics.html

One thing this article makes clear (to me anyway) is that ATI needs to reduce their idle power consumption.

Whatever Nvidia did with the GTX 200 cards ATI should do also.

They have, the 4890 reduces power consumption quite considerably over the 4870. Interesting read.

 

[MrK6]

Originally posted by: error8Weird thing is why this hasn't been done already? It's so easy to use a program like ATi Tray tools to drop the voltage of the gpu and frequencies and yet, ATi engineers didn't thought about doing this from the beginning. It's like they didn't care about power consumption in idle. 4890 saw an important drop in idle consumption, but 4870 heated up like crazy.

I wonder as well. I think one of the main problems is that a good amount of heat at idle comes from the GDDR5 RAM of the higher end cards not downclocking. However, if it down clocks it'll flicker, and I think your average consumer would raise all hell if the image flickered every time it switched from 2D to 3D and back.

 

[error8]

Originally posted by: MrK6

Originally posted by: error8Weird thing is why this hasn't been done already? It's so easy to use a program like ATi Tray tools to drop the voltage of the gpu and frequencies and yet, ATi engineers didn't thought about doing this from the beginning. It's like they didn't care about power consumption in idle. 4890 saw an important drop in idle consumption, but 4870 heated up like crazy.

I wonder as well. I think one of the main problems is that a good amount of heat at idle comes from the GDDR5 RAM of the higher end cards not downclocking. However, if it down clocks it'll flicker, and I think your average consumer would raise all hell if the image flickered every time it switched from 2D to 3D and back.

Yes, underclocking ddr5 lowers the power consumption a lot, but still, gpu undervolting and underclocking in idle, means a lot for power consumption too. Oh well, let's hope they've learned their lesson and from now on, every ATI card will be cold in idle.

 

[IlllI]

Originally posted by: MrK6
Excellent read, thanks for posting. I especially enjoyed how they showed numerous thermographs for each card, they really went all out.

yep so did i. its the first time i've seen such a comprehensive review

 

[IlllI]

updated with new models. see first post

 

[solofly]

You won't see many nvidia fanboys in this thread...lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Elfear]

Impressed with the GTX 460 and 5000 series cards. Lol at the GTX 480 and 480 SLI shots.

 

[Will Robinson]

You won't see many nvidia fanboys in this thread...lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Note how all the NV posts lately have been about how GTX480 and Cypress are "essentially the same" regarding noise and heat output.
The damage control teams have been working overtime on almost every tech forum across the Net.
The testing at that site basically exposes that as BS.
Very good article....almost worthy of a sticky.:whiste: