Which AIB RX470 4GB or RX480 4GB do you think is the best value?

[cbn]

Going by current prices which AIB RX470 4GB or RX480 4GB do you think is the best value?

https://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709 601203793 601206485 600007787 8000&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&order=PRICE&page=1

As a point of reference the RX470 4GB and RX480 4GB reference designs are $159.99 AR FS (Sapphire) and $169.99 AR FS (MSI) respectively:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202230&ignorebbr=1 (Saphire reference RX470 4GB, $159.99 AR FS with 2 year warranty)

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814137082&ignorebbr=1 (MSI reference RX480 4GB, $169.99 AR FS with 3 year warranty)

Or do you think the reference design cards are the best value?

 

[Bacon1]

Reference are only good in limited cases or SLI/CFX.

In all other cases the non-blower design is much better at cooling and even getting the air out of the case.

But yes, warranty is a big one to consider if you are going to keep the card for a long time. If you can score one of the deals with a 470 for under $130 those are the best deals, or a 480 for under $150.

 

[cbn]

Here is a Newegg listing for a Power Color Red dragon RX480 4GB for $144.99 AR plus $4.99 shipping:

(It did sell out tonight)

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131706&ignorebb

Newegg review breakdown (out of 21 reviews):

5 eggs: 15 votes
4 eggs: 2 votes
3 eggs: 3 votes
2 eggs: 1 vote
1 egg: 0 votes

Not bad!

 

[Bouowmx]

Best value I guess is whichever is cheapest at the moment.

The major difference between the models is the power connector: 6-pin for maximum 150 W, or 8-pin for 225 W. I would step up to the AMD Radeon RX 480, given the small price difference between 470 and 480.

 

[cbn]

Best value I guess is whichever is cheapest at the moment.

Cheapest card right now is the $130 AR FS MSI RX470 4GB Armor:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814137076&ignorebbr=1

Now this card only has 5 reviews with the following breakdown:

5 eggs: 0
4 eggs: 3
3 eggs: 1
2 eggs: 1
1 egg: 0

This score distribution is not as good as the RX480 4GB from post #3 and the complaints relate to the cooler. However, when I look at the MSI RX470 OC 4GB Armor (which has the exact same cooler) the review distribution is much better:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814137050&ignorebbr=1

5 eggs: 17
4 eggs: 3
3 eggs: 4
2 eggs: 0
1 egg: 1

So probably the $130 MSI RX470 4GB is a pretty decent card.

 

[cbn]

Now here is a cheap card (Power Color Red Dragon RX470 4GB) that one of the reviewers mentions being set for a low TDP:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131705&ignorebbr=1

Cons: Throttles like crazy. This card is is designed to never run at the Advertised 1210 Core Clock, let alone a standard 1206 core. Why? See below.

Per the video bios unlike Any other RX 470 sold, not only is the Max Power limit only 85W but the TDC is only 74?? What kind of PCB and VRMs exactly are they using there? Aluminum Foil?
Want to know what those numbers are for the PowerColor Red Devil RX 470 whose clocks are only a tiny bit faster? Max Power 110W TDC 96 I looked at the video bioses from several other RX 470s and no other card has numbers like this or a Max Power limit set so low.

Oh did I mention unlike ANY other RX 470 the Power Control limit is only 5%? 5%??? For other RX 470's it's 50%

This card is designed from the factory to not be able to even meet performance levels of a Reference RX 470.
Solutions? If you just bought it, return it. If like me you are stuck with it your only way to get near the "advertised" 1210 clock with all applications is to hack the video bios and change the change power limit. Of course then you'll have to live with those consequences.

Feel free to read Tom's RX 470 review where they talk about another RX 470 that because of Power issues can't run at the Advertised core clock.

Can anyone confirm this? (I know the reference RX470 4GB is 120W)

EDIT: See post #11. It turns out I confused "power limit" with "TDP".

 

[cbn]

With the Power Color Red Dragon RX470 4GB (from post #6) reporting lower than stock TDP, I wonder if the Power Color Red Dragon RX480 4GB (linked in post #3) is also set to a lower TDP?

 

[Bouowmx]

I have a PowerColor Radeon RX 480 4 GB Red Dragon (2 fans, not 1: not identical to the product you linked from Newegg!). Power limit according to GPU-Z appears (?) to be normal 150 W; GPU-only power consumption averages 110 W (in Moo! Wrapper RC5 cryptography) and add memory and board inefficiencies to get close to 150 W.

P.S. PowerColor servers throwing HTTP 500.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I am gonna say that reference 480 is the better deal because it might have 8GB of VRAM.

 

[nitromullet]

I am gonna say that reference 480 is the better deal because it might have 8GB of VRAM.

I was actually wondering about that. Are these cards still going out with 8GB, or are they true 4GB cards now?

If not, I personally would go for something like this: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814137049&cm_re=RX_480-_-14-137-049-_-Product instead of that PowerColor card. It's only about $20 more, and the cooler looks like it would be much better.

 

[cbn]

I have a PowerColor Radeon RX 480 4 GB Red Dragon (2 fans, not 1: not identical to the product you linked from Newegg!). Power limit according to GPU-Z appears (?) to be normal 150 W; GPU-only power consumption averages 110 W (in Moo! Wrapper RC5 cryptography) and add memory and board inefficiencies to get close to 150 W.

P.S. PowerColor servers throwing HTTP 500.

According to this article the reference RX480 has a power limit of 110W. And this post (where I got the link from) claims power limit applies just to the GPU with the whole card capable of drawing more (like you say).

So I'm guessing a power limit of 85W for a RX470 is probably stock level and with VRAM and power delivery losses factored in the entire card's TDP would be the 120W that AMD advertises.

So it turns out I got the term "power limit" confused with TDP.

Power limit = Power drawn by just the GPU.
TDP= refers to the power drawn by all the components of a video card.

 

[crisium]

Are you looking to upgrade from your GTX 660, cbn?

 

[ElFenix]

TDP= refers to the power drawn by all the components of a video card.

no, that should also be power limit. TDP is a reference for cooling ability, not power draw. they're not the same. heck, some things may not even be cooled by the card's blower, so wouldn't count in TDP, but do count against the power limit.

 

[Shmee]

I am gonna say that reference 480 is the better deal because it might have 8GB of VRAM.

I agree, this. I think the reference designs all shipped with 8GB physically.

 

[ElFenix]

I agree, this. I think the reference designs all shipped with 8GB physically.

i'd suspect that since supplies of the necessary chips to make a 4gb card seem to be ok, that any recently made 4gb probably only has 4gb on it.

 

[poofyhairguy]

i'd suspect that since supplies of the necessary chips to make a 4gb card seem to be ok, that any recently made 4gb probably only has 4gb on it.

I can't find any confirmation though- not many people have bought reference 480s since the AIB cards came out. Personally at those prices I would take the risk, a 8GB 480 for $170 would be a steal.

 

[ElFenix]

I can't find any confirmation though- not many people have bought reference 480s since the AIB cards came out. Personally at those prices I would take the risk, a 8GB 480 for $170 would be a steal.

i dunno, i'm starting to find the fan on my ref 480 to be annoying,* so if it didn't unlock you'd have a 4gb 480 with a loud fan for more than the same as an aftermarket.



*but that's mining with it set to keeps the temps lower than stock. *shrug*

 

[Bacon1]

I can't find any confirmation though- not many people have bought reference 480s since the AIB cards came out. Personally at those prices I would take the risk, a 8GB 480 for $170 would be a steal.

Why hope when you can buy a Powercolor Red Devil 8GB version for $199 and it has a $20 MIR.

http://www.microcenter.com/product/468187/Radeon_RX_480_Red_Devil_OC_8GB_GDDR5_Video_Card

So $180 with better cooler

 

[zinfamous]

i'd suspect that since supplies of the necessary chips to make a 4gb card seem to be ok, that any recently made 4gb probably only has 4gb on it.

Yes, I think those 4gb--8gb reference cards were only part of the initial release. The only way to find a 4gb/8gb card at this point is probably on the used market

 

[cbn]

Are you looking to upgrade from your GTX 660, cbn?

Yes. This based on the experience I reported here.

 

[cbn]

no, that should also be power limit. TDP is a reference for cooling ability, not power draw. they're not the same. heck, some things may not even be cooled by the card's blower, so wouldn't count in TDP, but do count against the power limit.

That is what I thought too......but a RX470 with 85W total power draw?

And reference RX480 with 110W total power draw?

 

[ElFenix]

That is what I thought too......but a RX470 with 85W total power draw?

And reference RX480 with 110W total power draw?

What are you even asking?

 

[cbn]

What are you even asking?

See post #6.

Power limit ( a term used by the Polaris BIOS editior) is just for the GPU and TDP is the amount of cooling (and I thought power draw) required for the entire card.

 

[cbn]

The following RX470 8GB actually dropped to $154.99 plus $3.99 shipping:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814126163&ignorebbr=1

(That puts it in the range of RX480 4GB cards)

EDIT: Newegg reviews are a bit concerning, but there are only six of them so far.