Worth Getting a GTX 460 768/1gb over HD 5770?

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

Chiropteran

Diamond Member
Nov 14, 2003
9,811
110
106
I'll correct myself slightly:

I agree with almost everything you wrote, but I think it is also worth noting that the 5850 uses less power than the 460 and is a faster card, overall, although in some benchmarks the 460 does about the same or slightly better. In some cases the higher performing card uses less power :) Also, the 5830 uses more power and runs slower. I'm not even sure why it even exists, but I guess it fits a niche for some people who want a cheap card and don't care about heat.

The difference between a 460 and 5850 is smaller than the difference between a 5770 and 460, but the price difference is only some $40 or so too. (Based on newegg)

The 460 GPU is great, best thing nvidia has put out in a long time IMO, but it's not as efficient as some posters in this thread are trying to imply.
 

jvroig

Platinum Member
Nov 4, 2009
2,394
1
81
The 460 GPU is great, best thing nvidia has put out in a long time IMO, but it's not as efficient as some posters in this thread are trying to imply.
If someone tried to imply they were efficient to the point of Radeon 5xxx levels, then they are flat out wrong.

But, while not as efficient as the current Radeons (we'll pretend the 5830 abomination does not exist, because it shouldn't), the efficiency is not bad enough to warrant being a "negative" so that citing "5770 is far more efficient / less power hog" becomes in any way material to the topic. Of course the 5770 uses less power - it's a slower card.
 

Phynaz

Lifer
Mar 13, 2006
10,140
819
126
Please do your homework before making poor recommendations. The 460 is a different design from the 465, 470, 480 with much lower power use and heat generation.

It sounds like you bought the wrong card for yourself too.

<== (still happy with my 4870)

I bought my 5770 in May.
 

jvroig

Platinum Member
Nov 4, 2009
2,394
1
81
If such a minor difference in temps and/or power consumption is troublesome for you, then that implies you are limited by your PSU or case. By that same logic, someone with even less capable PSU and/or case will say something like the 5670 is better, or more efficient, or that the performance delta of higher-performning cards are not worth it.

That's certainly plausible, and I'm sure people with small cases and small PSUs will realistically be limited like that, but in the context of this thread, heat and power consumption is not a significant advantage of the 5770 vs the GTX 460. Unless your machine can only barely run a 5770, it should have no problem with a GTX 460. And since the GTX 460, as mentioned, suffers from no unreasonable power consumption or heat output, it's not really a factor to take into account in a battle between 5770 and GTX 460.

If you chose the 5770 because it is what your PSU or case can accomodate, then it is indeed the perfect choice for you. But that is a far cry from citing "heat" as something to consider between 5770 or GTX 460, as it implies the GTX 460 somehow bears the same stigma as the earlier 480/470/465.
 

Patrick Wolf

Platinum Member
Jan 5, 2005
2,443
0
0
If a 460 is an option you'd be out of your mind to get a 5770. The hell with a small heat and power increase when performance is much better + you don't have to deal with ATI's drivers where YMMV.
 

Wreckage

Banned
Jul 1, 2005
5,529
0
0
Yes, really. What you just linked to shows a 460 consuming 50w more than a 5770. That's 50w more heat you have blowing (hopefully) out of your case.

Not all power gets turned into heat. :rolleyes:

Not to mention that at idle they use the same amount of power and I checked the link and I don't see where you got 50W from.
 
Last edited:

Red Storm

Lifer
Oct 2, 2005
14,233
234
106
It's very simple OP.

Get the best card that you can afford. If you can afford the better card, why bother considering the lesser one?
 

Patrick Wolf

Platinum Member
Jan 5, 2005
2,443
0
0
It's very simple OP.

Get the best card that you can afford. If you can afford the better card, why bother considering the lesser one?

QFT. It's like buying a 32" TV cause you thought it would suffice, then later wish you had gotten the 42".
 

edplayer

Platinum Member
Sep 13, 2002
2,186
0
0
Not to mention that at idle they use the same amount of power and I checked the link and I don't see where you got 50W from.


that link show 40 watts (768MB) and 46 watts for the 1GB version. maybe he isn't that good at math.


I like power efficient cards and was considering the 5770. Ended up getting the GTX 460/768MB because I got a really good deal on it. I only game less than 10&#37; of the time so I was OK with its load power use.
 

nenforcer

Golden Member
Aug 26, 2008
1,782
24
81
You've waited too long. 6 months ago the 5770 was a clear cut winner in the $170 - $180 range.

Now that the new GTX 460 is out for your resolution and longevity needs it is the clear cut winner.

Unless, however, you can hold out until October when HD 6000 is suppose to be announced for availability in November.
 

Phynaz

Lifer
Mar 13, 2006
10,140
819
126
If such a minor difference in temps and/or power consumption is troublesome for you, then that implies you are limited by your PSU or case.

I'm not limited by either of those.

I'm limited by my dislike of sitting in an island of heat, and the annoying sound of fans whining.

50w is minor to you. Not to some other people. I don't know why that is such a big deal for you.
 

Wreckage

Banned
Jul 1, 2005
5,529
0
0
I'm not limited by either of those.

I'm limited by my dislike of sitting in an island of heat, and the annoying sound of fans whining.

50w is minor to you. Not to some other people. I don't know why that is such a big deal for you.

You are probably better off with integrated graphics.


As for the heat issue, you are wrong.
 

Wreckage

Banned
Jul 1, 2005
5,529
0
0
Prove it. Where else does the power go besides heat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_of_energy

First: The Conservation of Energy (at least as discussed in the wiki article) refers to energy in an isolated system. Of which a graphics card is not.

Second. It merely states that energy can not be destroyed it can merely change form. Such as electric to kinetic energy (say in the fan of the graphics card). Where does it empirically state that all electrical energy must be converted into heat.

Are you saying a 50W fan will generate the same amount of heat as say...a 50W lightbulb?
 

Phynaz

Lifer
Mar 13, 2006
10,140
819
126
I'll tell you what. You calculate how much power of GTX460 is converted into kinetic energy. It's far, far less than 1&#37;.

And I'm saying the all the power used by a GPU is converted into heat. Unless Nvidia is making chips that move around these days.

I'm done arguing with you. Go ahead and toast your legs with your Thermi GPU's. I'll stay comfortable thanks.
 

Wreckage

Banned
Jul 1, 2005
5,529
0
0
I'm done arguing with you. Go ahead and toast your legs with your Thermi GPU's. I'll stay comfortable thanks.

LOL

How much heat is generated by your PSU, motherboard, CPU, sound card, hard drive, etc?

Do you actually think any of these cards we discussed could noticeably alter room temperature? Wow :eek:

You are clearly just making a mountain out of an ant hill here. I'm not surprised you want an early exit out of this discussion.
 

videopho

Diamond Member
Apr 8, 2005
4,185
29
91
Get the 460 like I just did.
It runs cool and very respectable at 1900 in 3d mode.
BFBC2 is over 20fps average
Juts Cause 2 is 25 fps average.
Setting is medium high on both games.
Both are in 3d fps.
 

Skurge

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2009
5,195
1
71
LOL

How much heat is generated by your PSU, motherboard, CPU, sound card, hard drive, etc?

Do you actually think any of these cards we discussed could noticeably alter room temperature? Wow :eek:

You are clearly just making a mountain out of an ant hill here. I'm not surprised you want an early exit out of this discussion.

You haven't really taken part in this discussion (as usual), all you did was say his wrong. Good one
 

Skurge

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2009
5,195
1
71
Get the 460 like I just did.
It runs cool and very respectable at 1900 in 3d mode.
BFBC2 is over 20fps average
Juts Cause 2 is 25 fps average.
Setting is medium high on both games.
Both are in 3d fps.

20/25fps seriously? and you enjoy your games that way?

I haven't used 3d in games, but at that speed it cant be much fun, you might wanna get a 2nd 460
 

videopho

Diamond Member
Apr 8, 2005
4,185
29
91
20/25fps seriously? and you enjoy your games that way?

I haven't used 3d in games, but at that speed it cant be much fun, you might wanna get a 2nd 460

those are average measured by FRAPs.
Otherwise the games are very playable.
2nd 460 would help but will wait due to $$$ constraints
 

Attic

Diamond Member
Jan 9, 2010
4,282
2
76
What do you guys think about going with a 460 over a 5750 or 5770 for use with a PhenomX3@2.7ghz for gaming at 1920x1080? Currently using a 4830 with the phenom, but want to upgrade the graphics and monitor.

The phenom's weren't highly regarded, but this thing does match a wolfdale at 3ghz in CineBench 10. Hoping the tricore shows improved gaming performance over what the reviews of this chip showed at the time of it's release when most games were still struggling to take advantage of dual cores.

I can't afford to do mobo/cpu/ram upgrade in addition to gpu/monitor.