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GTX 480 or HD 6950?

GoogalyMoogaly

GoogalyMoogaly

GoogalyMoogaly

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Hi all, me again!

I'm sorry if everyone is sick of my questions as I strive (lazily) to get my Water-cooled PC operating satisfactorily.
So after killing my 5870 (presumably while attaching the water-block) I want a new graphics card.

I think my best options are between a GTX 480 and 6950.
I also think my best option is to water-cool it (partly due to motherboard issues and partly as I have 2 x 240mm rads which seem overkill for a CPU only loop).

So now for my questions...
Am I right in thinking that the 6950 runs coolest and as a result dumps less heat into the water loop?
Am I also right in thinking that the GPUs, even when idle may increase the CPU temps due to the extra heat? (My CPU (Phenom II X6 1055T @ 3.5GHz) currently hits nearly 40c after about 10 minutes of Prime95)
Not a problem with the 480s, but I'm struggling to tell which 6950s are reference design (so the water block will fit) and if any of them still unlock to 6970s. What's the cheapest price I can get a reference 2GB 6950?

I don't think there's too much difference in price, I believe the 480 performs slightly better, but the 6950 runs cooler.

My gut is telling me to go for a 6950 and XSPC Razor 6970 waterblock.
What do you guys think?

Also in the back of my head is the idea of getting a new motherboard (like the Asus Crosshair IV Formula currently on offer), stripping back my WC loop to just do the CPU and then getting the MSI 6950 OC Twin FrozR III Power Edition. This feels like a backwards step, but I'm wondering if it would be easier in the long run.

Thanks for any help and you patience with my questions.
 
Out of interest, has anyone used the XSPC Razor 6970 block? I can't find any reviews of it.

What's it like to fit?

What's the VRM cooling like? I think I've read that the 480 block does good VRM cooling, but not sure if this one is as good?

Wondering if the EK block would be better, but the block I used when I killed my 5870 was EK. Not saying they're bad blocks, but wondering if it was when I mounted that block (something about the mounting system?) that I killed the 5870.
 
if you do get the 480 you will want to water cool it fast, my one has major cooling issues, to the extent i had to attach a twin frozr 2 from a 580 onto it
 
If I get a 480 it will be watercooled for sure due to the heat issues you've mentioned. My worry is that the 480 will run a lot hotter than the 6950, heating up my loop more, meaning I need the fans spinning faster, meaning more noise.

I was hoping watercooling would mean it was quiet, but it really isn't even close... :(
 
not the quite the same thing but my 6970 runs hotter than my asus gtx480 while gaming , not sure why they run hot for some people but the asus gtx480 i have only reaches a max of 87c while running furmark
 
I'm wondering if 480s actually produce more heat than say a 6950/6970 or if the reference cooler is just not as good leading to temps being higher.

If it's the later then watercooling should be fine, if it's the former then I suspect a 480 would heat the whole loop up more than a 6950 would.
 
GoogalyMoogaly said:
If I get a 480 it will be watercooled for sure due to the heat issues you've mentioned. My worry is that the 480 will run a lot hotter than the 6950, heating up my loop more, meaning I need the fans spinning faster, meaning more noise.

I was hoping watercooling would mean it was quiet, but it really isn't even close... :(
Click to expand...

What fans are you using in your loop out of curiosity?
 
jinxpad said:
What fans are you using in your loop out of curiosity?
Click to expand...

4 x Akasa Vipers connected to a Scythe fan controller (thus controlled via voltage).
Also have 4 x Akasa Apaches as case fans, but currently they can't be heard over the Vipers.

daveash said:
This. My 480 SE is a decent amount quicker than my brother's unlocked 6950 and runs cooler to boot. If you're watercooling, a 480 provides better value as long as your PSU is good enough.
Click to expand...

Currently using a Antec TruePower 750W, so I think it should be fine. Currently running a 4870x2, so I imagine power draw is similar.

Since the 480 is only a single GPU compared to the 4870x2's dual GPU, will it dump less heat into the loop? I'm thinking it should.
 
I run a 480 under water and do some sessions of gaming and max it reaches is 56c, my i5 750 hits about a max of 60c in the same loop
 
I would say bear in mind his chip is an AMD so alledgely likes temps to be below 62C I think (Going on memory). Hopefully he has a decent W/C setup though.
 
It does seem like the 480 is quite a clear favourite here, it also works out the cheapest.

But as Scougar says, I'm worried about my CPU getting too warm because of the 480 heat output. That's really the only thing holding me back here now.
 
GoogalyMoogaly said:
It does seem like the 480 is quite a clear favourite here, it also works out the cheapest.

But as Scougar says, I'm worried about my CPU getting too warm because of the 480 heat output. That's really the only thing holding me back here now.
Click to expand...

imo 2 x 240mm rads should be able to handle a CPU and a GTX480, if you have appropriate flux in your loop (i.e. the pump can afford the extra resistance by introducing a waterblock for graphics card into the loop)

Take the following example, 3 x 120mm rad can handle 2 x GTX480 decently:

n-furmark-835.jpg
 
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