HD 6870 & HD 6850 vs. GTX 460 1GB: An Overclocking Study

[wolvers]

The issue is there are many parrots around that keep repeating the same old same old over and over, and refusing to take in anything new from what the people that ACTUALLY own the GTX470 have to say.

Is that aimed at me? I've heard a 470, and compared it with a 5850, so I know exactly how it sounds, although I would say that I'm more sensitive to noisy coolers than some might be. From what I heard, I wouldn't agree with Raven. 35% on a 5850 is not that loud at all. 60% on a 470 certainly is!

Still, that review shows that the 470 is the hottest card and is running at stock so it would be very normal to look at that and decide that it's obviously not up to the job of clocking that card to it's full potential. That's why I feel that an aftermarket cooler is needed for overclocking the 470 properly. I would say that it's probably worth the extra few quid though and if, like you say, the Twin Frozr II is £205 then that could have been in the review and is probably the best buy for that price range.

It would be best to be put alongside the noise measurements to be more conclusive though, which they seem to of left out of that review.

 

[Badfish]

I've got a 6870, it does run very nicely and quietly! When I first plugged in my PC with the 6870 instead of my old card, I thought my PC wasnt starting as it made no noise at all, but it was booting just fine! Even with the fan at 50% its still quite quiet. I'm glad to see its scoring well on these test, its a good card for sure.

 

[Mr Krugga]

Yeah 60% on a 470/480 is nowhere near as load as a 5850/5870 stock cooler at the same speed. In fact 60% on a 470/480 is quieter than a 5850/5870 at 35%.

The first statement is correct, the second statement is just a load of crap. Yes, I compared the two.

Tell me, what is the fan speed (rpm) for your GTX480 at 60%? I assume you're still using a stock cooler?

GPU-Z screenshot please.

 

[TheRealDeal]

Just done a run through of the dirt 2 benchmark at hc's settings to see what i would get on my 6870 at stock and my results were 74 average and 57 minimum which beats there top 6870oc results. They have a very similar setup to mine so i don't understand how there stock 6870 can be so far behind my card at stock.

 

[OLDPHART]

Yes there certainly are some bias involve, but it is the same for the side that are bias AGAINST the GTX470 and exegurate the whole noise and heat issue. I don't think anyone with GTX470 claim the card is silent or very cool running, but it certainly not as loud and hot as some people making it out to be or want you to believe.

+1 > Don't forget they are testing the GPU on the mobo in the open in a review, not when it's in a case and depending on the case + air flow + sound proofing, thus would improve cooling and sound levels, whether it be a 6870 or 5870/470/460...

 

[Mr Krugga]

+1 > Don't forget they are testing the GPU on the mobo in the open in a review, not when it's in a case and depending on the case + air flow + sound proofing, thus would improve cooling and sound levels, whether it be a 6870 or 5870/470/460...

That's not entirely true. Some reviewers test a cooler's noise which can only be reliable in open case conditions, others will do it in real life conditions to test the noise of a card.

 

[OLDPHART]

The main reason they don't test a GPU in a case is because there are to many different one's, so they test in the open, as some case's are better than other's at masking sound levels. Can't remember the last time l'v read a review of a GPU being tested in a case!!!!

 

[Big.Wayne]

It does seem odd to include the stock 470 but not overclocked. I suppose you'd have to include the cost of another cooler as the stock one is so awful and it's hitting 90c at stock clocks. Shame there's no noise figures to go with those temps, it'd give you an idea of whether there's any head room for increasing the fan speeds on those coolers.

Just look at those high numbers in Temperatures and Power consumption - Nothing else gets close

 

[Basill]

Clear winner looks to me to be the OC'd 460 gtx. Cheap, cool, low power, tops some charts and is only 3-5 fps out on others.

 

[Big.Wayne]

 

[Greebo]

Clear winner looks to me to be the OC'd 460 gtx. Cheap, cool, low power, tops some charts and is only 3-5 fps out on others.

Tbh, there is only a few frames in it with any of them

But I would have to agree, if overclocking the gtx460 beats the 6850 and is the better buy and for the price premium the 6870 is, it's not worth the extra.

Of course, I will still say as a owner of two of them that getting my gtx470's for £165 each less £20 and £16 for selling the Mafia vouchers so really only costing £147 each, then so long as you have the cooling and the psu, nothing comes close to an overclocked gtx470 especially in SLI.

My single overclocked gtx470 beats a stock gtx480 and together they are awesome, eating a gtx580 for breakfast.

 

[wolvers]

I always felt that my 5850 xfire set up was, for a while at least, a bargain for £390 but that 470 sli setup of yours is a right billy bargain for £300.

 

[Basill]

Sli 470's at under £300 is huge performance for the price, you must be happy

 

[Greebo]

Sli 470's at under £300 is huge performance for the price, you must be happy

Very! And the two waterblocks only cost me another £95 (one new and one 2nd hand)

 

[robgmun]

Nice to see the 460 hold it's own when OC (which most of us have)

 

[wolvers]

Very! And the two waterblocks only cost me another £95 (one new and one 2nd hand)

So you got the whole set up for what my two 5850s cost me?..........that's you off my xmas card list.

 

[flopper]

6850 crossfire 940/1150mhz average 110fps at 5760x1080 with 4.23hz i7, couldnt be happier.

 

[setter]

Running sli GTX 470's here, reference cooler gigabyte cards, clocked at 750mhz each, noise isnt a problem tbh, i use auto fan, temps in game hit 77-76, fan speed rarely rises above 50% so still very quiet, when testing manual fan settings, i found 60% plus to get a bit noisy, for cooling i bodge mounted a 120mm fan behind the cards. Absolute bargain for the two of them, worked out at £259.00 after selling my GTX 275's and a mafia 2 code.

My gpu cooling mod.

This is a temporary measure until i manufacture a fan holder.

 

[Rroff]

Aslong as the fans stay below 60-65% on my 470s (which they usually do with gaming) I can't hear them above the PSU. Granted they are NOT quiet in furmarks but who runs furmarks daily?

 

[setter]

I used to set them to 70% and use nc headphones so i didnt notice the noise, just leave them on auto now, theyre actually quieter and cooler running than my gtx 275's were. Only ran furmark once, got bored with it pretty quickly.