Zotac
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***THE OFFICIAL GTX480/470 END USER REVIEW THREAD***
- Thread starter stulid
- Start date
Zotac
Do you say this because the card comes with a 5 year warranty? If this is that case it is going to go out the window as soon as you rip the cooler off to put on a waterblock. Is there any other reason why it should come out on top. What makes it better than all the others, why the price hike?
Exactly. People's hearing ability is not standard like the sound of the 480. One person's silent is another person's deafening.
I've gotten used to the hum of my pc but my sister thinks it's real loud and annoying.
Associate
Most of the fuss in reviews was because people were recording the volumes right beside the fan in an open case. Admittedly a lot of you sit next to your PC on your desk but usually a meter from the fan at the back, and it points away from you.
Hope you guys are right about the temps
- I am sticking my new 480GTX in a HTPC desktop case under my TV cabinet 
Should arrive today. Hope to add a second in a few months for SLi 
With any luck and enough fans I might even be able to put the case lid back on
(...though I don't really see the need for most HTPCs which sit in shelves - as you can only normally see the front plate. However mine is a nice big open shelf custom built for the PC to have lots of airflow)
Hope you guys are right about the temps
- I am sticking my new 480GTX in a HTPC desktop case under my TV cabinet Should arrive today. Hope to add a second in a few months for SLi With any luck and enough fans I might even be able to put the case lid back on
(...though I don't really see the need for most HTPCs which sit in shelves - as you can only normally see the front plate. However mine is a nice big open shelf custom built for the PC to have lots of airflow)
Associate
After a load of fuss on my part between the 5870 and the 480, I have gone with the latter because the GFX are better in Just Cause 2...
Yes, that's right! I've gone for the NVIDIA option because I want that little bit of extra GFX goodness in games that support such things as CUDA.
I will report here in the next couple of weeks on my impressions of this card... ... ...
Yes, that's right! I've gone for the NVIDIA option because I want that little bit of extra GFX goodness in games that support such things as CUDA.
I will report here in the next couple of weeks on my impressions of this card... ... ...
Associate
Finally got my 480GTX (had to collect from DPL courier's depot 30miles away as they didn't have time to deliver it next day 
) Turns out the OCUK one is a Sparkle brand, but looks nice in blue, matches my mobo.
Benchmarking it now in old rig IP35pro with Q6600 at 3.6Ghz - Stone giant gave me improvement from 60fps on 280 GTX -> 100 fps at 1920x1080, then turned on depth of field and high tesselation and still managed 52 fps average
Amusingly couldn't get PC to post initially with the 480 - error code 25 for PCI problem (GPU). I have a 750W thermaltake that should be adequate (only 2 HDs and one optical drive.) I figured it was insufficient power so tried different connectors off the PSU including two 6 pin into one 8 pin adaptor but none of that worked (despite having same inputs on the GTX 280)
Eventually plugged in the new 1000w coolermaster which ran it first time (slightly nervous now as i bought that for future SLi, and is only 250W more but i guess it is the amps down each rail that matters, plus new mobo is SLI ready so more juice via PCI-e.)
Will post later with benchy results for old rig = 280, new rig + 280, old rig + 480 and new rig + 480 for your viewing pleasure
) Turns out the OCUK one is a Sparkle brand, but looks nice in blue, matches my mobo.Benchmarking it now in old rig IP35pro with Q6600 at 3.6Ghz - Stone giant gave me improvement from 60fps on 280 GTX -> 100 fps at 1920x1080, then turned on depth of field and high tesselation and still managed 52 fps average
Amusingly couldn't get PC to post initially with the 480 - error code 25 for PCI problem (GPU). I have a 750W thermaltake that should be adequate (only 2 HDs and one optical drive.) I figured it was insufficient power so tried different connectors off the PSU including two 6 pin into one 8 pin adaptor but none of that worked (despite having same inputs on the GTX 280)
Eventually plugged in the new 1000w coolermaster which ran it first time (slightly nervous now as i bought that for future SLi, and is only 250W more but i guess it is the amps down each rail that matters, plus new mobo is SLI ready so more juice via PCI-e.)
Will post later with benchy results for old rig = 280, new rig + 280, old rig + 480 and new rig + 480 for your viewing pleasure
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Just to make you feel better, here is the power draw of my overclocked 480 SLI system (i7@4Ghz): http://homepages.nildram.co.uk/~layte/pics/IMAG0046.jpg
Associate
That looks an awful lot like 1158W 
, which suggests I foolishly believed this roundup of PSUs on [H]ardOCP:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/04/27/gtx_480_470_power_supply_unit_buying_guide/5
I suppose you are running at 4.0Ghz (i am aiming for 3.6 in a HTPC case) but I can still say that you have done the exact opposite of making me feel better about my £160 new PSU purchase 
, which suggests I foolishly believed this roundup of PSUs on [H]ardOCP:http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/04/27/gtx_480_470_power_supply_unit_buying_guide/5
I suppose you are running at 4.0Ghz (i am aiming for 3.6 in a HTPC case
) but I can still say that you have done the exact opposite of making me feel better about my £160 new PSU purchase
Associate
Hi guys, sorting out some webspace to host all my review images and my new website, will post stuff on the new rig later - very happy overall.
One concern - I want to run a second GTX 480 in SLi later this year but looking at the spacing between the 2 semi-adjacent slots (with the middle slot covered by the first card's cooler) it looks like only 5mm gap - some of you are running dual 480 SLi rigs on air, surely this is going to cause problems for the ram being next to the metal heat plate and the fan not having good air access? I see the air intakes cut into the back of the board and it looks like there is a hole for air intake in the end of the card under the power connectors, however I have tried searching and nowhere seems to say if this is also an intake.
I know people sometimes use the end PCIe slot for their second card (like tri SLi without the middle card) but my PSU is too close to do that. I have nice 92mm air intake at the front of the case blowing directly onto the end of the GPU with a second 92mm fan planned for when I go SLi (removing the second drive bay and putting the HD externally for more space and airflow.) So really what I want to know is: does the GPU draw air in from the end near the front of the case and will the heatsink cook the memory on the second card?
Any feedback on this would be great
One concern - I want to run a second GTX 480 in SLi later this year but looking at the spacing between the 2 semi-adjacent slots (with the middle slot covered by the first card's cooler) it looks like only 5mm gap - some of you are running dual 480 SLi rigs on air, surely this is going to cause problems for the ram being next to the metal heat plate and the fan not having good air access? I see the air intakes cut into the back of the board and it looks like there is a hole for air intake in the end of the card under the power connectors, however I have tried searching and nowhere seems to say if this is also an intake.
I know people sometimes use the end PCIe slot for their second card (like tri SLi without the middle card) but my PSU is too close to do that. I have nice 92mm air intake at the front of the case blowing directly onto the end of the GPU with a second 92mm fan planned for when I go SLi (removing the second drive bay and putting the HD externally for more space and airflow.) So really what I want to know is: does the GPU draw air in from the end near the front of the case and will the heatsink cook the memory on the second card?
Any feedback on this would be great
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Soldato
what kind of overclock are you guys getting on a gtx 470 on air? most of the reviews got the core speed to about 740mhz without overvolting it. is anyone getting a similar result?
Wow interesting post Icewolf but i would have thought a 750w power supply would run that with ease. Mine does, i have a Thermaltake 750w as well, 3 hard drives and 2 optical drives with a [email protected].
No issues here with games, torture tests e.t.c
Enjoy your new card, i have had mine for a couple of weeks now and i am normally the type that says " I wish i never bought this now the difference wasn't worth it " but not with this. Expensive yes but it was worth it ( I went from a 260GTX )
No issues here with games, torture tests e.t.c
Enjoy your new card, i have had mine for a couple of weeks now and i am normally the type that says " I wish i never bought this now the difference wasn't worth it " but not with this. Expensive yes but it was worth it
( I went from a 260GTX )
Soldato
I can manage 750 on stock volts in SLI.
just wondering..why dont they call it sparkle instead of ocuk brand?
I for one certainly wouldn't complain if i was sent an Inno3D. My old and now retired gaming Ti4400 is still going strong in the wife's comp which is used everyday. Unlike my BFG 8800GTX which never made it that far
You find a lot of companies sell it as their < insert competitor here > value card.
Don't know about Sparkle but i can't say i have ever heard a bad word about them on my travels round the net.
You find a lot of companies sell it as their < insert competitor here > value card.
Don't know about Sparkle but i can't say i have ever heard a bad word about them on my travels round the net.
Associate
re:
Hi all, this thread has become somewhat quiet of late
Hows everyone getting along with their new GTX480`s ?
I guess as we have not heard much there has not been many issues?
Coming from my end all has been good and with the very hot days we have been having the cards managed to cope very well
Cheers all
mrix
Hi all, this thread has become somewhat quiet of late
Hows everyone getting along with their new GTX480`s ?
I guess as we have not heard much there has not been many issues?
Coming from my end all has been good and with the very hot days we have been having the cards managed to cope very well
Cheers all
mrix
I don't have a 480, but I have a 470 and it's pretty awesome. Only problem is it gets noisy with the stock cooler, so I'm hoping someone will release a custon one soon
