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We have changed our method of measuring noise levels. We have built a system inside a Lian Li chassis with no case fans and have used a fanless cooler on our CPU. We are using a heatpipe based passive power supply and an Intel SSD to keep noise levels to a minimum. The motherboard is also passively cooled. This gives us a build with completely passive cooling and it means we can measure noise of just the graphics card inside the system when we run looped 3dMark tests. Ambient noise in the room is around 20-25dBa. We measure from a distance of around 1 meter from the chassis and 4 foot from the ground to mirror a real world situation.
Why do this? Well this means we can eliminate secondary noise pollution in the test room and concentrate on only the video card. It also brings us slightly closer to industry standards, such as DIN 45635.
KitGuru noise guide
10dBA – Normal Breathing/Rustling Leaves
20-25dBA – Whisper
30dBA – High Quality Computer fan
40dBA – A Bubbling Brook, or a Refridgerator
50dBA – Normal Conversation
60dBA – Laughter
70dBA – Vacuum Cleaner or Hairdryer
80dBA – City Traffic or a Garbage Disposal
90dBA – Motorcycle or Lawnmower
100dBA – MP3 player at maximum output
110dBA – Orchestra
120dBA – Front row rock concert/Jet Engine
130dBA – Threshold of Pain
140dBA – Military Jet takeoff/Gunshot (close range)
160dBA – Instant Perforation of eardrum
This card is quiet when loaded, although audible in our case. It is significantly better than the reference cooler.
Nice card, but that cooler really is ugly as all sin.
His produce some good designs but i see no logical reason to include lucid on such a card. Its probably adding 15 to the price too……
Their iceq cards are really very good models but i dont think they have a good reputation in the uk at all. No one i know has even contmplated buying one of their products.
Id love to kmow their uk warranty system, have they a dedicated team handling rmas ?
I thought it would cost more due to the Lucid crap installed, but its not much more than a card with a standard cooler. seems pretty good all round, although I dont know why they didnt overclock it to something better
If the price was higher then it would deserve a lower score, but regardless of how sucky hydra is. its £25 more than a reference card (I saw a sapphier one on OCUK with dirt 3 for £300). If you feel the cooler is worth £25 then its a pretty good deal.
Don’t HIS always overclock their ICEQ cards however? bit weird on that front
The cooler is very good, ive read reviews of it on other cards and it seems about 10-20c lower than stock cooler, depending on the card.
bizarre idea, but it looks like HIS aren’t charging much for hydra. thank god, no one give a toss about it.
Id love to know who thought that was a smart move. would anyone have a GTX580 laying around, not being used? even a GTX570 or GTX560? cant get my head around it.
im looking at it from two ways. first, its a talking point. people are talking about it already. people in the know will immediately think ‘this wont work, it never does!’. and right enough it doesnt.
So it won’t be used, and the price is the deciding factor. I would guess the cooler is costing HIS £8 extra over a reference cooler (en masse). they can sell it for £15 more and still make a profit. £10 would pay Lucid for Hydra.
The consumer is getting hit a little with the extra chip. Its daft, but I still think its reasonably good value as an overall product.
That said, It would prove to me however that HIS really don’t have their finger on the pulse for this audience. Not like Sapphire or XFX.
I have a 5870 and would like an upgrade, but don’t feel like shelling out too much, and dont feel like buying an extra 5870, so I’m wondering how this card would be in crossfire with my 5870….