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Recently we 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
We tested with the cooler in the raised position, but didn't really record any difference as the cooler has been configured to spin the fan slowly regardless of the position. These results are fantastic and put the card firmly into the ‘quiet' category. Within the majority of gaming systems the fan will remain inaudible and we never noticed it going over 40% of total fan speed, even when running Furmark. You would only hear it under load if you are using it in a very quiet system such as a media PC.
Powercolor seem to be a on a roll lately. compared to their cards 2 years ago these are light years ahead. I thought initially the cooler idea on this was a gimmick, but its actually rather practical as you say. First review on the net of this? well done !
Well I am glad someone else commented on the weird car type coolers on these boards, ive no idea why asus and powercolor are keen to promote their cards as vehicles 🙂 Anyway its better than frogs which palit used !
Good board and as always a fantastic review, love the noise level testing that is one hell of a good performance for an overclocked card.
I cant see it for sale anywhere? any ETA on sales?
The HD5770 as a series is SO damn good right now, £130!, I will wait to see how powercolor price this, if its £140-145, its a no brainer. I think this might even be better than the vapor X from sapphire. Which I wasnt expected.
I have to comment on the testing. the fact there arent 40 graphs per page with a focus on a real world setting is such a joy for me. I have seen some sites test a HD5770 at 2560×1600 with 8AA and they show results of 2fps. Thats really helpful to everyone. NOT!
So good job, and as the rest have said already, great performer.
Love these reviews from Zardon on KG, so much detail yet its all relevant. Killer review and what another great product from Powercolor. just hope they make it available where I live as they often dont.
Well this is quiet surprising, but the HD5870 review on kitguru surprised me also. Powercolor are really stepping up to the plate with these card releases. I am so glad they didnt put a whirring fan on this to get lower temperatures at the cost of noise.
Good job from powercolor, but for some reason i cant shake their perspection as a ‘cheaper’ maker, when compared to sapphire, am I wrong?
HD5770 is a solid buy, it always was, but the price drops mean you can get one of these heavily modded boards for the original price of the reference design, cant be bad to that 🙂
@ Frank. You arent the first person to say it, but I think its changed. I know most of these cards are made by the same handful of companies in the first east anyway, so I dont think quality is going to be an issue. The difference between the cards now is really down to the creative minds and R&D teams in each company who come up with the cooler ideas, and the key selling points to differentiate their cards from the other makers. Sapphire have been leading this for years, but with XFX and powercolor stepping up their game lately its not so black and white.
I wouldnt judge powercolor by a preconceived notion of their name from the past. check out the HD5870 review on Kitguru over here http://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/zardon/powercolor-hd-5870-pcs-review/. that is a seriously impressive card and I would rather have it than the MSI version which everyone loves 🙂
Great review, solid testing and another winner from PC
Only thing I dislike about powercolor is the naming. this one isnt so bad, but all that PCS+ and PCS++ crap just irritates me.
Like this card a lot, its in the right price range, hopefully its nearer 140 than 150, cause its putting it rather close to the GTX460 if its 150.
HD5000 power consumption always impresses me greately. those fermi cards are just beasts by consideration.
For those handful of people complaining about powercolor name, I had a card fail last year by them and I got it replaced within 2 weeks, and this is in France. I was quite happy with their service. Might not be up to XFX standards but their cards generally are a bit cheaper.
That was great, and I really like the look of this card. I cant see it for sale yet, and its weird they havent released it as the press releases ive found from google said it was out yesterday!?!?!
140 would be a good price for it. if its 150, i think its a bit close in pricing to the GTX460 which would knock it into a cocked hat.
Nice review, like the noise and temp testing, always better than most sites out there who rate noise on some weird scales no one understands.
Powercolor make some great boards, they all follow a reference design for the components and while they slot on new coolers etc, there is very little they can do to ruin one of these cards anyway. as someone else said I think palit make most of the cards anyway for everyone. believe it or not !
Great review, think ill go order one if I can find it.
Any pricing lists yet? I cant find this bloody card anywhere.
I am sorely tempted to pick one of these up later next month
as much as that card is nice its less powerfull atleast on the benchmarks i use then the GTX 260 which atleast now is being sold for around the same price on newegg and given that the GTX 460 is around 41% more powerfull on the benchmarks i run and only costs like 50 more it seems like it would be a btter idea to just hold on to my money for 1-2 or 3 paychecks and get the GTX 460
I’ve just build new gaming rig & i dont regret buying this card. I play starcraft 2 all max settings with no lag even in most intense battle, fps doesnt go down below 25fps. Im very happy with this card