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To measure temperatures we are using an air conditioned room environment of 24c. We also prefer to use real world testing, inside a chassis. For this review we have used the excellent Silverstone Raven 02 which is a very capable chassis for maintaining good airflow – directly from bottom to top. Idle temperatures are recorded after 30 minutes idle in Windows 7 and load results are achieved after playing Crysis for 30 minutes and recording the maximum sustained temperatures throughout.
The results show that the GTX 480 is a fairly hot running card hovering just under 50c at idle and peaking just over 90c at load. We could safely add another 3-5c to the load results inside a less proficient chassis. Strangely enough I noticed a slight pause in fan speed incremental increases as if the board was ‘reacting' to temperatures with a delay, rather than immediately.
Effectively even though we recorded 91c above during a very intensive area of Crysis, the card actually did peak once at 94c before the cooling system reacted. I find this slightly concerning to be honest. nVidia have stated that even at temperatures approaching 105c the card will last for years. 105c incidentally is the throttle point for GF100, something worth taking into consideration if you ever buy one. Our recommendation? get a lot of chassis fans, or set a large fan right beside the GPU area. You could also opt for one with the longest warranty possible.
Heck. the OCed H5870 from XFX really gives it a close call at times. nice review
Performance of the GTX 480 is impressive but I am concerned about the temps, nice to get another confirmation how hot it runs. you would really need a top top case for this puppy.
4 out of 5 seems slightly generous, no? The noise, heat and power requirements alone are mental.
Maybe 4/5 is too high, but this audience I dont think care about saving 10 bucks on electric, or dealing with a bit of fan noise, they aint watching movies with this power house.
They are good cards, but they need new cooling solutions, wont be long before that happens.
Thanks, first one ive seen with the XFX Black edition in the mix. very very close they are too. I think id opt for the HD5870 BE due to the noise reductions and lower power consumption.
Sam the only issue is people buying these I dont think care about a bit more power consumption and some more noise. The heat is a bit frigthening long term, but it will probably be ok. Could double up in the morning to cook your bacon and eggs too. added bonus 🙂
I dont care if Steve Jobs and Bill Gates had me tied up in an office with a wet lettuce and a swedish stripper. 90-105c is not good for any electricial component over a year. These will fail, just like the X2s before them did for AMD.
It’s the fastest single chip, but not the fastest single card. The GTX465 and Radeon HD5850 will hit 60fps in most games at 1920×1080. Can’t see a market for the 480/490. But the scores are tasty as much as the card is toasty!
Wicked review Z, thanks 🙂
No doubt its the fastest single core card on the market, but its getting there by really just sucking in as much juice as possible and making a racket while doing it. I have never heard one in person but going on multiple reviews ive read its quite noticeable.
Still, I wouldnt turn one down, but I still think the 5870 is the card to get. Overall, its quieter, more efficient, clocks well and still gives stonking performance.