Honest assessment of the GTX 470 fan noise

Discussion in 'Videocards - NVIDIA GeForce' started by Zarich, May 23, 2010.

  1. Zarich

    Zarich Member Guru

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    After looking at Youtube videos. Especially those that have my case involved (antec 300). I am thinking I cannot buy a gtx 470. Reason is that my computer is in my living room. It seems that once this card hits 70+% it is insanely loud and would disturb people watching tv. I would like to be wrong here because if I don't get this I am forced into a 5850 (not that it's a bad card, just no physx and slower performance). Thoughts?
     
  2. Well, it's not that bad really, but it is a little louder than I think it should be, for instance my old 3870 x2 and 3870 were quieter. So were both my 5750s, but the gtx 470 is really an awesome card, just use afterburner to tweak profiles that fit the mood of those around you. (I must include I'm refering only to overclocking, when at stock, the gtx 470 isn't noisy, just a some fan sound but nothing bad or worse than anything else in direct comparison)

    EDIT: Now if someone wants to get into a db argument than yes, most definetely any FERMI product is noisy/noisier compared to 5870.
     
  3. IPlayNaked

    IPlayNaked Banned

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    Yeah, I wouldn't use it in an area where people around you would be annoyed by noise.
     
  4. theimported1

    theimported1 Master Guru

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    galaxy gtx 470 kfa2...fan at 75% could not be heard over my computer, which isnt that loud.
    I didnt get to fully stress it, but I did up the fan from 0-100% to see if it was true about the noise. This model was pretty quiet.
    You could always get a 5870, just about 30$ more.
     

  5. ARMYguy

    ARMYguy Guest

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    I never understood this whole argument. My best friend who is the biggest fan boy of ATI ever has done nothing but complain about how loud his 5850 is. He was just at my place a week ago for a lan, and we compared my 470 (heavily OCed btw) to his 5850 which was at stock, and holy cow. After hearing those things, i cant help but wonder where people got the idea 5 series is not loud/er than the 400 series. It reminds me of places like hard ocp actually.......

    I even opened my case so i could hear as best i could. My 470 is no louder gaming than my 260 was. As in, real world use with my ear right next to it with the cover off the case. Measure all the dbs you want, but you simply wont hear it anymore than most cards on the market.

    Bottom line, buying a 5850 because you think its not loud is pretty funny stuff. Buy it and hear how not loud it really is :D
     
  6. lysaer

    lysaer Master Guru

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    when dropping that kind of money, physx aside, why would you not buy a 5870 for like 30 bucks more ?

    which is blatantly a faster card, something like the H.I.S which is also has a far superior quieter cooler

    http://www.hisdigital.com/us/product2-520.shtml

    also reference 5xxx cooler is pretty loud and crappy as well.
     
  7. ARMYguy

    ARMYguy Guest

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    Actually, a 470 OCed is so close to a GTX 480 in performance, which is already faster than a 5870 that it begs the quesion as to why would anyone buy any of the ATi cards right now. The 256 release drivers bring massive boosts of performance on the cards which just drive this point home. This 470 reminds me of the awesome days of the 6800 GT actually. Save some money, but with minor tweaking get a 6800 Ultra for less.
     
  8. Zarich

    Zarich Member Guru

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    AR I am able to obtain a GTX 470 sc for $325.
    So that is $75 more for the 5870.
     
  9. lysaer

    lysaer Master Guru

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    I dunno, in all the reviews I have read the 470 pretty much loses out to the 5870 and an overclocked 5870 is going to be faster than an overclocked 470.

    even with a 200mhz overclock on the guru3d review the 470 galaxy loses out to a stock clocked 5870 in vantage.

    I think the real question is why would anyone buy the nvidia series cards when the ATI are faster in some instances, better priced, less heat and less power.

    You pretty much need to be off your head like myself to buy the current 400 range.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161329&nm_mc=OTC-RSS

    you are also getting a considerably better cooler.
     
    Last edited: May 23, 2010
  10. IPlayNaked

    IPlayNaked Banned

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    A stock 5850 is only louder than a "heavily OCed 470" in some weird crazy bizzaro dream world.

    The 470's a good card, but quiet, especially when OCed, it is not. The 5870 is a quieter and faster card, I mean, that says it all.

    But personally, I wouldn't use a 5870, or possibly a 5850 in a room where I might bother others.

    Of course, this whole point is moot if we start talking in terms third party coolers.
     

  11. Zarich

    Zarich Member Guru

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    Okay but is a directcu asus 5850 gonna be as loud as a 470?
     
  12. lysaer

    lysaer Master Guru

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    the directcu is quieter than the stock 5850 cooler therefore i have no doubt it is quieter than a stock 470 cooler, i have never heard a 470 but my 480 fans are damn loud, can't wait for my waterblocks to arrive ><. my H.I.S reference 5870 fan at full speed is damn loud as well.

    TBH i don't understand why nvidia and ati put these dumb ass coolers on the reference boards, i can't believe it is that much more expensive to stick a decent 80mm fan on them like most third party coolers do.
     
    Last edited: May 23, 2010
  13. ARMYguy

    ARMYguy Guest

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    I dont play vantage, but thats great. Actually ATi cards are always faster in 3d mark than in actual games. At the lan we played Men of War and Supreme Commander (the first one that actually stresses computers), both games ran significantly slower on his 5850 than my 470, OCed or not. It was also quieter. The fact he complains about the 5850's noise while gaming is paramount, as this guy is a bigger ATi fanboy than most people.

    The point i was making was rather that it isnt what people make it out to be, not that it isnt making any sound at all. My pc is no louder with a 470 than with a 8800 gtx or a gtx 260. People sitting right next to me in a lan could not tell the difference between my rig and their rigs with up to 4 year old cards in them. I am scratching my head wondering where the lets make up stuff to make fermi look bad train decided to roll on through, because everything i see with my own 2 eyes does not add up to what i read from people all over.
     
    Last edited: May 23, 2010
  14. lysaer

    lysaer Master Guru

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    No one is making anything up to make fermi look bad, I own 3 480's and IPlayNaked owns a 470.

    But if you look at all the facts and figures and total them up, ATI certainly has the edge on the market.

    the 5970 is undeniably the fastest single slot solution.

    the 480 is the fastest single gpu

    and then after that the price vs performance and power + heat, ati dominates the gpu sector.

    The 2 advantages of the 470 are physx and tessellation but that doesn't always equate to a faster card vs says the 5870

    my reference 5870 is as loud as my reference 480 and at full speed that is damn loud, louder than i care for, my vapor-x's are quiet as a mouse in comparison.

    maybe i am spoilt by watercooling, but when i can hear a gpu over the 14 120mm fans i have in my case, that to me = gd loud
     
  15. FULMTL

    FULMTL Ancient Guru

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    For general use, I have it at 40% and I cant hear the GTX470 over my other 120mm fans. For gaming, I keep it at 60% and its sounds like a normal video card. Above 70% and its a hair dryer.

    At 60% it can reach 100*C though and you cant OC at that fan speed. They should have made the fan a larger diameter to push more air...
     

  16. Order_66

    Order_66 Master Guru

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    I have a pair of PNY gtx 470's in SLI and I can barely hear them no matter what game or benchmark program i run.
     
  17. Radical_53

    Radical_53 Ancient Guru

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    The 470 definitely isn't as loud as some reviews claim it to be. Effectively it isn't any worse than a 285 or 8800 for example.
    The good thing is that you can even undervolt it to silence it a little more. I normally don't see my fan go above 60% at 700MHz core and I'm totally fine with the noise.
     
  18. k3vst3r

    k3vst3r Ancient Guru

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    I only hear it over other fans in my case when it's on 85%+ fan speed. At 100% fairly loud sounds like mini hair dryer :wanker:
     
  19. Wanny

    Wanny Guest

    Ya around 80% with gaming sound it's totally fine. But I wouldn't put it in a relaxing room or something like that lol
     
  20. Omagana

    Omagana Guest

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    Unless Physx is that big a deal to you, I don't see why you wouldn't get the 5870 for roughly the same money. It's cooler and quieter.
     

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