The big graphics card review: from GTX 465 and HD 5830 to high-end

Order of battle in green side:

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 (ASUS ENGTX465)

GeForce GTX 465 is the smallest brother in Fermi family –at testing time– and NVIDIA send it against HD 5830. It had a serious dull according to GTX 480 but it has less power usage of course performance fell down too and we can see how big is it at the test.

Let’s analyse GF100 core differences between GTX 465 and GTX 480! It stayed at 40 nm manufacturing technolgy but Shader Multiprocessors fell to 11 from 15 which have 32 CUDA core one bye one. We get 352 CUDA core against 480 this way. Accordingly ROP-blocks numbers is less to, it has 32 instead of 48.

Single-card and SLI mode (GPU-Z did not work with SLI)

Concision of memory controller is not a surprise neither which is 256-bit instead of 384-bit and it consors with 1 GB GDDR5 memory. Cheap Fermi’s clock speeds could not be untouched GPU run at 608- shaders at 1215 and memories at 3208 Mhz. GTX 465 know everything what GTX 480 do: DirectX 11, DirectCompute 5.0, OpenCL, CUDA and PhysX support, 3-Way SLI és 3D Vision Surround knowledge.

We got two ASUS GTX 465 models which are factory defaults, coolings have a simple ASUS logo. The card is shorter than GTX 480 significantly, its length and cooling is 100% equal with GTX 470. We did not wonder at outputs there are two DVI and a HDMI connectors but we have to notice that is a mini-HDMI connecting.

Box has a standard ASUS solution with black cartons and gold texts. We can find driver disk, user’s guide and usual converters and we also have leather mousepad as extra.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 (ASUS ENGTX470)

GTX 470 may be the golden middle way, if we need higher performance than GTX 465 with more favorable price than GTX 480. This type is on the market long time ago like its big brother but we could not show it in our GTX 480 article we have to say someting about its construction. Shader Multiprocessors less by only one than GTX 480, so it is 14 and CUDA coes are 14 × 32, so 448.

ROP units fell off from 48 to 40, memory interface changed from 384 to 320-bit so we can find 1280 MB memory instead of 1536. Frequencies are: GPU: 608 MHz (that is equal with GTX 465), shaders: 1215 MHz (also GTX 465 value) and memories run at 3348 Mhz. We can say the same about technology supporting like about GTX 465, it knows everything what GTX 480 do. 

Single-card and SLI mode

We had also two ASUS model by GTX 470 and we noticed the card could be a GTX 465. Same size, same cooling, same stricker. There was a related connection at frequencies but take the card in hand can be strengthened the strong relational contact.

After all we think that the news was true –some (like ASUS models) GTX 465 model can transform to 100% GTX 470 –. We do not promt anybody for this and do not take responsibility about the information! ASUS ENGTX470s box and its content is the same as GTX 465s.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 (ASUS ENGTX480, GIGABYTE GTX480)

We do not speak about this card, this is the strongest Fermi and you can read about it in our article. If somebody left it may complement because he will not understrand what we talk about.

Single-card and SLI mode (GPU-Z did not work with SLI)

GTX 480 of ASUS and GIGABYTE are reference solutions except manufacturer logo. Box of ASUS ENGTX480 is the usual Fermi and its content too. You can read about son of GIGABYTE this page.

Muster at red teams:

ATI Radeon HD 5830 (ASUS EAH5830 DirectCU, GIGABYTE HD 5830 UDV)

HD 5830 are not a fish in the market but we were not showing it to you yet. AMD graved down big slices from Cypress core.

It has 1120 stream processors instead of 1600, ROP units fell down 16 from 32. Luckily memory interface and RAM quantity did not hurt so HD 5830 works with 256-bit 1 GB GDDR5 memory. Also good news is frequencies are not in the floor. GPU run at 800 (instead of 850), GDDR5 at 4000 MHz (4800 MHz). These changes are not good for performance but for price, yes. It has DirectX 11, ATI Stream, DirectCompute 5.0 and three-display Eyefinity support.

Single-card and CrossFireX mode (ASUS EAH5830 DirectCU + GIGABYTE HD 5830 UDV)

Partners like to revise factory defauld model so we can find lot of uniqe form. None of our two cards reference, ASUS and GIGABITYE touched the card without any fears. Clock speeds stayed but not only fans changed they got new PCBs too.

ASUS EAH5830 DirectCUs black PCB diverge from reference at the first sight. Rear edges are rounded off and power changed too. They changed two 6-pin PCI Express connectors to a 6 and 8-pin. Cooling has open air passage and the 72 mm fan blows vertical. Two nickel-plated copper heatpipes have 8 mm diameter, and they are joining to the GPU so it would be hopeful at performance side (we can also see that at processor coolings).

Rib is not big but its contruction is convincing, freqently lamellad with a pretty panel (of course with ASUS logo). DirectCU cooling is better with 20 % at using and 35 % without using than reference. Engineers touched outputs too, there is a DVI, a native HDMI and a DisplayPort. Color of box has an usual EAH series style and that is true in inside too. Black cartons hide driver, users guide, cables, converters.

GIGABYTE HD 5830 UDV is part of Ultra Durable VGA line which promise a lot. Guys throw away default PCB and cooling and dreamed a new one. Two 6-pin connector responsible for power. The card has a gold-plated native HDMI, a Display Port and two DVI connectors. Cooling is more and less than ASUS DirectCU in the same time. Heatpipes are 6 mm and do not connect with GPU but there is three of them. They are connecting in a copper foot. The freqently lamellad rib is bigger than the other solution.

GIGABYTE took two 72 mm fans into its card and it provides 27% cooler working than reference cooling. It is an UDV model so every part of technology is true: high quality MOSFETs, firtst class Samsung/Hynx memories, 2 ounces of copper for both the Power and Ground layers, Japanese Solid Capacitors,iron core chokes. There is no big extra in HD 5830 UDV‘s box: driver disc, user‘ guide, CrossFireX bridge, convertes and cables.

ATI Radeon HD 5850 (ASUS EAH5850)

HD 5850, exactly ASUS EAH5850 was performing an other HOC article so we would not speak a lot abot it. Fully reference model in cooling and frequencies with usual ASUS dressing. It will compete single card and CrossFireX system against GTX470 and GTX470 SLI too.

Single-card and CrossFireX mode (ASUS EAH5850 × 2)

ATI Radeon HD 5870 (GIGABYTE HD 5870, ASUS MATRIX 5870 Platinum)

We will not speak too much about GIGABYTE HD 5870 because it was the first DirectX 11 compatible card in hand our hand. You can read it at our previous test.

We have to introduce more the ASUS MATRIX 5870 Platinum becuase it was not in HOC’s restful studio. Tought it was not the first MATRIX VGA in our test configuration we saw MATRIX GTX 285 in the past but this is the first at Radeon line. We have to know about MATRIX series that iis a extra cathegory at ASUS’ palette, member of Republic of Gamers family, which is home of the best quality and performance cards with huge editing.  

MATRIX 5870 Platinum got uniqe PCB, cooling and services. It has two 8-pin power connector and that is good for tuning champions because power electronic circuit changed to 8 + 2 + phases. PCB’s top and bottom both covered, metal plates leaves places for only few air gaps, screws, Super Hybrid Engine and the ASUS Super-ML-Cap which is a special capacitor. SHE chip responds for monitoring, perceptibility and controlling.

It has 19% plus at performance because of advanced multi-phase energy saving technology and phase switching. Its noise level fell from 164 mV to 75 mV instead of 5870. Cooling seems like the same at we find at MATRIX GTX 285. Design, form, material and the logo just the same. That also true the fan is uniqe too, bigger than the reference but drill of shovels are different so it provides 22% better air delivery.

Working frequencies let us down a bit because RAMs stayed at 4800 Mhz and GPU’s speed grew from 850 to 894 MHz. Maybe engineers thought that customers will do tuning. We setted clock speed back to 850 MHz for the testing and we did not touched memories of course so we get better results than reference model. We got a special software too which name is iTracker2 what is good for editing frequencies, voltages.

Special card deserves special box, we can open its cover and see MATRIX 5870 Platinum through the window. There is discs, converters, user’s guide and a demanding leather DVD case at the inside.

ATI Radeon HD 5970 (ASUS EAH5970)

Our testing HD 5970 did not change, we have ASUS EAH5970 in the office again. This is the fastest card in the market, but it make that with two fully Cypress GPU.

HD 5970 could be the last card in the test, but there was a stunning anomaly. It could not work with our test config. Operating system was booting but flied away with blue dead. We thought the card was wrong but it did with an another HD 5970 too. There was no problem with the another twelve cards…Mystery…Anyway Radeon HD 5970 canceled the show but HD 5870 CF maybe make it up to us for that.

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