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Nvidia GeForce GTX 480 1.5 GB
| Caractéristiques | |||
| Chip | GF100 | ||
| GPU frequency | 700 MHz | ||
| Memory quantity | 1536 MB | ||
| Memory type | GDDR5 | ||
| Memory frequency | 924 MHz | ||
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| Cooler | double decker |
| Connectors | 2x DVI + 1x mini HDMI |
| Driver tested | ForceWare 270.51 |
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Test date: May 26, 2011
There are a few accessories in the box: a mini HDMI to HDMI adaptor, a DVI to VGA adapter and two others to convert two Molex power supply connectors to PCI-E.
There's also a quick set-up guide, a printed manual, a CD for the drivers and another with trial versions of various applications.
NVIDIA Extras
The strong point of NVIDIA cards is of course the compatibility with other 'in-house technologies', such as 3D Vision for 3D gaming. For this, you'll also need a 3D monitor as well as the 3D Vision kit that includes the obligatory glasses.
Next comes PhysX support, which allows you to add more elaborate graphics effects in several compatible games.
Then there's 3D Vision Surround, which is the NVIDIA version of ATI Eyefinity. It allows you to spread your game across three monitors simultaneously—the drivers allow you to fuse the screens you have to give a higher definition display area.
3D Surround and 3D Vision can be combined. You do, however, need at least two GeForce GTX 480s for a three 3D screen set-up, as well as the 3D Vision kit. It's therefore only a possibility for a handful of wealthy nutters!
Finally, NVIDIA also offers accelerated processing for various pieces of software that let you to use the graphics card to carry out processing tasks. While individual consumers rarely use this type of application, it's often found in professional 3D rendering, photo editing and other high-end software.
The GeForce GTX 480 1.5 GB is the first NVIDIA graphics card with DirectX 11 compatibility. Let's take a look at the 3D performances, power consumption, noise output and operating temperature of this eagerly awaited graphics card.
Size, Noise and HeatWhether in terms of weight (930 g) or size (a little over 27cm), the GeForce GTX 480 is comparable to its direct rival, the Radeon HD 5870 from AMD. It has, of course, a double-decker heatsink and is partly finished in metal. NVIDIA warns users not to touch this part of the card though, as temperatures here can exceed 70°C !
This is definitely worth paying attention to, as this card gets really hot. The graphics chip gets up to 93°C when loading 3D scenes. Make sure your computer casing is well ventilated to avoid overheating the system!
The excessive noise levels should therefore be no surprise. In full load we took a reading of 60.4 dB(A), which is almost as much as the Radeon HD 5970, a double GPU card. Such noise levels truly are disturbing, especially for anyone who's in the same room while you're gaming.
At idle, noise is more contained at 42.8 dB(A). This is far from being quiet but is acceptable and will only annoy the pickiest users.
Power ConsumptionWhether at idle or during gaming, power consumption levels are disappointing. Put simply, the GeForce GTX 480 uses as much power as the Radeon HD 5970 (which has two graphics chips). At 130 watts when idle and 451 watts in load (for the whole computer), we're light years away from the 93 watts and 328 watts obtained by the Radeon HD 5870. The card's power supply uses one 8-pin and one 6-pin PCI-E connector.
Gaming PerformanceAlthough the power consumption and noise output aren't exactly strong points for the GTX 480, it does perform very well in video games. It's faster than the Radeon HD 6970 and is almost as good as a GeForce GTX 570. It can therefore handle high-detail graphics and 3D gaming without too much trouble.
Average general performance
Click on the graph to see all our test results
and to compare this model to other graphics cards.
| Graphics Cards: Performance Index Tables |
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Good performance in games
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DirectX 11 compatible
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3D Vision and 3D Surround
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Accelerated processing with CUDA-compatible applications
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High power consumption
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Fan noise is unbearable
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Excessively hot
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Pricey
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