Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)First of all, we all know this is one powerful card and it's up there with the high-end cards, but before you get too excited about getting this...
MAKE SURE OF THE FOLLOWING:
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1. This card is huge, and I don't mean the days of how high-end AGP cards looked like (it's getting pretty ridiculous - makes cards like the 8800GT size look normal and everything else tiny), so make sure you have at least 9.5 inches diameter of clear space in your case.
* Most importantly, if your SATA ports are directly near, or right underneath, the PCI Express 16 slot -- with the ports facing towards you (looking at it from the front body/face of the motherboard) -- then most likely, this huge card will block your SATA ports! I had to forfeit two SATA ports for this card; I'll have to upgrade to a better motherboard, that is designed for big cards like this, if I want to add more SATA devices.
However, if you already have a really good motherboard, that was actually built with large graphics cards in mind (such as the EVGA X58 SLI Mainboard, then you shouldn't have a problem, since the SATA ports would then be facing towards the side direction (towards the right of the motherboard) away from the PCI Express slots.
2. Make sure you have enough wattage on your power supply! NVIDIA recommends a minimum of 550W with 38A on the 12+v line. You can probably get away with a good 500W power supply, depending on what other components you have (use a power supply calculator), but it'll be cutting it close.
3. The card requires TWO 6-pin power connectors to be powered. (The GTX 480 requires an 8-pin and a 6-pin) If your power supply only has one 6-pin power, this card comes with two PCI Express 6-Pin to Dual 4-Pin Molex connectors.
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I was a bit worried of claims about the fan being really loud, but I did not find that to be the case.
I'm using EVGA's Precision utility to monitor the card.
When idle, the fan speed stays at 40% and is around 43C stable.
When playing StarCraft 2 (heavy playing/max settings at 1920x1080 - seems to only be using 50% of the GPU power)
the fan speed rises slightly to: 45%
temperatures rise to about: 70-75C (using stock fan and side panel 80mm fan)
The temperatures definitely do get up there. NVIDIA claims this card can still run max to 105C!
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In comparison with the GTX480: (First number is for GTX 470; Second number/higher number is for the GTX480)
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CUDA Cores: 448 vs 480
GPU clockspeed: 607 vs 700 (MHz)
Processor clockspeed: 1215 vs 1401 (MHz)
Memory clock: 1674 vs 1848 (MHz)
Memory size: GDDR5 1280 MB vs 1536 MB
Memory interface 320-bit vs 384-bit
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Considering cost/performance, I would stick with the GTX470 over the 480. I've switched betwen ATI/NVIDIA back and forth, and so far I've ended up with NVIDIA. Mainly, I needed the CUDA cores to take advantage of CS5 Premiere's Mercury Engine (more CUDA cores the better, and at least 756MB memory and above is required to use that engine); it works great after a really simple hack. Also, I like that NVIDIA has better drivers and the card actually scales correctly on my HDTV - my ATI card has a problem with this. Lately, I've been more impressed with NVIDIA's presentation and innovations. The card has a mini-HDMI out, and the package includes a mini-HDMi to HDMI cable, as well as VGA-DVI. The EVGA GTX470 is one nice looking card as well (they have the best skin). EVGA has become one of my favorite manufactures of NVIDIA cards (#1 seller in US), not some generic unknown company, and this card has a lifetime warranty after registering within 30 days or purchase. This card is future proof with DirectX11 with tessellation capabilities.
I bought my GTX 470 in July 2010 and it came with standard brackets. EVGA later released a "High Flow Bracket", which has a little bit more opening, claiming it would reduce up to 5 degrees lower temperature (however, most buyers have claimed less) -- it makes you wonder why they didn't simply make the brackets that way in the first place? (smaller hole - less heat gets out; wider opening - more airflow. Duh?) It's really silly and nothing really amazing when you look at the "High Flow Bracket" design. Although EVGA states the bracket is "free of charge", for buyers registering their product (until the end of August), they still charge $5 to ship a small piece of metal; might as well be saying the bracket is $5 and they'll ship it free! (they actually sell it for $10 and free shipping under their accessories shopping page).
Personally, I think that is a silly "upgrade" and more of a profit gain gimmick by EVGA. Also, this card does not have a backplate (it's not necessary, but it adds a better overall look to the card and safety, by not having the PCB exposed on the other side. Now, it probably would be worth the Free-but-$5 shipping if they included the backplate as well. I believe the GTX 470 SuperClocked Edition comes with the backplate and bracket already installed, but it's an additional accessory that one would have to purchase separately for this standard GTX 470 (EVGA sells it for $19.99 under accessories - no, thanks). If EVGA is listening, they should provide the bracket and backplate to GTX 470 owners free of charge (without ridiculous shipping fees) - now, that would be amazing customer support.
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EVGA GeForce GTX470 1280 MB DDR5 PCI-Express 2.0 Graphics Card 012-P3-1470-ARThe EVGA GTX 470 ushers in the next generation of NVIDIA GeForce GPUs! Experience heart-pounding cinematic visuals with the EVGA GTX 470 thanks to the combined power of DirectX 11, NVIDIA PhysX, and NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround technologies.
The EVGA GTX 470 contains double the CUDA cores of previous generation GPUs, a high speed GDDR5 memory interface with 1280 MB onboard and full DirectX 11 support providing for unrivalled performance and breathtaking image quality. Compatible in 2-way and 3-way SLI configurations, the EVGA GTX 470 provides brilliant and immersive experiences in games and unsurpassed computational power.
NVIDIA Technologies
Key Specifications
Core Clock: 607 MHz
Memory Clock: 3348 MHz Effective
Shader Clock: 1215 MHz
CUDA Cores: 448
Bus Type: PCI-E 2.0
Memory Detail: 1280 MB GDDR5
Memory Bit Width: 320 Bit
Memory Speed: 2.5 ns
Memory Bandwidth: 133.9 GB/sec
Software Compatibility
NVIDIA ForceWare Drivers
Microsoft DirectX 11
OpenGL 3.2
Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7
Connectors
Two dual-link DVI (up to 2560 x 1600)
Mini-HDMI 1.3a w/audio (8-channel LPCM)
HDCP ready
Key Features
Microsoft DirectX 11 Support: DirectX 11 GPU with Shader Model 5.0 support designed for ultra high performance in the new API's key graphics feature, GPU-accelerated tessellation.
NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround Ready*: Expand your games across three displays in full stereoscopic 3D for the ultimate "inside the game" experience with the power of NVIDIA 3D Vision and SLI technologies. NVIDIA Surround also supports triple screen gaming with non-stereo displays.
Interactive Ray Tracing: By tracing the path of light through a 3D scene, ray tracing uses the power of the GPU to create spectacular, photo-realistic visuals. Get a glimpse into the future of gaming with ray tracing.
3-way NVIDIA SLI Technology**: Industry leading 3-way NVIDIA SLI technology offers amazing performance scaling by implementing 3-way AFR (Alternate Frame Rendering) for the world's premier gaming solution under Windows 7 with solid, state-of-the-art drivers.
NVIDIA PhysX Technology: Full support for NVIDIA PhysX technology, enabling a totally new class of physical gaming interaction for a more dynamic and realistic experience with GeForce.
NVIDIA CUDA Technology: CUDA technology unlocks the power of the GPU's processor cores to accelerate the most demanding tasks such as video transcoding, physics simulation, ray tracing, and more, delivering incredible performance improvements over traditional CPUs.
32x Anti-aliasing Technology: Lightning fast, high-quality anti-aliasing at up to 32x sample rates obliterates jagged edges.
NVIDIA PureVideo HD Technology***: The combination of high-definition video decode acceleration and post-processing that delivers unprecedented picture clarity, smooth video, accurate color, and precise image scaling for movies and video.
PCI Express 2.0 Support: Designed for the new PCI Express 2.0 bus architecture offering the highest data transfer speeds for the most bandwidth-hungry games and 3D applications, while maintaining backwards compatibility with existing PCI Express motherboards for the broadest support.
Dual-link DVI Support: Able to drive industry's largest and highest resolution flat-panel displays up to 2560x1600 and with support for High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP).
HDMI 1.3a Support: Fully integrated support for HDMI 1.3a including xvYCC, Deep color and 7.1 digital surround sound.
* NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround requires NVIDIA release 256 driver, two or more graphics cards in NVIDIA SLI configuration, 3D Vision glasses and three matching 3D Vision-Ready displays. See www.nvidia.com/surroundfor more information. ** A GeForce GTX 470 GPU must be paired with another GeForce GTX 470 GPU (graphics card manufacturer can be different). SLI requires sufficient system cooling and a compatible power supply. Visit www.slizone.com for more information and a listing of SLI-Certified components. *** Supported video software is required to experience certain features. Visit www.nvidia.com for more details.
What's in the Box EVGA Driver/Software Disc with EVGA Precision Tuning Utility; Mini-HDMI to HDMI Cable; DVI to VGA Adapter; two 6-pin PCI-E power cables; User Guide
Warranty All EVGA products come automatically with a one year, parts and labor, limited warranty. Upon registration within 30 days of your original purchase, this card is entitled to be upgraded to a limited lifetime warranty.
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