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PNY GeForce GTX 660 noise level

Tags:
  • PNY
  • Graphics Cards
  • Geforce
  • Graphics
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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September 26, 2013 6:40:15 AM

Hi everyone, looking to buy a new video card for my computer.

I had been pretty much decided on an MSI GeForce 650 Ti Boost (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...) for $155 after rebates, but then I discovered this PNY GeForce 660 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...) for only $12 more after rebates. Based on the benchmarks I've read, it seems like a pretty big jump in performance for a little bit of extra money.

Here's my quandry, though. I recently bought my first SSD, which easily cut the noise my computer makes in half and I found the difference to be frankly amazing. I doubled-down on the quiet PC idea and bought a Nanoxia Deep SIlence case to further reduce the ambient noise. I couldn't be happier with the results. It's not completely silent, but it is remarkably quieter than any PC I've ever owned.

Which brings me back to my video card quandry. One of the reasons I was most attracted to the MSI 650 card was that the Twin Frozr cooling seems to get good reviews for being quiet. The PNY 660 seems to get some mixed reviews, however. One NewEgg reviewer said it was very loud, but then I found this: http://techreport.com/review/23527/review-nvidia-geforc.... While the card they test isn't a PNY, it looks remarkably similar to the card I'm thinking of buying (page 1 of the review). And the results at the end suggest only a 2 dBA increase in the noise level under load, which is definitely acceptable.

So, my question is, after that long-winded explanation, does anyone actually own the PNY card in question? What are the noise levels like? I'm happy to accept some anecdotal evidence here in lieu of solid quantitative data just to tip the scales one way or another.

Thanks in advance.

More about : pny geforce gtx 660 noise level

a b U Graphics card
September 26, 2013 7:22:01 AM

The reference "blower style" cards like the model you linked are louder than most aftermarket coolers. If you are looking for quiet, the MSI Twin Frozr is a very quiet card... much quieter that a reference card. The only real benefit of the reference cards is the fact that they blow hot air out of the case. But as long as you have a case (like yours) that has good airflow, this isn't an issue.
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a b U Graphics card
September 26, 2013 8:28:44 AM

I have used the MSI 660 you have linked on a build for a friend, and it is one of the most silent (and coolest) cards I have ever worked with. Gigabyte cards are quiet also, but as a personal preference I would get a MSI over a Gygabyte. Also the 660 is a better investment over the 650ti if you dont mind spending the extra cash.

But, one thing people do when buying a graphics card is over analyze the situation. There will always be a better card, a price drop, etc.
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September 26, 2013 9:01:22 AM

Yeah, I'm definitely hip to that last part. I'm just finding it kind of irksome because the PNY card was a tiny increase in price (7%), which was the only reason I started looking at 660s. But to jump up to the MSI is a lot more significant (32%). I guess I'll just have to decide whether the extra performance is really worth it.
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a b U Graphics card
September 27, 2013 2:09:26 AM

Well newegg does have a pretty good return policy if you got a card and it didn't work like it should.
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September 27, 2013 9:08:38 PM

Thanks for the advice.

I did wind up going with the Gigabit card, and so far, so good, it's pretty quiet. Now I just have to clear out the other bottlenecks in my system to get it cranking at full bore.
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