Which GTX 460? MSi vs GIGABYTE

sikcle

Distinguished
Aug 1, 2010
14
0
18,520
Grettings All!



EDIT: I just called Palit's "support" line and I questioned them about the info on Newegg's spec reading of 725MHz clock and 1450MHz shader. For the first couple minutes he insisted that it was preclocked to this setting and not 700MHz. Also, regarding the excess noise and heat, he mentioned that there has never been an "overheating" problem per se due to the VRM heating issue and went on to recommend a "band-aid" type software fix. Why should i flash my bios for the screw up? After a while he confessed that the default clock speed may in fact be 700MHz as the reviews all document.

I know that the factory clock speed, shader, etc. is not all that important as we can all manually OC and i can also add my own VRM. My point is that the Palit GTX 460 Sonic series were supposed to be one of the "best" GTX 460 cards with great cooling, temp and performance. Instead, i get more cover-up stories when i contact their support line, a faulty NEWegg spec reading (which newegg directly receives from the manufacturer, meanwhile the specs are no where to be found on Palit's own site) and a quick software fix on hardware defect. All in all, Palit has been a disappointment with this card. Sure, it's a fully "functional" graphics card but it is worth the $230 when it could be better spent on another manufacturer?

Anyways, I contacted Newegg and they said they due to Palit's heating issue as well as a mix-up of specs on their site, they'll try to provide a full refund including shipping if i decide to return this piece of plastic.

I'm probably gonna observe this card a bit more myself without the new BIOS to see how badly it actually should perform and probably return it.

I'm looking at cards from other companies now, can anyone recommend another card?

I've been reading up on MSi 1GB OC 725 MHz core, 1450 MHz shader (for real this time)
vs Gigabyte 1GB OC 715 MHz cre, 1430 MHz shader

It's probably bubble down to finding a better deal but how do the cooling features compare? (performance, noise and heat are all important factors)
MSi cyclone vs Gigabyte Windforce 2x?
 

Helltech

Distinguished
Are you sure the card just isn't downlocked? Use GPU-z and Furmark at the same time and see what kind of clocks you get.

As for the brand, I don't really like Palit, but the difference there isn't much, if your going to for another card and pay the restocking fee you should probably get that MSI one.

But I don't think its worth all that trouble. You should be overclocking that card anyway so the fact the clocks are lower shouldn't be too much of a problem.
 
Yeah, the stock clocks are irrelevant. A factory OC is really just a scam to get more money out of people who don't know how to do it themselves. OCing is safe, easy and extremely effective on cards like the GTX 460.
I have heard bad reviews on the fan on the card you bought but whether or not it is worth it to return the card is something you need to decide for yourself.
 

JohnnyChrist

Distinguished
Jul 14, 2010
104
0
18,690
NVidia says that almost every GTX 460 card can reach 800 mhz base clock stably. I say go Gigabyte and OC it yourself. It seems like it has the best cooler of the bunch, and their customer service is great. IMO.
 

sikcle

Distinguished
Aug 1, 2010
14
0
18,520


That's a good question I've been asking as well. Those four all perform very well so basically it comes down to availability and getting a good deal.
I mean if you find any one of them for under $200 (1GB) then definitely grab it, lol.

Personally, after reading several benchmark reviews, the MSi 1GB and Gigabyte 1GB have excellent cooling features (quiet and cool) out of the box.

Anyone know which of the two are better though?
 
D

Deleted member 217926

Guest



I LOVE Gigabyte but in this case I would go with the MSI card. It has voltage control and I believe the warranty covers overvoltage as well as overclocking.