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Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphics & Displays > Nvidia > GTX470 SLI vs GTX580

GTX470 SLI vs GTX580

Forum Graphics & Displays : Nvidia GTX470 SLI vs GTX580

I am debating between going with Nvidia 470GTX SLI Dual-Cards versus NVidia 580GTX single card. I need to make the decision today, so if anyone can lend a hand today...that would be great.

PC Specs
Alienware Aurora
Intel i7 980 Extreme
Nvidia GTX460 SLI - Dual
12GB RAM
Windows 7 64bit
Dual Alienware 23" 3d monitors
3d Vision setup

Reply to cordiscojm

I would go for gtx 580 sli if you are really trying to play 3d, its gonna be impossible to produce 120 fps in most games with a single gtx 580 so your best choice out of the two you listed is 580 sli if you really want to do 3d, looks like you already wasted money on an alienware so you might as well put two top of the line gpus in your machine in gtx 580 sli, but if you can wait for the gtx 590 (nvidias dual chipped card which is forthcoming) then that could be an option as well but it sounds like your setup is sli capable, now just a question if you case and psu can support it. If you were just gaming at 1080p (in 2d) with your current setup, I'd say gtx 460 sli is more than enough, but as an owner of 6870 crossfire I can see why you are looking to upgrade to acomplish that 120 fps (120hz, 60 per eye rendered) for 3d, good luck

Reply to jjb8675309

Thanks JJ. I understand the sentiment with Alienware...I've had nothing but problems with maxing out the GPU capability. I've had issues with the NVidia GTX 460SLIs and Alienware is offering to replace them with either two GTX 470s or one GTX 580. I am gaming in 3d and I also use AutoCad 64bit.

Reply to cordiscojm

get the 580, and if its not enough for upcoming games in 3D, then you always have the option to buy another one. Also, if you plan on gaming in 3D vision surround down the line, you're gonna need the extra VRAM of the 580's rather than the 470s. I'm planning a new build once sandy bridge is back online, and I'm looking at a 580 sli setup for 3D vision gaming....

Since the dual GTX 470's are probably reference models, I think you will be unhappy with the noise they produce. They will be significantly louder than your two GTX 460's. Two GTX 470's will outperform a single GTX 580, but the 580 will be quiet and will really chew up any game, including 3D Vision. To check the performance difference, look at a review of the GTX 560 in SLI, those are comparable in performance to GTX 470's in SLI. The difference in performance over a GTX 580 is really significant, but the noise will be a factor.

Message edited by matto17secs on 02-25-2011 at 08:23:09 PM

------------------------------ MSI P55-GD80, Core i7-875K, Corsair A70 heatsink, PNY GTX580, 8GB Corsair Dominator RAM @ 1600mhz, Corsair 850HX PSU, WD Black 1 TB, WD Green 2 TB, Audigy 2, Antec Sonata, Cambridge Soundworks 5.1 THX speakers, Samsung P2770H 27" monitor, Windows 7 Ultima
Reply to matto17secs

how is the gtx 580 going to produce 120 fps constantly in todays most demanding games for playable 3d framerates if 460 sli will not? Unless I have my facts wrong how will that in affect "chew up" 3d games im confused...

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Reply to jjb8675309

unless Im really wrong on the 3d thing, 470 sli will provide a lot more power over a single 580 but like matto said, heat and noise could become a factor

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Reply to jjb8675309

jjb8675309 wrote :

I guess it depends on the game and the settings, but 60 (30 x 2) fps and above will certainly be attainable in most games with max settings.

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One of the biggest issues I am dealing with now is heat. My fans are running constantly high, but very quiet. The GTX 460(s) in SLI configuration run 3D games pretty well. I don't have a lot of complaints there. But because Alienware tried to cram so much crap into one smaller can, the heat builds up fast. Funny though, it seems as the GPU(s) freezing or crashing a game is intermittent and not easily reproduced under the same environment.

I thought the GTX 580 would be a better suit for the can, stability and heat dissipation wise, but lose out on the graphics performance compared to the Dual GTX 460s.

The other factor is the rendering in AutoCad 2011. These cards have a ton of capability, but it seems as though they are not used efficiently in this manner. I almost feel as though going to a Quadro 2000 may appease both side pretty well. No?

Reply to cordiscojm

matto17secs wrote :

I guess it depends on the game and the settings, but 60 (30 x 2) fps and above will certainly be attainable in most games with max settings.

ok I can follow your logic behind that

Reply to jjb8675309

I picked up two GTX 480 SLI boards. I still have issues with running demanding games on them. They overheat very quickly, even when I remove the tower covers! I can't overclock without running into heat issues in 15 minutes. Also, I tried to overclock my i7 980 extreme to 4.1Ghz by upping my voltage to 1.35V, but run into issues in no time whatsoever. I think that Alienware came out with a bad design with the Aurora model. Too much junk in one can!

matto - FYI, I barely get 50fps with Heaven Benchmark running balls out on my cards and 2AA (3d stereo off). I was greatly disappointed in the performance of these cards.

Reply to cordiscojm

yeah 480 sli is not a very good choice, you would have been much better off with sli gtx 560s, can you return them?

Message edited by jjb8675309 on 03-10-2011 at 04:08:09 PM

Reply to jjb8675309

jjb8675309 wrote :

unless Im really wrong on the 3d thing, 470 sli will provide a lot more power over a single 580 but like matto said, heat and noise could become a factor

I have dual GTX470's......SLI mode......with a 1500 watt PSU....noise and heat are not an issue with ample power supply unit.....this is the key

Reply to KansasSlim

Im currently adding a 3rd GTX 470...triple monitor setup ...1 65inch Mitsubishi 3D Dlp with 2 60 inch Mitsubishi 3D Dlp's......Acer 1010 Predator with 250 gig SSD and upgraded to the I7-980X...Nivida is compatible with Mitsubishi Dlp 3D HDTV...I love this setup...

Reply to KansasSlim

I wish I had that much money to spend on my system. Your rigs are probably worth a freggin mortgage. Damn!

Reply to Alex The PC Gamer

Just need to strike down a couple pieces of misinformation in this in this thread before I give my two cents.

First - Nvidia 3D Vision requires a monitor with a 120 HERTZ refresh rate. NOT a game that runs at 120 FPS. This is true for 3D Vision Surround as well.

Second - Having a power supply that is vastly in excess of your system requirements will NOT improve performance and will certainly not reduce noise.

Now that that's cleared up, I've also been weighing the differences between dual SLI GTX 470 and a single GTX 580. It is true that dual GTX 470 SLI is cheaper, 3D surround ready and out performs a single GTX 580 however, Two GTX 470s supposedly produces 55 decibels from 70cm away. That's approximately 20% quieter than a vacuum cleaner. That is, in my opinion, unacceptable. However, this problem can be circumvented by a liquid cooling system.

So I've broken down the debate to these options:

GTX 470 Dual SLI + Liquid Cooling system

Pros

- Higher performance.
- 3D Surround ready.
- Your system is nearly silent.
- You can easily add liquid cooling to your CPU as well.
- Significantly higher overclocking capacity.
- No overheating headaches or worries.
- Mass nerd cred.

Cons

- More expensive.
- More difficult to install.
- Higher power requirements.

Single GTX 580

Pros

- Easier to install.
- Cheaper.
- More upgradable in the future.
- Lower power requirements

Cons

- Louder.
- Hotter.
- Lower performance.
- Not 3D surround ready.
- Not as cool.

So there you have it. I hope this information helps you or more likely others reading this post with the same question. I am going with the Dual 470 +liquid cooled option.

Reply to Snowman89

I do own a pair of 470's and they're treating me fairly well between advanced PhysX and 3D Vision.

Another plus is that the GTX 470 is fully compatible with the Mercury Engine that accelerates Adobe Software (Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, Flash, ect.)

Reply to mohawkade

I have a pair of 470's which I found horribly loud. More recently, I upgrade my enclosure from an Antec 902 to a Silverstone Raven 2, with the better cooling and better sound prevention, they no longer give me noise issues. I still can't overclock them and keep them within reason, but they do get the job done for 3D vision.

That said, couldn't you go for 560 ti's in SLI instead of a 580? They are similarly priced and have much better noise levels.

Message edited by bystander on 07-31-2011 at 08:26:26 AM

------------------------------ i7 920 @ 4.0Ghz, Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R, MSI Nvidia GTX 680, 6 Gb Kingston HyperX @ 1333 Mhz, Antec 850 PSU, 2X WD Cav Black HD 1Tb, Silverstone Hawk 2 RV02B-W Case, 27" ACER HN274Hbmiiid 3D monitor
Reply to bystander

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey

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Reply to Mousemonkey

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