High-end graphic card watts

[enewmen]

Hi all.

I notice (for example) the AMD 7970 for example has TDP < 300w max and < 3w idle.
So, based on current gen cards that we know about, does this mean I can run Win7 Aero, Angry Birds, Card game, etc. at <3w ?
Does it also mean an old game like HL2 at say < 100w? Or ANY application that uses more than 3w will get he card jumped to FULL 300w?
So, basically the power management is ALL or NOTHING ? Can't disable individual cores if I'm not running Crysis2 DX11?

thanks!

 

[nukemaster]

The current AMD GPU's have several clock settings for different tasks, this should be no different.

I think i have even seen some games just clock up the card part way.

One thing I have noticed is if i have a flash/html5(guess any video) video running the card will set a certain speed and even if I have a game up as well, it will get "stuck" at the lower speed until i have finished the video.

5870

157 Idle
400 Video(Flash,DVD, ect)

Well bluray is the same, almost thought it was different. Maybe there are only 3 on this card. Maybe it was the 5770 that had a different one for bluray

You are right tho, a 300 watt card to play HL2 would just suck.

 

[one-shot]

You're asking specific questions regarding a card that hasn't even been released yet. Wait a few weeks, then ask.

 

[enewmen]

I am talking about current generation cards. I just picked the 7970 as some example based on watts used according to rumors.

Nukemaster, you are saying, based on the 5000 generation cards, clocks do go up and down between the min and max frequency - based on type: video, flash, games, etc. ?
"I think i have even seen some games just clock up the card part way."

 

[nukemaster]

I am talking about current generation cards. I just picked the 7970 as some example based on watts used according to rumors.

Nukemaster, you are saying, based on the 5000 generation cards, clocks do go up and down between the min and max frequency - based on type: video, flash, games, etc. ?
"I think i have even seen some games just clock up the card part way."

I will have to go and check some different games when i get a chance, but yea for sure there is a idle/DVD/Game speed difference. For some reason i remember seeing 600mhz at once point or another, but maybe that was the 5770 playing HD. Will try to look into it.

 

[enewmen]

Thanks for getting back!
Happy to know there is a difference between idle/DVD/Game

I hope there is also a difference between HL2 and Crysis2. Like Nukemaster said, using 300w for HL2 or any 10 year old game would just suck..
Many newer games like Spore also don't require high-end cards (or even mid-range cards) - So clocks should go down for those as well.

 

[nukemaster]

On my 5770(media center)

157 idle
400 any video(even HD)
850 games or tomshardware main page
600 other unmentionable tech site(157 more often)
600 Winamp GL based visualization(goes to 157 and sometimes 800 on preset change)
850 Terraria.....WTF, but the temps are low so the card must be not working hard.

Thats what i got right now.

Stats logged with GPU-Z

 

[enewmen]

It looks like ALL games use the same frequency.
The point to all of this is I was afraid of getting a high-end card wasting lots of watts just to check email or play some simple game. THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE THE CASE.

Interesting normal games and Terraria both use 850 Mhz - but Terraria doesn't seem to make the card work as hard. I think because some cores are disabled.
If you got these results with a 5770, a 6000 or 7000 series card should do even better.

It looks like 7970 HERE WE COME

 

[enewmen]

Best answer selected by enewmen.

 

[nukemaster]

I did a quick test on a 5870 and it will use 157-600 for Terraria. I Guess the 5770 does not quite have the power to drop to 600, but with a Winamp visualization it will. That same visualization on the 5870 is almost always 157.

Looks like we can expect some good things from the next sets of cards.

I skipped the 6XXX cards since the 5870 was as good as most of them.