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Roundup: Nine GeForce GTX 460 1 GB Boards Benchmarked

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Happy with Nvidia's GeForce GTX 460, we invited a dozen of the industry's top graphics companies to show off their unique interpretations of the card. Nine responded with what they feel are exceptional products. Can they get any better than reference?

Awarded for its position as the best bang-for the buck graphics solution in both single-card and SLI configurations, the only question in the minds of hopeful buyers of Nvidia's GeForce GTX 460 1 GB card is: which particular board to buy? Over a dozen manufacturers offer a vast array of clock speeds, accessory packages, and support. So, we asked that question for you.

Nine companies responded with the product they felt offered the strongest argument for their brand, and today we’re going to compare these reference and aftermarket-altered GeForce GTX 460s. Here’s a quick overview of what your $220-$260 can buy:

General Details: GeForce GTX 460 1 GB Products 1-3

Asus ENGTX460 TOP/2DI/1GD5ECS Black NBGTX460-1GPI-FEVGA GTX 460 01G-P3-1373-AR
GPU Clock775 MHz765 MHz763 MHz
Shader Clock1550 MHz1530 MHz1526 MHz
DRAM RateGDDR5-4000GDDR5-3700GDDR5-3800
DVITwo Dual-LinkTwo Dual-LinkTwo Dual-Link
HDMIMini HDMIMini HDMIMini HDMI
DisplayPortNoneNoneNone
VGABy AdapterBy AdatperBy Adapter
Output
Adapters		DVI to HDMI, DVI-I to VGADVI to HDMI, DVI-I to VGAMini to Full HDMI, DVI-I to VGA
Length9.6"8.5"8.3"
Height4.9"5.4"4.4"
Total
Thickness		1.6"2.4"1.4"
Cooler
Thickness		1.4"2.2"1.3"
Weight22.0 Ounces24.5 Ounces20.5 Ounces
PCB VersionM5Q-1041P(B)Nvidia P1041 1.0Nvidia P1041 0B
VRMFive PhasesThree PhasesThree Phases
WarrantyThree YearsThree YearsLifetime
Added
Value		92 mm Fan
CD Wallet		Arctic Cooling Accelero
Twin Turbo Pro cooler		Extended Warranty
Step-Up Program
General Details: GeForce GTX 460 1 GB Products 4-6

Gigabyte GTX 460 GV-N460OC-1GIJetway GTX 460 "Mystery Card"MSI N460GTX Cyclone 1GD5/OC
GPU Clock715 MHz900 MHz725 MHz
Shader Clock1430 MHz1800 MHz1451 MHz
DRAM RateGDDR5-3600GDDR5-3800GDDR5-3600
DVITwo Dual-LinkOne Dual-LinkTwo Dual-Link
HDMIMini HDMIFull HDMIMini HDMI
DisplayPortNoneNoneNone
VGABy AdapterOne 15-PinBy Adapter
Output
Adapters		Mini to Full HDMI, DVI-I to VGANoneDVI to HDMI, DVI-I to VGA
Length8.9"8.3"8.3"
Height4.6"4.4"5.1"
Total
Thickness		1.4"1.4"1.4"
Cooler
Thickness		1.3"1.3"1.3"
Weight20.0 Ounces18.0 Ounces18.5 Ounces
PCB Version3rd-party ReferenceNvidia P6723rd-party Reference
VRMThree PhasesThree PhasesThree Phases
WarrantyThree YearsN/AThree Years
Added
Value		2x 92mm Fans
$20 "Starcraft 2" Rebate		N/AOversized Cooler
General Details: GeForce GTX 460 1 GB Products 7-9

Palit GTX 460 Sonic PlatinumSparkle GTX 460 1024 MB GDDR5Zotac GTX 460 ZT-40402-10P
GPU Clock800 MHz700 MHz675 MHz
Shader Clock1600 MHz1400 MHz1350 MHz
DRAM RateGDDR5-4000GDDR5-3600GDDR5-3600
DVITwo Dual-LinkTwo Dual-LinkTwo Dual-Link
HDMIFull HDMIMini HDMIFull HDMI
DisplayPortNoneNoneFull-Size
VGAOne 15-PinBy AdapterBy Adapter
Output
Adapters		NoneHDMI Cable
DVI-I to VGA		DVI-I to VGA
Length7.4"8.3"8.3"
Height4.4"4.4"4.4"
Total
Thickness		1.5"1.4"1.5"
Cooler
Thickness		1.4"1.3"1.3"
Weight16.0 Ounces16.5 Ounces20.0 Ounces
PCB VersionCustomNvidia P1041Custom
VRMFour PhasesThree PhasesThree Phases
WarrantyOne YearLifetimeLifetime
Added
Value		None6' Mini to Full
HDMI Cable,
Extended Warranty		Free "Prince of Persia:
The Forgotten Sands"
Extended Warranty


With the general details for each of today’s cards covered on the first page, let’s see what specifics make each of these cards shine.

Next
Summary
  1. Shuffling Through The Cards
  2. Asus ENGTX460 DirectCU TOP/2DI/1GD5
  3. ECS Black Series GTX 460 NBGTX460-1GPI-F
  4. EVGA GeForce GTX 460 SuperClocked 1024 MB EE (External Exhaust)
  5. Gigabyte GTX 460 GV-N460OC-1GI
  6. Jetway's Exibition Card
  7. MSI N460GTX Cyclone 1GD5/OC
  8. Palit GTX 460 Sonic Platinum Overclocking Edition
  9. Sparkle GeForce GTX 460 1024 MB GDDR5
  10. Zotac GeForce GTX 460 1 GB
  11. Test Settings
  12. Benchmark Results: 3DMark Vantage
  13. Benchmark Results: Alien Vs. Predator
  14. Benchmark Results: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
  15. Benchmark Results: Crysis
  16. Benchmark Results: DiRT 2
  17. Benchmark Results: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call Of Pripyat
  18. Average Performance, Power, And Heat
  19. Efficiency, Price, And Performance Value
  20. Conclusion
About the author
Thomas Soderstrom
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91 comments
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    Top Comments
  • Tamz_msc
    I would have liked noise benchmarks.
    25
  • El_Capitan
    This review is trying to tell us what? Higher overclocked cards give better performance? Duh?

    It would have been better to see each card overclocked to it's most stable overclock first, then test the cards with all the benchmarks.

    I read CPU magazine's article comparing the GTX 460's, and same conclusion. Palit is the fastest, but MSI's is the quietest and coolest.

    I've been looking into getting a pair for SLI. Those that don't have extra space between their PCI Express 2.0 slots should go for the EVGA Superclocked because of the external exhaust. Those that do have space like me and prefer low noise would be better off the MSI's. Performance-wise, they're all great overclockers (every card in this review can overclock higher than Palit's factory overclock). Honestly, you really can't go wrong with any of these cards.
    15
    • Other Comments
  • Tamz_msc
    Good article.
    1
  • TheStealthyOne
    I really am a fan of ASUS' DirectCu/TOP cards.

    I can't decide between the 460 and 5850 versions :P
    0
  • Tamz_msc
    I would have liked noise benchmarks.
    25
  • beans4you
    just installed two gigabyte 460 cards in my brothers new setup, they are pretty nice! can't hear them even with the 2 fans on each and they run around 25/29 C idle, this is as far as I've gotten with tests :p
    3
  • falchard
    thestealthyoneI really am a fan of ASUS' DirectCu/TOP cards.I can't decide between the 460 and 5850 versions

    Thats a contemplative choice? Considering its not the 5830, the clear choice is the 5850.
    -4
  • Lmeow
    Wow. Jetway's 33 % overclock is nSane... especially on what seems to be nVidia's reference cooler.

    I wonder how many cards can reach that 900 MHz with acceptable noise and voltage levels.
    1
  • El_Capitan
    This review is trying to tell us what? Higher overclocked cards give better performance? Duh?

    It would have been better to see each card overclocked to it's most stable overclock first, then test the cards with all the benchmarks.

    I read CPU magazine's article comparing the GTX 460's, and same conclusion. Palit is the fastest, but MSI's is the quietest and coolest.

    I've been looking into getting a pair for SLI. Those that don't have extra space between their PCI Express 2.0 slots should go for the EVGA Superclocked because of the external exhaust. Those that do have space like me and prefer low noise would be better off the MSI's. Performance-wise, they're all great overclockers (every card in this review can overclock higher than Palit's factory overclock). Honestly, you really can't go wrong with any of these cards.
    15
  • vixiv
    El_CapitanHonestly, you really can't go wrong with any of these cards.


    Basically.
    3
  • void
    I have one gigabyte card and very happy with it. Almost complete silent at idle. and not much noise at 100% fan speed. 50% fan speed is enough to keep it around 60c in games
    0
  • amgsoft
    If you are going to use the cards in PC in your home, the less noisy and the coolest is often the best choice.
    2
  • IzzyCraft
    Quote:
    MSI has become famous for its Afterburner software, but the core voltage adjustment doesn’t work with this particular card


    I'm fairly sure that one does support overvoltage but you have to check "unlock voltage control" and "unlock voltage monitoring" then restart the program, only reason i note this is that only a few 460's support any kind of voltage control, not that it needs it for an impressive overclock.

    It's in the change log afterall
    Quote:
    Afterburner 1.6.1 (2010-07-07)
    Added NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 series and MSI N460GTX Cyclone series graphics cards support (including voltag control!)

    http://event.msi.com/vga/afterburner/download.htm
    also lol voltage is typoed lol

    supposedly msi has a 460 fully custom in the works that will support even memory voltage tweaking
    http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?s=6c27407b258f5c35bbf16f63d6405c79&t=326936
    1
  • Onyx2291
    Ah, I'll be using this as reference in the future. Sometimes it's hard deciding between companies haha.
    0
  • Mark Heath
    Nice article.
    Quote:
    Shuffling Through The Cards

    Nice (sub)title :p
    1
  • LordConrad
    I like my "Galaxy GTX 460 Super OC". Factory clocked at 810 MHz GPU, 4000MHz GDDR5. Out of the box it's faster than Palit's Sonic Platinum.
    -2
  • nevertell
    I'd still go for the MSI, since I've read that that cooler is the most silent of them all. And it's temps' are the best of all, so more OC'ing potential. Too bad you didn't include "sound" tests, I'd like to see how loud/silent other coolers get under load.
    0
  • Emperus
    How safe is it to get the cheapest out of the lot.? Very safe i guess.. How much value is it to get the costliest.? Pretty good i guess.. So the consumer is basically safe with any choice made.. That's always a good thing.. This just may be one of those cases where one can pick a card more based on its aesthetics.. Nice huh..
    0
  • anthonys17
    MSI/Asus, the hell. .it's still a 460! nice article :)
    2
  • wishmaster12
    I had a nvidia card once, i traded it for a ati card because the nvidia card was giving me headaches. seriously
    -4
  • Crashman
    anthonys17MSI/Asus, the hell. .it's still a 460! nice article
    Yes, MSI and Asus are about equal. MSI starts out cooler but has less maximum-speed cooling, Asus starts out warmer but the fan has more room to speed up. They're about the same noise level until you speed things up, in which case MSI tops out before Asus.
    0
  • MechaNintendoMaster
    I like the MSi one.....
    0
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