The Fastest 3D Cards Go Head-To-Head

Features
By Tino Kreiss
published

Power Consumption, Noise, And Temperature

The power consumption in watts always refers to the entire test platform. The 2D value is the normal Windows interface without load or the Aero interface (minimum value). The 3D value is measured when the CPU and graphics card are running at maximum load (maximum value). For this, we used the start screen of Mass Effect (UT3 Engine) at 1920x1200 pixels without anti-aliasing. The CPU reaches a load of 100% as a result.

Examples of power consumption with other CPU classes, where the values always refer to the entire test platform. The E2160 @ 1.8 GHz is between 17 and 32 watts less. E2160 @ 2.41 GHz is between 15 and 25 watts less. E6750 @ 2.67 GHz is between 12 and 16 watts less. Q6600 @ 2.4 GHz (G0) is between 2 and 5 watts more. And Q6600 @ 3.2 GHz (G0) is between 20 and 35 watts more.

Approximate power consumption of the test system: X38 platform on the Windows desktop is 65 watts, X38 under 3D load is 90-110 watts, the 780i platform in 2D mode is 20 watts, and the 780i running 3D is between 145 and 155 watts. Since all of these measurements were made at the power connection, the actual power supply load of the measured consumption must be calculated by multiplying the watt ratings by 0.83 (the efficiency factor).

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Power consumption in watts2D (Vista Desktop)3D (Mass Effect)
GeForce GTX 280 SLI (1024 MB)203540
GeForce GTX 280 (1024 MB)117352
GeForce GTX 260 SLI (896 MB)211610
GeForce GTX 260 (896 MB)111336
GeForce 9800 GX2 (2x512 MB)173368
GeForce 9800 GTX SLI (512 MB)235462
GeForce 9800 GTX (512 MB)126264
GeForce 9600 GT SLI (1024 MB)182302
GeForce 9600 GT (1024 MB)102187
GeForce 8800 GTS OC (512 MB)127277
GeForce 8800 GTS SLI (512 MB)230445
GeForce 8800 GTS (512 MB)126269
GeForce 8800 GT SLI (1024 MB)184326
GeForce 8800 GT (1024 MB)103198
GeForce 8800 GT SLI (512 MB)203392
GeForce 8800 GT (512 MB)115239
GeForce 8800 Ultra SLI (768 MB)294580
GeForce 8800 Ultra (768 MB)154313
GeForce 8800 GTX (768 MB)146296
GeForce 8800 GTS (640 MB)138256
GeForce 8800 GTS SLI (320 MB)234420
GeForce 8800 GTS (320 MB)127240
GeForce 8600 GTS (512 MB)98178
GeForce 8600 GTS SLI (256 MB)164277
GeForce 8600 GTS (256 MB)93172
GeForce 8600 GT SLI (256 MB)155253
GeForce 8600 GT (256 MB)89160
Radeon HD 4870 CF (512 MB)242460
Radeon HD 4870 (512 MB)147288
Radeon HD 4850 CF (512 MB)177367
Radeon HD 4850 (512 MB)122237
Radeon HD 3870 X2 (2x512 MB)132350
Radeon HD 3870 CF (512 MB)124323
Radeon HD 3870 (512 MB)95216
Radeon HD 3850 CF (256 MB)111279
Radeon HD 3850 (256 MB)88192
Radeon HD 3650 CF (512 MB)112235
Radeon HD 3650 (512 MB)89167
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Noise level at 1 m2D dB(A)3D dB(A)
GeForce GTX 280 SLI (1024 MB)39.048.8 - 49.4
GeForce GTX 280 (1024 MB)37.754.5 - 54.7
GeForce GTX 260 SLI (896 MB)39.655.1 - 56.0
GeForce GTX 260 (896 MB)38.1 - 44.253.5 - 54.0
GeForce 9800 GX2 (2x512 MB)38.453.6 - 54.1
GeForce 9800 GTX SLI (512 MB)37.048.6 - 49.1
GeForce 9800 GTX (512 MB)36.244.7 - 45.7
GeForce 9600 GT SLI (1024 MB)37.746.4 - 47.0
GeForce 9600 GT (1024 MB)36.942.6 - 43.3
GeForce 8800 GTS OC (512 MB)36.240.3 - 40.7
GeForce 8800 GTS SLI (512 MB)38.543.7 - 44.1
GeForce 8800 GTS (512 MB)36.240.1 - 40.5
GeForce 8800 GT SLI (1024 MB)37.543.8 - 44.1
GeForce 8800 GT (1024 MB)36.540.4 - 40.9
GeForce 8800 GT SLI (512 MB)36.248.4 - 51.0
GeForce 8800 GT (512 MB)35.842.2 - 42.7
GeForce 8800 Ultra SLI (768 MB)38.749.9 - 50.7
GeForce 8800 Ultra (768 MB)37.046.5 - 48.1
GeForce 8800 GTX (768 MB)36.847.8 - 48.4
GeForce 8800 GTS (640 MB)36.939.7 - 40.2
GeForce 8800 GTS SLI (320 MB)37.641.2 - 41.7
GeForce 8800 GTS (320 MB)36.338.2 - 38.7
GeForce 8600 GTS (512 MB)48.048.0
GeForce 8600 GTS SLI (256 MB)passivepassive
GeForce 8600 GTS (256 MB)passivepassive
GeForce 8600 GT SLI (256 MB)42.242.2
GeForce 8600 GT (256 MB)40.840.8
Radeon HD 4870 CF (512 MB)41.8 - 42.453.7 - 54.5
Radeon HD 4870 (512 MB)35.545.5 - 46.0
Radeon HD 4850 CF (512 MB)36.346.0
Radeon HD 4850 (512 MB)36.341.2
Radeon HD 3870 X2 (2x512 MB)36.648.3 - 49.4
Radeon HD 3870 CF (512 MB)36.448.2 - 48.7
Radeon HD 3870 (512 MB)36.538.7 - 39.4
Radeon HD 3850 CF (256 MB)36.940.2 - 40.8
Radeon HD 3850 (256 MB)36.237.5
Radeon HD 3650 CF (512 MB)41.741.7
Radeon HD 3650 (512 MB)40.040.0

For SLI and GX2, several values are specified; these refer to the individual graphics chips (GPUs). For CrossFire, the value of the primary, hotter GPU is shown in the table.

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Temperature in degrees Celsius2D (Vista Desktop)3D (Mass Effect)
GeForce GTX 280 SLI (1024 MB)48 / 5082 / 83
GeForce GTX 280 (1024 MB)5385
GeForce GTX 260 SLI (896 MB)49 / 64101 / 105
GeForce GTX 260 (896 MB)45 - 49105
GeForce 9800 GX2 (2x512 MB)68 / 7187 / 91
GeForce 9800 GTX SLI (512 MB)62 / 6276 / 78
GeForce 9800 GTX (512 MB)6075
GeForce 9600 GT SLI (1024 MB)38 / 5356 / 77
GeForce 9600 GT (1024 MB)4570
GeForce 8800 GTS OC (512 MB)6289
GeForce 8800 GTS SLI (512 MB)62 / 7385 / 90
GeForce 8800 GTS (512 MB)6086
GeForce 8800 GT SLI (1024 MB)46 / 5361 / 67
GeForce 8800 GT (1024 MB)4661
GeForce 8800 GT SLI (512 MB)61 / 6996 / 98
GeForce 8800 GT (512 MB)6397
GeForce 8800 Ultra SLI (768 MB)66 / 6986 / 91
GeForce 8800 Ultra (768 MB)6082
GeForce 8800 GTX (768 MB)6082
GeForce 8800 GTS (640 MB)6082
GeForce 8800 GTS SLI (320 MB)54 / 6184 / 85
GeForce 8800 GTS (320 MB)5384
GeForce 8600 GTS (512 MB)4157
GeForce 8600 GTS SLI (256 MB)67 / 5199 / 98
GeForce 8600 GTS (256 MB)5695
GeForce 8600 GT SLI (256 MB)48 / 5265 / 73
GeForce 8600 GT (256 MB)4765
Radeon HD 4870 CF (512 MB)6373
Radeon HD 4870 (512 MB)7683 - 85
Radeon HD 4850 CF (512 MB)8083 - 85
Radeon HD 4850 (512 MB)7883 - 85
Radeon HD 3870 X2 (2x512 MB)5882
Radeon HD 3870 CF (512 MB)6295
Radeon HD 3870 (512 MB)5390
Radeon HD 3850 CF (256 MB)5591
Radeon HD 3850 (256 MB)4990
Radeon HD 3650 CF (512 MB)4578
Radeon HD 3650 (512 MB)3962
Tino Kreiss
146 Comments Comment from the forums
  • San Pedro
    Looks like the results for SLI and Crossfire were switched with the single card results. . .
    Reply
  • Duncan NZ
    Not a bad article, really comprehensive.
    My one complaint? Why use that CPU when you know that the test cards are going to max it out? Why not a quad core OC'ed to 4GHz? It'd give far more meaning to the SLI results. We don't want results that we can duplicate at home, we want results that show what these cards can do. Its a GPU card comparason, not a complain about not having a powerful enough CPU story.

    Oh? And please get a native english speaker to give it the once over for spelling and grammar errors, although this one had far less then many articles posted lately.
    Reply
  • elbert
    No 4870x2 in CF so its the worlds top end Nvidia vs ATI mid to low end.
    Reply
  • Lightnix
    It'd be a good article if you'd used a powerful enough CPU and up to date Radeon drivers (considering we're now up to 8.8 now), I mean are those even the 'hotfix' 8.6's or just the vanilla drivers?
    Reply
  • elbert
    Version AMD Catalyst 8.6? Why not just say i'm using ATI drivers with little to no optimizations for the 4800's. This is why the CF benchmarks tanked.
    Reply
  • at 1280, all of the highend cards were CPU limited. at that resolution, you need a 3.2-3.4 c2d to feed a 3870... this article had so much potential, and yet... so much work, so much testing, fast for nothing, because most of the results are very cpu limited (except 1920@AA).
    Reply
  • wahdangun
    WTF, hd4850 SHOULD be a lot faster than 9600 GT and 8800 GT even tough they have 1Gig of ram
    Reply
  • mjam
    No 4870X2 and 1920 X 1200 max resolution tested. How about finishing the good start of an article with the rest of it...
    Reply
  • I agree, the 4870 X2 should have been in there and should have used the updated drivers. Good article but I think you fell short on finishing it.
    Reply
  • @pulasky - Rage much? It's called driver issues you dumbass. Some games are more optimised for multicard setups than others, and even then some favour SLi to Crossfire. And if you actually READ the article rather than let your shrinken libido get the better of you, you'll find that Crossfire does indeed work in CoD4.

    Remember, the more you know.
    Reply