Vendor Cards: BFG GeForce 7800GTX OC
by Derek Wilson & Josh Venning on August 4, 2005 2:39 PM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
Power
We measure the power load of the system (with the card installed) in three different states: while the system is idle, while running tests with the clock speeds unmodified, and then again with the card overclocked manually. We then stress test the card by looping multiple Battlefield 2 demos for 45 minutes.
Heat
Noise
To recap our noise testing procedures, users can't generally isolate the noise of the graphics card from the rest of the system, but it does have an impact. The formula that we used to determine noise levels for the 7800GTX cards is as follows (all sound measurements are made at a stationary position one meter from the system):gpufactor = (10( SPLsys / 20))2 - (10 ( SPLamb+cpu / 20))2SPLsys is the measured SPL of the entire system.
SPLamb+gpu = 20 log( sqrt( gpufactor + (10( SPLamb / 20))2))
SPLamb is the SPL of the room with the computer shut down.
SPLamb+ cpu is the measured SPL of the system without the graphics card installed.
Because all of these cards have the same style heat sink, it's no surprise that we haven't noticed any glaring differences in noise level. Most likely, all of the 7800 cards with stock HSFs will have similar levels, and you will probably not be able to discern any differences using just your ear. A difference of 2 dB isn't significant – noticeable, perhaps, but the rest of the system components will often contribute more noise than the GPU. 2 dB is also small enough that we may simply be picking up a variance between the fans used, as even two fans off the same production line may not be 100% identical. We will keep testing to see how noise levels compare between all of the cards and report on anything unusual that we may find. For now, the cards all perform very close to one another.
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PeteRoy - Sunday, August 7, 2005 - link
Anandtech reviewing vendors 7800 GTX looks like a way to get a freebie 7800 GTX to every Anandtech editor,
But I admit it's interesting to see what each vendor brings with the board, to see what games, what box and cooler.
Scotty - Friday, August 5, 2005 - link
In the hardware reviews, there is the shootout from Hexus. They remove the heat sinks to show the card and chips. I would like to see/know how well this card would accept a water block to integrate a dual 7800 setup into my current water cooling system. I am running a triple monitor system and this card makes this quite a bit easier to do than the the 6600 cards. Obviously I can not run this in SLI mode with three displays.Backslider - Friday, August 5, 2005 - link
I have to disagree with the article.BFG 7800 OC wo/game = $525
MSI 7800 w/game = $475
The whole whopping 1% faster then, doesn't account for $50 plus a $40 game, at lease not to my wallet. I mean give me a break already, the card was like 1 FPS faster give or take a half of frame! But, ooooohhhh its "Over clocked" and I guess you get a cookie for that?
Then again, if your buying a graphics card this expensive, I'm sure you have the money to go out and buy all the games you want anyhow. Even then the benchmarks were just not impressive at all (realitive to 7800 vs. 7800).
darksparkz - Friday, August 5, 2005 - link
I think, on the next review you should have the 7800GTXs stock speeds AND the 7800GTXs speeds that are OC to the exact same speed. It's harder to compare which is better because of the clock speeds.If you have eVGA, BFG, and etc. all at the same clock speeds, we'll truely be able to compare which is better
JarredWalton - Friday, August 5, 2005 - link
I believe the whole point is that there is *NO* difference between any of the current 7800GTX cards if they are clocked the same. Minor differences in fan speed seem to be the major influence right now.Some Body - Thursday, August 4, 2005 - link
EVGA have released a new 7800GTX...7800GTX KO edition (with and without BF2). Core at 490MHz, Memory at 1.3GHz.
http://www.evga.com/products/moreinfo.asp?pn=256-P...">EVGA 7800GTX KO Edition w/ Battlefield 2
(Also note that they've dropped prices on their 'regular' 7800GTX)
GuniGuGu - Thursday, August 4, 2005 - link
I love this website, it's my favorite hardware site, but I really have to ask, do we really need reviews of the same hardware?A quick overview, is the most thats really needed.
Really, Anand was talking about the 4fps difference between the games in 4xAA as actually a deciding factor??? It's 4fps guys!!
In all honesty, the only think people should look at, so long as the core/memory speeds are in-line, is the package and cooling used.
And by the looks of it, they are all folowing the same cooling options, so I would just like at the package (vivo?/cables/games) and choose from there.
Because in all seriousness, they are all the same.
at80eighty - Friday, August 5, 2005 - link
true. However - what do you suggest? that AT reviews ATI's enviously large range of cards that they have existing at your local tech store?GuniGuGu - Friday, August 5, 2005 - link
Perhaps, disregarg the entire video card section altogether, until there is something, actually worth talking about...We all know that the GTX is the fastest card on the market, but the article could've been summed up in a few lines. "The card is oc, it cost a bit more, and doesn't offer any real extra performance, much like all other GTX's"
There's always new hardware coming out.. AT doesn;t have to review the same video card 3 times ya know...
GuniGuGu - Friday, August 5, 2005 - link
Or he could brake NDA and review a 7700 gt :)I'm in the process of buying a new machine, everything new, and i'm contemplating waiting on a 7700gt, because of the price it may sell for, and how it may overclock/unlock..
But I'm also extremly pissedd off at ATi for taking so damn long... they've basically lost my sale (if the product could've proved to have been better that is).