Power Consumption, Noise and Heat
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The power consumption, stated in Watts, applies to our entire test platform. The 2D measurement represents the normal Windows desktop without any CPU load (minimum). The 3D measurement is taken when graphics card and CPU are under full 3D load (maximum).
| Power Consumption in Watt | 2D (Vista) | 3D (BlackSite) |
|---|---|---|
| Geforce 8800 Ultra OC (768 MB) | 167 | 308 |
| Geforce 8800 GTS OC (512 MB) | 134 | 264 |
| Geforce 8800 GT OC (512 MB) | 122 | 233 |
| MSI Geforce 8600 GT OC (256 MB) | 96 | 162 |
| Radeon HD3870 X2 (2x512 MB) | 138 | 352 |
| Radeon HD3870 OC CF (512 MB) | 132 | 331 |
| Radeon HD3870 OC (512 MB) | 102 | 224 |
| Radeon HD3850 Xtreme PCS OC CF (512 MB) | 131 | 283 |
| Radeon HD3850 Xtreme PCS OC (512 MB) | 100 | 202 |
| Sapphire Radeon HD 3650 OC (512 MB) | 94 | 167 |
| Sapphire Radeon HD 3450 (512 MB) | 91 | 135 |
| Radeon HD 2600 Pro (256 MB) | 87 | 151 |
| Radeon HD 2400 Pro HM (256/1023 MB) | 87 | 129 |
In 3D mode, the noise level may lie within a certain spread. This happens when the fan spins up for a short time to cool the GPU better, slowing down again when the temperature falls below a certain threshold. Airflow is not constant in such a scenario, explaining the varying values.
| Noise level measurements (1m) | 2D dB(A) | 3D dB(A) |
|---|---|---|
| Geforce 8800 Ultra OC (768 MB) | 38.4 | 42.3 |
| Geforce 8800 GTS OC (512 MB) | <37.5 | 41.2 |
| Geforce 8800 GT OC (512 MB) | 38.5 | 41.1 |
| MSI Geforce 8600 GT OC (256 MB) | 41.5 | 41.5 |
| Radeon HD3870 X2 (2x512 MB) | 38.4 | 47.1-49.3 |
| Radeon HD3870 OC CF (512 MB) | 38.3 | 46.6-48.3 |
| Radeon HD3870 OC (512 MB) | <37.5 | 40.1 |
| Radeon HD3850 Xtreme PCS OC CF (512 MB) | 49.6 | 49.6 |
| Radeon HD3850 Xtreme PCS OC (512 MB) | 45.5 | 45.5 |
| Sapphire Radeon HD 3650 OC (512 MB) | 37.6 | 39.4-42.3 |
| Sapphire Radeon HD 3450 (512 MB) | passiv | passiv |
| Radeon HD 2600 Pro (256 MB) | passiv | passiv |
| Radeon HD 2400 Pro HM (256/1023 MB) | passiv | passiv |
| Temperature in degrees Celsius | 2D | 3D |
|---|---|---|
| Geforce 8800 Ultra OC (768 MB) | 63 | 86 |
| Geforce 8800 GTS OC (512 MB) | 61 | 86 |
| Geforce 8800 GT OC (512 MB) | 61 | 96 |
| MSI Geforce 8600 GT OC (256 MB) | 47 | 67 |
| Radeon HD3870 X2 (2x512 MB) | 54 | 81 |
| Radeon HD3870 OC CF (512 MB) | 60 | 95 |
| Radeon HD3870 OC (512 MB) | 49 | 90 |
| Radeon HD3850 Xtreme PCS OC CF (512 MB) | 39 | 68 |
| Radeon HD3850 Xtreme PCS OC (512 MB) | 34 | 49 |
| Sapphire Radeon HD 3650 OC (512 MB) | not displayed | not displayed |
| Sapphire Radeon HD 3450 (512 MB) | 51 | 70 |
| Radeon HD 2600 Pro (256 MB) | 42 | 70 |
| Radeon HD 2400 Pro HM (256/1023 MB) | not displayed | not displayed |
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Shouldn't that be decoding?
Its all well and good comparing like for like but we never seem to get any info that would be relevant to the people who may consider upgrading to these models ie people with 1950 pro's or 7950's .
mactronix
^ Yeah. Not to mention people running DX9 and with no intention of being Vista-nated.
@ Solitaire
"Vista-nated" I like that im gonna start using that