Conclusion

Gigabyte’s GV-N470SO-13I Super Overclock edition card performs very well compared to Nvidia’s reference GeForce GTX 470. The ~100 MHz core clock and ~200 MHz shader clock rate advantage result in tangible speed-ups in a number of games. More importantly, the Gigabyte card manages to pull off better performance while using less power than the reference card, sustaining cooler GPU temperatures, and generating less noise in the process.

The only detractor from this card is its price. Weighed down by a $370 MSRP, you’re paying a large premium for the aftermarket cooler and specially-binned GPU (reference GTX 470s are currently selling for roughly $300).

But when you consider performance, power usage, overclockability, and reasonable noise output, the Gigabyte card isn’t easily dismissed. Further overclocking brings it close to GeForce GTX 480-class speed, but with a price tag that is at least $80 less. This makes the Gigabyte GV-N470SO-13I Super Overclock edition card easier to recommend than the flagship variant.  When you compare the noise levels of GeForce GTX 470 and 480 boards, this solution is a lot easier to live with, too.

Gigabyte’s Super Overclock card has to be the most impressive GeForce GTX 470 we’ve seen yet. If you value low noise and high performance, and don’t mind paying a pretty penny for an already-overclocked board, the GV-N470SO-13I Super Overclocked edition card should be on your short list.