4870- $110 with free shippin at the Egg

I'd love to buy this, but I think my EA380 needs to be upgraded first. I was thinking about a Corsair 520hx...

EDIT: Still about a $170 upgrade... Not sure if I want that yet for this system.
 
450 said:
I'd love to buy this, but I think my EA380 needs to be upgraded first. I was thinking about a Corsair 520hx...

EDIT: Still about a $170 upgrade... Not sure if I want that yet for this system.
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Cool story.

Hot deal.
 
Bought it!

I'm hoping the EA380 will work... But if not... upgrade time!
 
Well, that was quick. When I found it there in the same price bracket as the 4850's I wondered if it was a pricing error. Maybe they were just clearing out the last of that model though.
 
I understand that but a case with good air flow this isn't even a factor.
 
haadij404 said:
but then the noise becomes an issue. it was the loudest thing in my pc even at its lowest fan speed.
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I don't know what to tell you, perhaps research software fan controllers. I have this card and mine stays at 25%, you can't really hear it. I think catalyst only lets you lower it to 35% and even then it idles at 50% by default which I agree is too loud. All my system temps are fine without needing a cheap blower fan on my video card to exhaust air out the back of my case. I know how to design for proper air flow and this shouldn't be an issue for anyone else who does. This card is a bargain.
 
MetalX said:
I don't know what to tell you, perhaps research software fan controllers. I have this card and mine stays at 25%, you can't really hear it. I think catalyst only lets you lower it to 35% and even then it idles at 50% by default which I agree is too loud. All my system temps are fine without needing a cheap blower fan on my video card to exhaust air out the back of my case. I know how to design for proper air flow and this shouldn't be an issue for anyone else who does. This card is a bargain.
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The price is fair. I am just saying out of the box the card runs hot and loud. It should be okay for most people but I am just saying I would spend maybe $10 more and get one that exhausts out of the case.
 
450 said:
Bought it!

I'm hoping the EA380 will work... But if not... upgrade time!
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depending on the rest of your system, when loaded you will definitely be pushing it, IIRC the full system load (at load) for a 4870 is ~350w...
 
haadij404 said:
I am just saying out of the box the card runs hot and loud.
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Can not disagree. Maybe not hot but it definitely runs too loud stock. That fan is way OP and at idle it shouldn't spin that fast.

Here is what I've done with mine:

http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/6aqeg/

eh23.jpg


Not too shabby with the fan at 30% for testing. I modded the bios for 1.35 vcore and fixed 30% fan speed. A bargain at $140 for the enthusiast buyer.
 
haadij404 said:
hey i got a 500w psu for my i7 rig :D
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Also Im pretty sure the reason you think the dark knight version runs hotter is because oh your case, the A05B runs cars really hot because at the top there is like no ventilation if you dont mod it, so a card that has an exhaust style cooling would be better in that case. Thats just my guess.
 
lillimon04 said:
Also Im pretty sure the reason you think the dark knight version runs hotter is because oh your case, the A05B runs cars really hot because at the top there is like no ventilation if you dont mod it, so a card that has an exhaust style cooling would be better in that case. Thats just my guess.
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i actually did mod a blowhole on top even before i got the dark knight. i cant imagine without one. i actually did monitor the temps coming out of the case. ambient temp was 24c... exhuast out of the top was around 40c :eek:

with my gpu that exhuasts out the rear its around 33c exhausting out the top.
 
I lower the voltage and clock speed of my Dark Knight when it idles so it can run almost passive. I have noticed no change in CPU temps under heavy load using OCCT burn tests before or after this card.

Idle:

e8t.png


Now that's sexy compared to my previous 4850. I will not miss that loud whining fan.
 
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