Zotac GeForce GTX 480 AMP

[The$Hulk]

Introduction :

As the Nvidia reference design of the GeForce GTX 470 and GeForce GTX 480, presented many potential buyers experienced a disappointment in terms of power consumption and volume. For this reason, the board partners are their own designs high in the favor of customers - perhaps an Nvidia partner is so much better? In fact, it has Zotac GeForce GTX 470 with the AMP. On this basis, we want to now the GeForce GTX 480 AMP! look the same manufacturer. Whether all this card much better than the reference design makes, we clarify the following short test.

Zotac currently holds three versions of the GeForce GTX 480 in their portfolio:

• Zotac GeForce GTX 480: Reference Design
• Zotac GeForce GTX 480 AMP!: Overclocked, Zalman Fan
• Zotac GeForce GTX 480 AMP! ltd: overclocked, Zalman Fan, incl Razer Deathadder mouse, limited to 1,000 units.

Although the latter has presented himself to us, we are referring to the test in addition to the - from the same mouse - "normal" AMP! Product. This will change now for 485 € the owner and therefore costs about 45 euros more than the reference design from the same manufacturer.

[The$Hulk]

Benchmarks :

The following benchmarks were with the current graphics card test system based on an Intel Core i7 965 determined on. This is operated with a clock of 3.87 GHz to thwart the cards unnecessarily. When drivers were used for all measurements (including power consumption and volume) of Catalyst 10/06 or the GeForce 257.21 used.

Zotac has the frequencies of the GeForce GTX 480 AMP! compared with the reference design, although increased, but not in the dimensions that an appreciable difference sets. So we measure 1920x1200 under an average performance improvement of just five percent, which is rarely a real advantage. This will take advantage of the Radeon HD 5870 to twelve percent to 17 percent.

The biggest advantage over a standard card, the GeForce GTX 480 AMP! in Anno 1404 without anti-aliasing, and in Crysis Warhead (also enter without improving quality features), where the difference is then up to seven percent. The worst result we oppose it in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 fixed, which seems to be quite resistant to the higher clock speeds. Without anti-aliasing increases at all and with anti-aliasing even at low two percent performance. A CPU limit is definitely in this case not available.

Other measurements :

The volume is the weakest point of the reference design of the GeForce GTX 480th And so far no manufacturer has managed to overcome this shortcoming in our course. But the AMP! Card from Zotac makes this regard, in fact everything better again.

On Windows, we measure a volume of 42 decibels, which is indistinguishable from a sealed enclosure of the remaining components. A standard card reaches 47 decibels. Under load there is the GeForce GTX 480 AMP! Although not quite the exceptional values of the GeForce GTX 470 AMP! turn, is 46 decibels but hardly louder. And so the Zotac card turns circles around the competition, and is even quieter than a Radeon HD 5850th One wonders retroactively even more urgently, why no other manufacturer could present such results so far?

When the temperatures are in the Zotac GeForce GTX 480 AMP! just a little something to complain. In Windows, the GF100-GPU not warmer than 37 degrees Celsius, even under load, the temperatures of 75 degrees are absolutely critical. The reference design comes at much higher 92 degrees Celsius. Only on the chip back is the reading of 80 degrees is not so good.

On Windows, there is the Zotac GeForce GTX 480 AMP! a power of 182 watts (meaning the entire PC) and makes the card six watts is more economical than a standard model. The power thus remains very high. Under load we measured a maximum of 420 watts, 28 watts better than the reference design. Relatively a clear improvement, absolutely still a lot of wood.

Although the Zotac GeForce GTX 480 AMP! of house already equipped with higher frequencies, the hardware can be overclocked even further. The TMU domain makes a gain of 96 MHz (852 MHz) before it comes to first image errors - the shader units, an increase of 192 MHz (1704 MHz). The GDDR5 memory is still running fine up to 2052 MHz, 152 MHz more than normal. Depending on the application increases the performance as at ten to eleven percent.

[The$Hulk]

Conclusion :

GeForce GTX 480 is not tolerable loud? It works! This proves to a very good idea of the GeForce GTX 470 AMP! now the GeForce GTX 480 AMP.

The cooling system of the GeForce GTX 480 AMP! works on a completely different level than that of the reference designs are known and the partner cards. On Windows, the two whisper-quiet fan and even fall back on careful not to hear. However, even under load the card is barely louder and therefore proposes the Zotac product, all other cards that are in a similar performance. We even go so far as to say that could only be achieved with water cooling or really a better result - very good!!

On the power consumption has also done a little, although the 3D accelerator from the outset with higher clock speeds hence. On Windows, the desire for power is minimal at less than reference design under load, it is already good then 26 watts. Thus the power consumption is still very high, but at least there has been a slight improvement. The performance has improved over time Zotac increases only moderately, however, the test track to show an average of just over five percent. Those who want more, but even more to turn the screw clock. Our model is made easy with more MHz on the chip and memory.

Thus, the Zotac GeForce GTX 480 AMP! in all respects superior to the reference design. Even significantly slower cards are usually louder and the improvement over the reference design is actually to believe only in a self-experiment. Meanwhile, also falls in the price reasonable. At 485 € is the AMP! Card from Zotac Although 45 € more expensive than the reference design from the same manufacturer, but the charge given the power in this case is definitely worth considering, after all it is at the map the bottom line is without doubt the current best air cooled GeForce GTX 480 to the market. Although the power consumption of the Zotac GeForce GTX 480 GPU due to the base is very high, we give the card in the circles of the GTX-480-compete with the performance shown, therefore at the end of our recommendation. Not the best graphics card, but the best air cooled GeForce GTX 480 in the market.

Positive characteristics -

• Fast enough for 1920x1200 and sometimes more
• Universally available AA / AF
• Very fast DirectX 11
• SSAA possible in all APIs
• CUDA / PhysX
• With 1.5 GB large memory
• Consistently very low

Negative characteristics -

• Excessive power consumption under load
• Three open slots provided

[Pandya]

Wow ... The first useful GTX 480th And then just like that. The cooler seems to be a bombastic good. For a Zalman product somewhat surprising. And the three slots little disturbing. This remains the only blemish of the card, the power consumption under load (although this may be significantly down, thanks to the much lower temperature). Above all, I ask myself why the ref design in comparison is so extremely bad. As you near the green well organized all sorts of bungling.

[Mentos]

Nice card - much improved and faster - very good. But the recommendation - that's not your serious. The recommendations are now well distributed inflationary! In the past you have pinched the buttocks together (with other cards - see AMD) that you could squeeze out a diamond ... The cooling is based on the Zalman cooler yes, have you even tested the CB Team. There, the radiator has screwed it totally and here the Zotac version with the same cooler makes it all down? What is the difference please? Zotac supplies the chip with less power or what?

[CRiley]

I beg your pardon, I see this wrong, but why get a GTX480 an editorial recommendation and a HD5850/70, which is without question the much more rounded package, no? I know that is there, that the award represents the GTX480er cards with each other, but so far it reads not only held by the people, right? Or have I overlooked the fact that converted HD5000 derivatives have received a recommendation? If this is not so, I personally do not understand the world anymore.

[Edmund-Windows]

How to create a lower power consumption? By the fan? Nich, I believe, would be nice if someone could explain to me professionally. And the Idle values the 4xx cards are really "so" low? On other pages I-30 40Watts Idle seen in more. The card itself is really the best you can get 470/480, I wonder how many corporate there is not even create the rudimentary white something. A recommendation I would not give in to the price, however, maybe you should have a "mini Award" or something to introduce such justifications. Very strange that it has such a ATI card not given. Now that Zotac has once again done a very good job. Very good!! But could you please introduce times in your tests, that the voltage is specified with the GPU to identify which manufacturer as such differs from the reference design? That would be quite informative and very useful. This could have two reasons. First, could have been reduced from Zotac the tension, what they comfortable with the GTX 470 AMP! Have been made for and on the other hand, consumption decreases with decreasing temperature. With GPUs is blut that mean in about 10°C also saving less consumption equal to 10W. That was the case in the G200.