Power consumption of GTX260 55nm

[thilanliyan]

http://en.expreview.com/2008/1...nm-geforce-gtx260.html

Well that sucks if it's true. Clock speeds seem to be identical for this test so the testing is relevant I think.

 

[Cookie Monster]

Maybe they forgot to downclock their card?

Anyway, it would be interesting to know which revision the 55nm GT206 chip is.

 

[WelshBloke]

I'd say wait till release before making any judgment here.

 

[Zap]

That's certainly odd. Maybe I should do some of my own testing.

Power consumption should be down a hair with clocks up a hair going to 55nm. For instance, the 9800 GTX+ only requires a single 6 pin PCIe plug (most boards have two because they reused 9800 GTX PCB). There are now new 9800 GTX+ available for purchase that have the single PCIe plug, and probably all the dual plug models will be discontinued.

I think we need to see more reviews on the upcoming 55nm refresh when the embargo lifts.

 

[AzN]

Originally posted by: WelshBloke
I'd say wait till release before making any judgment here.

It's already released.

 

[WelshBloke]

Originally posted by: Azn

Originally posted by: WelshBloke
I'd say wait till release before making any judgment here.

It's already released.

I'd say wait till full reviews from trusted sites before making any judgment here.

 

[SolMiester]

I thought I read recently that the thermals weren't finished on pre production models, perhaps they have an earlier BIOS on the card...I difference in cooler may account for heat difference but not power consumption. I suspect the BIOS could be tweaked on release units!

 

[BFG10K]

Originally posted by: SolMiester

I thought I read recently that the thermals weren't finished on pre production models

That was my understanding too. AFAIK nVidia specifically asked the previews not to put up thermal or power tests until final review units are out.

 

[HOOfan 1]

Originally posted by: BFG10K

Originally posted by: SolMiester

I thought I read recently that the thermals weren't finished on pre production models

That was my understanding too. AFAIK nVidia specifically asked the previews not to put up thermal or power tests until final review units are out.

wasn't that for the GTX 295. The GTX 260 55nm version has been out since December 24th and that article is dated December 27th.

I didn't think nVidia themselves wanted to differentiate the 55nm version from the 65nm version at all. Perhaps expreview bought their own cards.

 

[thilanliyan]

You can already buy the GTX 260 55nm though...would it still be pre-production if you can buy it already?

 

[cmdrdredd]

Meh... who cares, you don't buy these cards because you want the lowest power condumption available, you'd use onboard everything for that. The performance is what really matters, not saving 10watts.

 

[kylebisme]

I ordered one the day they came out expecting it to run cooler and have lower power consumption as I try to keep my HTPC setup as cool and quiet as reasonably possible, but my 8800gt is getting a little long in the tooth. If the results are correct then I'm a bit disappointed. However, the difference isn't much regardless, and I only paid a few bucks extra, so it isn't rightly a big deal either way.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: TheSnowman
I ordered one the day they came out expecting it to run cooler and have lower power consumption as I try to keep my HTPC setup as cool and quiet as reasonably possible, but my 8800gt is getting a little long in the tooth. If the results are correct then I'm a bit disappointed. However, the difference isn't much regardless, and I only paid a few bucks extra, so it isn't rightly a big deal either way.

For a HTPC why would you need a GTX260 to begin with?

 

[kylebisme]

Because my HTPC is my main computer, and I play a lot of games on it.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: TheSnowman
Because my HTPC is my main computer, and I play a lot of games on it.

Then it isn't exactly a HTPC. It just happens to be a PC you use as a media player.

Anyway, I don't understand the deal with people worrying about power consumption when they're buying the newest high end hardware. They want performance yet complain about using a few extra watts. You can't have both.

 

[kylebisme]

It's in my livingroom, in a small case in my entertainment cabinet, next to my receiver and cable box, hooked up to a 50" plasma and a 5.1 surround sound system. I use it to record and watch TV though Media Center, play Blu-ray, HD DVD and DVD disks, and keep all my CDs ripped to it for easy access to music.

Considering that, how is it anything but a HTPC? Just because I built it to run games well too?

 

[alcoholbob]

Well the curious thing is Microsoft envisioned the PC to be the center of the home theater experience, which was what their media-centric playback software was designed for. They believed people would turn their office rooms into mini-home theaters with PC speakers and watch TV on their computer monitors.

Instead people started moving their computers into the living room instead and used it as a "hub" for their home theater.

Today the (most) basic HTPC is a net top with 1080p playback ability, maybe run some emulators.

A more advanced HTPC would be a one source solution for your entire home theater...tivo functionality with a tv tuner, IR receiver/remote for Windows Media Center.

Still, HTPCs are defined by generally small form factor and quiet operation (home theater components are typically are silent).

Snowman's setup is an HTPC albeit uncommon, since it's not specialized for HTPC use per-se.. I'm also planning a gaming HTPC, however, I don't have a convenient closet to lock it into, and with a high end video card it will probably be fairly loud, counter to what an HTPC really is for--a simplified, all-in-one box for home theater needs instead of running a billion receiver/pre-pro/pro/pre-amp/insert random receiver box...setup.

It's really a painful choice between noise/processing power...you could get a giant metal case with heavy dampening but then your parts will probably cook unless you underclock the hell out of everything...

 

[kylebisme]

I use an aluminum case, an old Lian-li PC-30. It is a tower style case, but only stands a bit higher than the receiver and cable box stacked next to it, and fits nicely under the shelf above. That does limit my options for a CPU heatsink, and hence overclocking headroom. It also requires some effort to working out effective cooling in general, but I am not nearly as anal about temps as many are, and I keep it respectably clocked and reasonably quiet.

 

[Cookie Monster]

Actually, Im beginning to think that the GTX260s might use the earlier B1 or B2 revision (the left overs) where as the GTX285/295 require the use of B3 revision chips because of power/thermal issues.

 

[stipalgl]

Brings back memories of the old P4 Northwood and Prescott. Similar scenario.

 

[thilanliyan]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
Meh... who cares, you don't buy these cards because you want the lowest power condumption available, you'd use onboard everything for that. The performance is what really matters, not saving 10watts.

I see your point but usually a shrink would lower power consumption and I would take a card with lower power consumption any day over one with higher power consumption if performance is similar. 10w is huge if many, many people were saving that much. I'm a bit of a green person so I have to say, most electricity produced isn't clean so the less we use the better. Also, 10w less means 10w of heat less we have to cool.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: thilan29

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
Meh... who cares, you don't buy these cards because you want the lowest power condumption available, you'd use onboard everything for that. The performance is what really matters, not saving 10watts.

I see your point but usually a shrink would lower power consumption and I would take a card with lower power consumption any day over one with higher power consumption if performance is similar. 10w is huge if many, many people were saving that much. I'm a bit of a green person so I have to say, most electricity produced isn't clean so the less we use the better. Also, 10w less means 10w of heat less we have to cool.

The green movement makes me sick. It's hampering the movement forward of convenience and technology for many industries. It's also partially why GM and the rest are where they are, Government taxes on the vehicles that were selling (SUVs) and forcing research and development on cars nobody was buying (hybrid and e85).

That's wildly off topic though, so forgive me. I do understand what you're saying here, but in the grand scheme of things if you're buying the newest high performance part for your PC the power consumption is secondary. If it was first on the list you'd probably have some Intel IGP.

 

[spittledip]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: thilan29

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
Meh... who cares, you don't buy these cards because you want the lowest power condumption available, you'd use onboard everything for that. The performance is what really matters, not saving 10watts.

I see your point but usually a shrink would lower power consumption and I would take a card with lower power consumption any day over one with higher power consumption if performance is similar. 10w is huge if many, many people were saving that much. I'm a bit of a green person so I have to say, most electricity produced isn't clean so the less we use the better. Also, 10w less means 10w of heat less we have to cool.

The green movement makes me sick. It's hampering the movement forward of convenience and technology for many industries. It's also partially why GM and the rest are where they are, Government taxes on the vehicles that were selling (SUVs) and forcing research and development on cars nobody was buying (hybrid and e85).

That's wildly off topic though, so forgive me. I do understand what you're saying here, but in the grand scheme of things if you're buying the newest high performance part for your PC the power consumption is secondary. If it was first on the list you'd probably have some Intel IGP.

No, I think you are way way off. Most PC gamers are concerned with the heat their parts give off. I for one do not care much about wattage unless it is an obscenely high amount. I do however care about heat differences, even very small differences. Of course heat and wattage usually go hand in hand unless the part is very efficient or has good cooling.

 

[zod96]

I tried the 55nm card. It was the same idle temp as the 65nm one, about 48 in my case. And the length is also the same. I'm not sure where people are getting the 55 nm one is shorter from. But they are both identical. The only way you can tell the 55nm from the 65nm one is the backplate on the rear side of t he card. The 65nm has one the 55 nm doesn't.

 

[xfile]

EVGA claims the 55mm cards are 1" shorter per their website.