Skinnee Labs - GTX480 Block Round-Up (working thread)

[Helloworld_98]

Yeah like I said "though this could all be a rumour". I've been doing some research on kitguru and it seems that they are very unreliable. But a 512SP model will come out for sure. Maybe in the form of a Dual GPU solution?

as in dual 256SP's?
maybe but I think single 512SP is more likely and I highly doubt that any manufacturer will build a dual 512SP card on 40nm, think about it, that would be a 500w+ card, probably pushing 600w when overclocked and it would probably be longer than my Antec 300

[Systemlord]

Yeah like I said "though this could all be a rumour". I've been doing some research on kitguru and it seems that they are very unreliable. But a 512SP model will come out for sure. Maybe in the form of a Dual GPU solution?

Remember ATI's troubles when they did the die shrink (HDHD 2900XT anyone), they to had problems with high temps and performance issues! The difference is Nvidia has the temp issue but not so much the performance issue if you go by very immature drivers being beta first gen drivers. There's more hidden performance in Fermi! I'll squash that rumor myself right here right now!

[Church]

Dual 470 will perform probably same as 5970 but will use more power/dissipate more heat and/or have 10% slower performance, so i'm guessing - unlikely. Rather imho worth waiting for next revision of fermi arch with smaller size tech used for gpu cristals and cards (possibly even dual) made from those using less power, dumping less heat and having higher clocks or more pipelines - probably expectedly very good cards, but at least year from now ..

[blazarcher]

Remember ATI's troubles when they did the die shrink (HDHD 2900XT anyone), they to had problems with high temps and performance issues! The difference is Nvidia has the temp issue but not so much the performance issue if you go by very immature drivers being beta first gen drivers. There's more hidden performance in Fermi! I'll squash that rumor myself right here right now!

There is more hidden performance in Fermi, I agree. I mean look at the performance boost you get by overclocking the beast. That's why I say that a 512SP model is inevitable. I just hope I won't regret getting the GTX 480 now, although I'm sure I will anyways lol.

[blazarcher]

Yes it is.

Also, concerning the AC vs. WC topic, take a look at their 5870 and earlier blocks and you'll see that AC is just plain out copying WC's design, something I wouldn't have expected of them...

Yeah but you aren't looking at the facts! AC's 480 blocks came out almost a month before WC's. And even if AC "copied" some of WC's ideas, at least they refined it's design. I mean look at how plain the GPU area is on the WC compared to the AC. Whether it offers better cooling performance or not, you can't ignore the fact that they did put their own flair to the block. The WC block looks so plain and ugly while the AC is slim and simply beautiful (especially the nickel plated version).

I gotta hand it to AC, they really have made an outstanding block this time around. Their 5870 block was no slouch either, coming 2nd to the EK in cooling performance is an amazing feat in my opinion.

[skinnee]

2nd to the EK in cooling performance is an amazing feat in my opinion.

jumping to conclusions are we?

[ell]

come on skinnee get a move on mate! got £150 for water blocks and I need to know which company to give it too!

[Helloworld_98]

yeah, I need to know if I should spend the extra £40 which I'm not willing to pay at the moment for an aquacomputer block over the EK one

[skinnee]

Moving to the HK later this afternoon for 3 mounts, first couple tweaks really didn't net anything. Last bit I'm going to do is take 2-3 blocks and use TIM for all versus thermal pads.

[ell]

Moving to the HK later this afternoon for 3 mounts, first couple tweaks really didn't net anything. Last bit I'm going to do is take 2-3 blocks and use TIM for all versus thermal pads.

now thats what I call thorough!

[Hondacity]

also judging from past
newer revision
bye bye volterra ..

heck ati also doing the same

chil controller..not volterra

[blazarcher]

jumping to conclusions are we?

Heh, not really. I was referring to http://extreme.pcgameshardware.de/wa...d-5870-oc.html 5870 Waterblock Roundup xD

EK came out on top I believe while AC came a lil' after but in my opinion it was second with amazing temps compared to the XSPC Razer.

Now if I were to predict which would come out on top... I'd say:

Swiftech - Due to the GPU only being cooled

Koolance - Great design, I hate Koolance products though

AC - Amazing design very similar to WC's

WC - For being so late in the game (must be great)

EK - 5870 block came out on top, no reason for this one to perform any worse

Danger Den - Not sure about this one, it performs pretty well

BP - Saw review of this on Guru3d and it performed almost 10C worse than DD

**Order is subject to change xD**

EDIT

AC > WC, changed their orders a bit. Same with the Koolance block.

[Xandrus]

Heh, not really. I was referring to http://extreme.pcgameshardware.de/wa...d-5870-oc.html 5870 Waterblock Roundup xD

You know that there is already an GTX480 Roundup?

http://extreme.pcgameshardware.de/of...pdate-2-a.html

[UrbanSmooth]

You know that there is already an GTX480 Roundup?

http://extreme.pcgameshardware.de/of...pdate-2-a.html

Thanks for the heads up!

Skinnee is testing several more GPU blocks than the test there. So, I would advise all of those that are waiting to purchase based on Skinnee's results to continue waiting.

[Shoggy]

This review is permanently extended by new blocks while every new entry is directly available after testing. They do not wait to have them all together

[JoeBar]

June 18th is just 5 days away...

[blazarcher]

You know that there is already an GTX480 Roundup?

http://extreme.pcgameshardware.de/of...pdate-2-a.html

Nice, I can't believe I missed that!

On another note. This is why you should NEVER buy Koolance products.


Looks great from the outside, but appearances can be deceiving.








*Pics straight from extreme.pcgameshardware.de/offizielle-pcghx-wasserkuehlungstests/101527-roundup-gtx-480-wasserkuehler-im-vergleich-update-2-a.html

[shazza]

What's your source for those photos, blazarcher? And do you have permission to post them here?

(leaving it to skinnee as to whether he wants this cluttering up his thread)

[skinnee]

thumbnail and link to the source plz (and no, not your imageshack account).

This review is permanently extended by new blocks while every new entry is directly available after testing. They do not wait to have them all together

Yeah, different way of doing it.

[ell]

Hey blazarcher calm down on the old slander there. I use koolance motherboard blocks and I find their communication, quality, delivery and service of a very high standard and alot of people are happy with them. They also participate very actively on this forum when it comes to helping and new products unlike 90% of wc companies.

also I cant believe http://extreme.pcgameshardware.de/me...gross2-002.jpg is the included backplate!

That german roundup is literally no where near as thorough as Skinnees testing either, not a deciding factor for me at all.

[blazarcher]

Wooh! Check out that warping!



I'm disappointed, expected much better from WC!

[blazarcher]

This review is permanently extended by new blocks while every new entry is directly available after testing. They do not wait to have them all together

Congrats Shoggy, you guys came out with an amazing block that just came out on top in my opinion. I believe the Koolance just barely takes the edge in cooling performance but in everything else, the AC excels.

Some people were talking about AC copying WC's design, whatever the case, you guys managed to beat WC. The design of the block is absolutely extraordinary, very beautiful, and will definitely be my next block.

Now to get them across almost 4000 miles, now that's a challenge xD

[blazarcher]

Hey blazarcher calm down on the old slander there. I use koolance motherboard blocks and I find their communication, quality, delivery and service of a very high standard and alot of people are happy with them. They also participate very actively on this forum when it comes to helping and new products unlike 90% of wc companies.

also I cant believe http://extreme.pcgameshardware.de/me...gross2-002.jpg is the included backplate!

That german roundup is literally no where near as thorough as Skinnees testing either, not a deciding factor for me at all.

Thorough or not, you can't ignore the horrid state of that Koolance block. I have nothing against Koolance, I mean they came out on top in terms of cooling performance. I just don't like the quality of their blocks, more specifically, the quality that they come in.

After a thorough clean, I'm sure I'd be happy with a Koolance block. But in my opinion, AC looks better and is the block that I will be going for.

And on a side note. I'm not going with the EK because the plastic (blue) washer things that they include ruin the look of the block because they tend to stick out of the block.

[Conumdrum]

That Koolance block looks fine except for the algea or dye or stuff built up on it. Have you ever run a GPU block for a year and opened it up running distilled and a biocide yet?

Possibly not. We know nothing about what the posters pics were running in the loop. The block hasn't been out very long so the poster really did something very wrong with their liquid.

And PLEASE make the pics smaller next time, no need to scroll for that pic.

[blazarcher]

That Koolance block looks fine except for the algea or dye or stuff built up on it. Have you ever run a GPU block for a year and opened it up running distilled and a biocide yet?

Possibly not. We know nothing about what the posters pics were running in the loop. The block hasn't been out very long so the poster really did something very wrong with their liquid.

And PLEASE make the pics smaller next time, no need to scroll for that pic.

Yeah I'll turn them pics to thumbnails lol. And about running a GPU block for a year, I wouldn't expect all that grease to result. And imagine running the GPU for a year starting like that. By the end of the year it will be a lot worse compared to what you would get if you used another block.

BTW, the poster was the one that did the GTX 480 roundup. So how can you explain this block being the only one with all that grease??