NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 465: Cheaper Isn’t Always Better
by Ryan Smith on May 31, 2010 3:26 AM ESTMeet Zotac’s GeForce GTX 465
Unlike the GTX 480/470 launch, NVIDIA is not seeding the press with reference cards. Instead that task has been left up to the vendors, who are selling identical cards that we believe all come from NVIDIA. For our review Zotac was kind enough to send over their GTX 465, our first Zotac video card here at AnandTech.
As we said previously, the GTX 465 is built upon the same PCB/cooler as the GTX 470, so the cards are indistinguishable except for the Zotac branding and identification stickers on the card. Internally things are also the same, with Zotac’s GTX 465 using the same 5-pipe heatsink that we’ve seen on the GTX 470. NVIDIA’s own cooling recommendations also remain unchanged, with NVIDIA suggesting to space GTX 465 cards as far apart as possible when using them in SLI.
With the reuse of the GTX 470’s PCB, the layout of the card remains unchanged. For drawing power in is a pair of 6-pin PCIe power sockets, while driving the outputs are 2x DVI-I ports and a mini-HDMI port. Length also remains unchanged at 9.5”.
For pack-ins, Zotac is shipping the card with a pair of dual-Molex to PCIe 6-pin power adaptors, a DVI to VGA dongle, and a mini-HDMI to HDMI dongle. The included documentation is composed of the usual English-language generic user’s manual and an equally generic multilingual quick installation guide.
The software pack-in is composed of a CD containing NVIDIA’s 197.75 drivers, and trial versions of Badaboom, vReveal, Super LoiLoScope, and bitDefender. Our copy did not include Just Cause 2 since it arrived before NVIDIA’s last-minute inclusion of the game, however we have confirmed that the actual retail cards will include it. This will be a coupon to download it from a digital distribution service, rather than a pressed disc.
Finally, Zotac is offering a lifetime warranty on their GTX 465 (registration required). As you may recall in our GTX 480/470 review we were left uneasy by the cards’ high temperatures and recommended a lifetime warranty – the GTX 465’s operating temperatures are similar enough that we would make the same recommendation, so this is right up that alley.
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MadMan007 - Monday, May 31, 2010 - link
Yeah I've got to agree. It's one thing to not rerun benchmarks with new drivers on older cards or ones that are well out of the intended competition envelope but to not redo cards that are new and might benefit greatly from the new drivers just seems lazy.Greenhell6 - Monday, May 31, 2010 - link
My 4870X2 Is still rocking out!!! Faster than the 5870 in some tests and on par with the GTX 480. Cant complain since i picked it up for about nothing.SunSamurai - Monday, May 31, 2010 - link
Whats the power cost to run those again? ;)Greenhell6 - Monday, May 31, 2010 - link
Very little for me, since I only use my 4870X2 for gaming and nothing else- I have another rig that uses all low power components for everything else. And now with two kids my gamiing computer get's turned on less and less. You have to admit it though--The 4870X2 Numbers are still very impressive--Rock's your face off....Nighteye2 - Monday, May 31, 2010 - link
In cases like this, it would be good if power costs are also taken into account. If a card is cheaper but uses a lot more power, you may still end up paying more through your electricity bill.Why not make a comparison based on lifetime costs, rather than only purchase price? You can estimate lifetime costs by adding the power usage over about 1000 hours on full load and 500 hours idle - and that'd probably still be a low estimate for some people.
C'DaleRider - Monday, May 31, 2010 - link
OK.....but whose power costs are you going to use as a metric? Massachusetts? California? Idaho? Georgia? Michigan?Rural or urban?
Or should they be limited to U.S. figures only as this site is read internationally?
So, I guess AT should post your request with power figures from every state in the U.S., urban and rural averages per state, Canada by province, Mexico, Germany, Italy, England, France, Spain, and Turkey. Hope that's enough coverage for you.
On the other hand, I'd personally think that anyone with two functional brain cells can make a determination that consuming 100W of extra power will cost more to run. Simple point to make as this review made it.
Nighteye2 - Monday, May 31, 2010 - link
Just use the US average cost/kwh. The prices in the articles are also in USD, so that would be most convenient. It doesn't need to be accurate to the cent, just give a decent indication/estimate.Oh, and I suspect global power costs to be similar enough for such a figure to have meaning to all readers globally (I'm not from the US, btw).
Apocy - Monday, May 31, 2010 - link
If you are so interested in power costs, here is the basic calculation (take in mind I live in Bulgaria)Power cost during day - 0.12$ (US dollars)
Idle power gap - 9
Load power gap - 105
Given we use the system only during daytime we have ROI:
Idle - 185185,1852 hours
Load - 15873,01587 hours
So on average you will need 700 days to pay off these 20$ by saving power with 5850.
rbnielse - Monday, May 31, 2010 - link
Your calculation are off by an order or magnitude.It's actually 1587 hours (load) to pay off the 20$ pricegap, and frankly that's not a lot.
Most people who buy a highend graphics card like this are going to play at least 20 hours per week, which means they'd even out the costs after a year and half at the most. So for the majority of buyers I'd say the GTX465 is actually more expensive than the HD5850, in addition to being slower and louder.
Apocy - Tuesday, June 1, 2010 - link
Yep you are right, I placed 20$ as 20,000 cents not 2,000 that's why the numbers are 10 times higher.So ok then, 70 days roughly :)
In reality if you consider the power savings, yes 5850 will become cheaper with time. Guessing the average user will hit these 70 days of playtime mark by the 8th month if he plays roughly an average of 6-8 hours :)
So yeah, in conclusion, this card is totally useless unless you want physX and 3d Vision