nVidia 5xx: where is the sweet spot?

[zombie67]

As you may have read in my the SB-E thread, I am considering swapping two current crunchers with a 4870 each, for a single SB-E cruncher. If I were to do so, I would be a 5xx card. One now, and maybe a second later. I already have a couple 590s and a 580. While I might be convinced to buy one or the other again, I am would like to consider some cheaper (slower) versions as well. Where is the sweet spot? This is what I see on newegg (roughly):

Edit: Updated with suggestions from DrPop


590: $750
GTX 560Tix2: $519
580: $500
GTX 460x2: $369
570: $350
560 TI: $250
560: $200
550 TI: $150



The HW differences are detailed here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeForce_500_Series#Products

So?

Note: My long term goal is to reduce power consumption. Less CPUs, less GPUs, same crunching power (or more).

[DrPop]

I do believe the sweet spot for the cards you listed is the 570. However...:o...may I suggest some alternatives?

EDITED:
GTX 460x2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130626): $369 after rebate. 672 CUDA cores@700MHz (GFLOPS > GTX 580)
GTX 560Tix2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130737): $519. 768 CUDA cores@850MHz (GFLOPS = GTX 590)

Obviously more cores are better for crunching. However, at some point point there is a break-even with fewer but faster cores. For example the 560Ti x2 GPU will have the same GFLOPS output as a GTX 590. The 590 has 1024 CUDA cores, but they only run @ 630MHz. So the "crunched output" of the cards will be roughly the same.

The other thing that makes these good, and especially the second one, the 560TI x2 is look at the NVIDIA Wiki and the GFLOPS/Watt. The 460 and especially the 560Ti are just smoking good when it comes to GFLOPS/Watt. Not as good as AMD, but best NVIDIA has had in a long time. So, if you're really wanting to crunch more for less electricity $$$, I think either of these are great.

Just some thoughts...that I wish I was having for myself! :D One of these days...

[John P. Myers]

i agree with the 560TI 2win. Stock clock is 850 MHz which makes it 28MHz faster than stock 560TIs out of the box. Though it uses 352W of power (a 590 [with 256 more cores than the 2win] uses 340W at stock speeds). However, the 2win is 5% faster than a 590 while using ~3.5% more power. Negligible, but it adds up over time. Should also be quieter than a 590.

[Mike029]

Here is a great website that you can use to compare cards against each other. It includes power consumption. This should be a Sticky. Some good stuff here.

Sorry it took so long to fix. here is the link.
http://www.hwcompare.com/8999/geforce-gtx-560-ti-vs-geforce-gtx-570/

[zombie67]

Here is a great website that you can use to compare cards against each other. It includes power consumption. This should be a Sticky. Some good stuff here.

Er, I think you forgot something....

:p

[Mike029]

Er, I think you forgot something....

:p

Yeah, thought about that after I hit the button. :">

[spingadus]

Yeah, thought about that after I hit the button. :">

I think you forgot it again :P

[Fire$torm]

I think you forgot it again :P

Yeppers....... :P

[Mike029]

FIXED. Link added. Sry about the delay.

[John P. Myers]

Boooooo they don't let you pick the 560 Ti 2win to see it smoke a 580 :(

[Mike029]

Boooooo they don't let you pick the 560 Ti 2win to see it smoke a 580 :(

They'll get to it. ^#(^ Perhaps they hit the button too soon like me. :o:o:o

[zombie67]

Here is my new i7-3930K with 560Tix2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130737), which is factory OC
http://www.primegrid.com/show_host_detail.php?hostid=231716
~1015 seconds/task

vs. my i7-2600k w/ 590 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130630):
http://www.primegrid.com/show_host_detail.php?hostid=231255
~733 seconds/task

The 590 is slightly OC by the factory, and I have not messed with the settings.

[STE\/E]

Boooooo they don't let you pick the 560 Ti 2win to see it smoke a 580 :(

??? My 580's run the PPS Wu's under 600 Seconds, Zombies 560 Ti2 runs them over 1000 Seconds so where is a 560 Twin going to smoke a 580 unless I'm not understanding something ... :confused:

[DrPop]

Huh. From the GFLOPS rating I would have expected the 2*560Ti to do better than that. How much O/C did they give it? You can O/C the 460 and 560 cards a ton because of their low watts - heat is much lower than other NVIDIA chips. For example, my 460's come at 700+ from the factory, and I run them at 900 easily...

[zombie67]

Huh. From the GFLOPS rating I would have expected the 2*560Ti to do better than that. How much O/C did they give it? You can O/C the 460 and 560 cards a ton because of their low watts - heat is much lower than other NVIDIA chips. For example, my 460's come at 700+ from the factory, and I run them at 900 easily...

The 560TIx2 is not OC from the factory at all. It runs at 850mhz.

[zombie67]

??? My 580's run the PPS Wu's under 600 Seconds, Zombies 560 Ti2 runs them over 1000 Seconds so where is a 560 Twin going to smoke a 580 unless I'm not understanding something ... :confused:

Maybe if you count that you are completing two tasks every 1000 sec, vs 1 task every 600?

[STE\/E]

Maybe if you count that you are completing two tasks every 1000 sec, vs 1 task every 600?

Okay, I was wondering about that, but 2 of my 580's are completing 2 Wu's every 600 Seconds :p:p ;) of course they cost a lot more ... :-s ... but then there were no 560 ti's when I bought them, maybe I'll sell them & get ti's lol

Oop's, just checked the price on the 560 Ti's, not cheap either ... #-o

[John P. Myers]

??? My 580's run the PPS Wu's under 600 Seconds, Zombies 560 Ti2 runs them over 1000 Seconds so where is a 560 Twin going to smoke a 580 unless I'm not understanding something ... :confused:


Maybe if you count that you are completing two tasks every 1000 sec, vs 1 task every 600?

The point was a single 560 Ti 2win (which is 1 dual GPU card) vs. a single 580 card. As Zombie pointed out, completing 2 tasks in 1000 seconds is faster than 1 task every 600 seconds :) About 20% faster, in fact.

[STE\/E]

Too bad DIRT isn't running, would be interesting to see how they do there ?

EDIT: I see Z has the ti attached to DIRT but hasn't picked up any CUDA Wu's yet, I picked up 45-50 this morning on 1 Box so maybe he will too ...

[DrPop]

Z - please see if you can get the 560Ti x2 card to O/C...at least to 900, maybe even a little more if the temps will allow. Thing is, it has less cores than the 590, so you have to run them faster. But the point is, you can run them faster because they are more "economical" on the juice, i.e. they run cooler. Good to see it is better than the 580 stock, at least - 20% is a fair margin over time. With some O/C I think it should be more like 30%+ faster than a 580...

JPM - how much do you think you can push a 560 Ti before you have to watch it close?

[John P. Myers]

Z - please see if you can get the 560Ti x2 card to O/C...at least to 900, maybe even a little more if the temps will allow. Thing is, it has less cores than the 590, so you have to run them faster. But the point is, you can run them faster because they are more "economical" on the juice, i.e. they run cooler. Good to see it is better than the 580 stock, at least - 20% is a fair margin over time. With some O/C I think it should be more like 30%+ faster than a 580...

JPM - how much do you think you can push a 560 Ti before you have to watch it close?

Well of course things like that always vary with ambient temperature, but i'd say in an average situation, 950MHz should be doable without even thinking too much about it. Beyond that, you'll definitely need a voltage tweak, and that's when the temps really start to ramp up

[DrPop]

Yeah, OK - if he hits 950 easy, then that will be roughly 12% increase over what he's got now...so that would be a nice step in the right direction. Clearly smoking the 580, but not up with the 590 I guess. Well, it appears worth the money at least.
@Z - looking at the temps and the brute size / power usage you can see the two pulling, what do you feel is the better buy for the $ - this card or the 590? I'm just curious, as I am not prepared to buy either right this second. ;)

[zombie67]

I am away from the machine for the weekend. Remote OC trials just end in tears...

Hard to speak to the value yet.

[Mike029]

@Z - looking at the temps and the brute size / power usage you can see the two pulling, what do you feel is the better buy for the $ - this card or the 590? I'm just curious, as I am not prepared to buy either right this second. ;)

So it's safe to say you won't be getting another 5970 and are looking to an Nvidia Alt? I sooooooo wanted to threaten Sici on Moo. Ahh well, perhaps next time. I'm hoping that the Egg or someone has an insane sale on GTX 570's in the next 10 days. Then need to find a way to get some cash. b-(

[DrPop]

So it's safe to say you won't be getting another 5970 and are looking to an Nvidia Alt?...

Well, that's just it. I have an RMA # for this card and will send it back. What I'm not sure of yet is if I will replace it or just get an NVIDIA. I really don't know which route is better at the moment.:confused:

[John P. Myers]

Yeah, OK - if he hits 950 easy, then that will be roughly 12% increase over what he's got now...so that would be a nice step in the right direction. Clearly smoking the 580, but not up with the 590 I guess. Well, it appears worth the money at least.
@Z - looking at the temps and the brute size / power usage you can see the two pulling, what do you feel is the better buy for the $ - this card or the 590? I'm just curious, as I am not prepared to buy either right this second. ;)

I redid my math and still maintain a 560 Ti 2win is ~5% faster than a 590. This obviously applies to a 590 at reference speed, which is 607MHz. The reference for a 580 is 772MHz. The reference for a 570 is 732MHz. So any speeds other than those shows your card has been factory OC'd by some margin.

Meaning:
ASUS MARS II = 3203.1 GFLOPS
560 Ti 2win = 2612.8 GFLOPS
590 = 2488.3 GFLOPS
580 = 1581.1 GFLOPS
570 = 1405.4 GFLOPS

[Mike029]

This is a good place to start when looking to get a gpu for Hydra.