Results
I was ridiculously impressed with the performance increase I received in the move from my nVidia 9800 GTX+ to the GTX480. All of the games I ran performed flawlessly. I have been running this card for the last 20 days, and I have not experienced a single issue. The heat produced by this card is immense. It has been suggested that the GPU may have a small nuclear reactor under its hood. I have been able to combat the heat successfully with the seven fans and remarkable ventilation provided in my full tower case, the NZXT Phantom. That being said, I would never recommend putting this video card in any type of small form factor case. Using a laser thermometer I was able to get readings of 130 degrees Fahrenheit during the stress tests. There is a very distinctive reason this card has four copper heat pipes and a 10.5″ footprint.
Summary
We took an in depth look at Sparkle’s GeForce GTX480. In addition to performing the standard battery of benchmarks, we also ran a long term stability test of the card. This is the flagship card in the GeForce product line, so it should come as no surprise that the card performed beautifully. When you are considering the purchase of a new video card there are several factors that will cross your mind: the two foremost are cost and performance. If cost is your primary concern, than chances are this is not the video card for you; however, if you demand unquestionable performance, Sparkle’s GeForce GTX480 should be high on your list. I installed this card in two separate environments, and was impressed with the performance on both. The performance of the card comes at a premium though, the card had an average running temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit and peaked at 130 degrees. This card requires sufficient space, and sufficient cooling. When the card was installed in the Antec Skeleton, it raised the ambient temperature of the room by 10 degrees. I did not encounter this problem when it was in the closed air environment of my NZXT Phantom, which is probably due to the 7 case fans. To date, I have not had a single issue with the operation or performance of this card. Sparkle definitely maintained their standards for excellence in the production of this card which is why we are awarding it the TechwareLabs Approved Hardware award.
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can pictures of item get any shittier?