ASUS GTX580 SLI Exclusive Review
Test Setup and Overclocking
Published: 12th November 2010 | Source: Asus | Price: £404 - £808 |
Test Setup
Not only are we testing in SLI today, but we're also going to run the single card too, just to see what the ASUS version has to offer with the Voltage Tweak. We'll compare against the stock GTX480 again, and also two GTX480s in SLI at stock speeds.
ASUS GTX580 SLI
ASUS Rampage III Extreme
Intel i7 950 @ 4GHz
6GB Mushkin Redline RAM
Corsair AX1200 PSU
Noctua NH-D14
Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
Overclocking and Temperatures
Being an ASUS card we have two methods of overclocking available to us. The primary way is the same as always, ramp up the speeds until it cries enough. Using this we were able to increase the GPU Core speed from 775MHz to 882MHz.
The second way is to use the ASUS Voltage Tweak to help stabilise the card and hopefully eke even more speed out of it. Using this we hit a whopping 950MHz on the core. A massive increase.
If you were running the cards in a water-cooled setup, or perhaps you're deaf, then you could certainly get even more performance out of the cards with the Voltage Tweak BIOS.
The ASUS cards performed so much better both in overclocking and thermally than the Zotac we saw yesterday that we're wondering if either the Zotac was an unlucky chip, the ASUS is a lucky one, or some combination of the two.
With auto fans the card barely span up to an audible level and was noticeably quieter than the Zotac.
Most Recent Comments
WOW I want them 
It is a shame that I bought 2x460 SLI - I should wait and buy 1x580 from Asus.
It is a shame that I bought 2x460 SLI - I should wait and buy 1x580 from Asus.
Wow wow wow wow wow! That's just insane performance! And it runs faster, quieter AND cooler than the Zotac! What is there to criticise? Well possibly the price, for those of us with out a job at the moment. But, post release of the 69xx series later his month, I'm banking on that dropping by as much as £50 if it comes anywhere near this in performance. Looks like I'll have to start saving up the reddies!
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Originally Posted by Black
WOW I want them It is a shame that I bought 2x460 SLI - I should wait and buy 1x580 from Asus. |
Nice review Tom.. I like the Asus cards being plain jane.
Did the performance dip down at all when you had it clocked up to 950MHz on the core at all?? If it didn't then the issue of the card throttling before any decent overclocking can be done is blown out the windows.
Does look like you had a poo poo Zotac though.
Oh yeah and the SLI scaling in Metro is pretty decent.
Did the performance dip down at all when you had it clocked up to 950MHz on the core at all?? If it didn't then the issue of the card throttling before any decent overclocking can be done is blown out the windows.
Does look like you had a poo poo Zotac though.
Oh yeah and the SLI scaling in Metro is pretty decent.
Did you turn Physx on in Batman this time?
Reason I ask is because in the video for the Zotac it was disabled.
Reason I ask is because in the video for the Zotac it was disabled.
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Originally Posted by AlienALX
Did you turn Physx on in Batman this time? Reason I ask is because in the video for the Zotac it was disabled. |
Tooooooooooom. How about the throttling fella. Notice any while fully overclocked at 950mhz odd?
Nice review. the only downer is I cant afford them. I want 1 for christmas, kids!!
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Originally Posted by Bungral
Tooooooooooom. How about the throttling fella. Notice any while fully overclocked at 950mhz odd? |
Na that's cool... that's one of the questions I asked in Brians review yesterday.
It's all getting rather confusing ay.
I know the card throttles if you use furmark or occt from logic in the card somewhere but I'm not sure what other throttling it'll do. Perhaps the furmark and occt are done on TDP while the rest of the throttling will come in to effect when the card gets too hot.
That would make sense as Nvidia did say that the throttling wouldn't effect gaming in the way it does the torture tests.
I don't bloody know, just theorising.
Anyway, it does show that a nice aftermarket cooler should allow some nice beefy overclocks that definitely have a decent effect on frame rates.
It's all getting rather confusing ay.
I know the card throttles if you use furmark or occt from logic in the card somewhere but I'm not sure what other throttling it'll do. Perhaps the furmark and occt are done on TDP while the rest of the throttling will come in to effect when the card gets too hot.
That would make sense as Nvidia did say that the throttling wouldn't effect gaming in the way it does the torture tests.
I don't bloody know, just theorising.
Anyway, it does show that a nice aftermarket cooler should allow some nice beefy overclocks that definitely have a decent effect on frame rates.
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Originally Posted by thestepster
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OMG... Do want... I probably need a new PSU though, I dont know if my Corsair 850 will handle 2 of them...
Tom, you honestly have the best job in the world. My nose would be sore from smelling all the brand new parts. Great review, nice to see that nVidia have a winner this time around in not only performance, but also keeping things cool. What kind of wattage do these cards use at load?
Finally YouTube has let me upload the game play video (been trying since 4am) so I have added it to the review.
Here it is for the forum go-ers anyways
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZJsdeD4m-M
Here it is for the forum go-ers anyways
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZJsdeD4m-M
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Originally Posted by tinytomlogan
No it wasnt everything is on max and all enabled dude. |
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...buron/oc3d.jpg
Which is this
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1.../physxOFF1.jpg
Physx off. Physx on?
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...n/physxON1.jpg
The rolling benchmark looks completely different with Physx enabled mush.
Found another comparisson shot. Off
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1.../PhysxOFF2.jpg
On
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...n/PhysxON2.jpg
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Originally Posted by AlienALX
In V1.0 of Batman you could enable everything but it didn't work. Your video of it running looks like this. |
Ahh OK dude I see. Yeah something is deffo amiss there.
Doesn't matter really, but man, this game with Physx on is a sight to behold tbh. In the benchmark it's literally smoke and cobwebs. In the game? tiles smash, scenery breaks. Absolutely amazing stuff.
Ed. What I mean by doesn't matter.. In a benchmark as long as it's the same across the different hardware you are generating a comparisson. Those cards will absolutely eat Physx up any way
Edit. Again where are my manners. Thanks for the review chaps. Gives a man a chance to see how the rich and filthy live
Haha it's a good thing for you guys really. You have all the top end expensive stuff which makes me not want it as badly
Doesn't matter really, but man, this game with Physx on is a sight to behold tbh. In the benchmark it's literally smoke and cobwebs. In the game? tiles smash, scenery breaks. Absolutely amazing stuff.
Ed. What I mean by doesn't matter.. In a benchmark as long as it's the same across the different hardware you are generating a comparisson. Those cards will absolutely eat Physx up any way
Edit. Again where are my manners. Thanks for the review chaps. Gives a man a chance to see how the rich and filthy live
Haha it's a good thing for you guys really. You have all the top end expensive stuff which makes me not want it as badly
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Originally Posted by thestepster
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but yeah nice cards, only if i had the money
though i still love my 460s
Any word on GTX570's yet?
Think I read either before the end of this month or the end of the year.... One of the two.
But that's just rumours really.
But that's just rumours really.
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Originally Posted by hmmblah
Any word on GTX570's yet? |
Tom, just watched the video's. Did you take any figures of the temps of a single Asus 580 or not really bother and just say what you'd seen?
How does this compare to the AMD 5970?
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Originally Posted by rhomp2002
How does this compare to the AMD 5970? |
Just ordered one of these Asus 580s today .
.only one?
you need to get 2
you need to get 2
Getting my two EVGA GTX 580's soon
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Originally Posted by Pullen
Just ordered one of these Asus 580s today . |
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Originally Posted by Mr. Strawberry
only one? you need to get 2 |
you disapoint me 
lol
lol
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Originally Posted by Mr. Strawberry
you disapoint me lol |
.i loled ^
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Originally Posted by Pullen
You disappoint society . |
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Originally Posted by AMDFTW
dont forget to bench and fold |
Haha, Tom, I'm loving the GTFO you sent to that geekster guy. Why would we want to possibly just see the results? That's what every other homo reviewer wannabe is there for.. Jesus, I think some people need to grow up 
Damn you Tom making spend more money looks like im might go get a gtx 580 GS due to the fact had great experiences on the gtx 460 series though might be able to hold out for non ref cards
great review OC3d..i was wondering, i saw EVGA, Gigabyte, ASUS, and MSI with the gtx580?..which one is better?whici one would you recommend to use?..thnks for the help..
With reference cards I think all of them are quite equal with different small personal perks for each like ASUS brags the glue used to stick the GPU to the board, MSI might have better capacitors, EVGA gives 10 year warranty, Gigabyte erm is very good
Nice review as always!
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