Reference card - to build with or without

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Dial111

972 posts

Ultimate Geek

#255894 5-Sep-2019 10:02

I am looking to pull the trigger on a pc build today and I’m not quite sold on the whole blower style GPU, specifically the Radeon RX 5700.

I see pbtech have the Sapphire pulse AIB in stock for $100 more then the reference card but do I wait for more customs to land and hope like anything the prices drop (when they land) or run without a GPU until such time more options are available or downsize the case from a mid tower to a mATX and run the blower.

Anyone here running the new cards from AMD?

Or save money and run with the less powerful 1660 ti lol

I am at about max budget for the build not really keen to squeeze another $100 out.

ShinyChrome

1564 posts

Uber Geek

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#2311024 5-Sep-2019 11:19

Unless you plan to put them under water, I'd pay the extra for a custom card, since you are usually getting a better custom pcb design as well as better cooling fans and features like fan idling, lower noise profiles etc.

Nah, wait for a custom RX 5700 and some October/November sales if you can.

toejam316

1462 posts

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#2311060 5-Sep-2019 11:57

Especially on the RX 5700 and 5700 XT, the reference coolers are quite bad, and to be avoided if possible. If you DO get them, they realistically need to be modified with new thermal compound and washers to get acceptable cooling performance from them. If you need something now, the 1660 Ti, 2060 or 2060 Super are all really competent options, if you can wait for the 5700 XT AIB partner models to drop, those are certainly the best bet. The 5700 I haven't looked into as deeply, but at a glance I'd say the price difference really makes the XT a no brainer.

Anything I say is the ramblings of an ill informed, opinionated so-and-so, and not representative of any of my past, present or future employers, and is also probably best disregarded.

Dial111

972 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2311431 5-Sep-2019 19:16

Too late 😁 grabbed the reference card. Will test temps and noise under load sometime this weekend, haven't even had a chance to look into any OC yet.

irpegg

140 posts

Master Geek

#2311445 5-Sep-2019 19:48

Have the 5700xt reference, sits around 60-70 after 30 minutes of Metro Exodus on highest settings, not really end of the world. Dunno if its just silicon lottery or what, but if you do find you get high temps you can undervolt with a small hit from reading /r/amd. My understanding was that aslong as you're not hitting 90, there's no real impact o_O

For noise, i don't really know what is deemed too loud to be honest, just sounds like normal computer white noise to me. Even if it was a problem i game with headphones anyway

Dial111

972 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2311458 5-Sep-2019 20:02

timbee:

Have the 5700xt reference, sits around 60-70 after 30 minutes of Metro Exodus on highest settings, not really end of the world. Dunno if its just silicon lottery or what, but if you do find you get high temps you can undervolt with a small hit from reading /r/amd. My understanding was that aslong as you're not hitting 90, there's no real impact o_O

For noise, i don't really know what is deemed too loud to be honest, just sounds like normal computer white noise to me. Even if it was a problem i game with headphones anyway

Good to know, I fired up some BFV for a quick test, I'm like you I can't notice anything noise wise to be alarmed about.

cddt

1509 posts

Uber Geek

#2317076 13-Sep-2019 11:14

Personally I prefer the blower style, especially with hotter cards, because they dump the heat out the back of the case.

I used to have a reference 7970, and never had any problems with temps. Now I have a 1080 Ti (EVGA SC2, it's an open air cooler), and it pretty quickly fills up my mid-tower case with toasty air. Even a decent sized case doesn't seem to get enough airflow to remove all the warm air. :(