FlowFX noise levels

[AthlonXP1800]

On Monday reviews I was disappointed about the FlowFX noise and people complained about it, that was put me off buy Ultra with FlowFX. But until now, I dont realised that is changed, I can get it.

I compared the noise of GeforceFX Ultra FlowFX slient in 2D mode mp3 audio by adjust my speaker to match the noise level. Then hear the level of noise in the Tomshardware video clip, I can say it the same sound as my whole closed PC case fans.

I know the reviews said the FlowFX is bad, but my videocard is Creative Geforce 4 Ti 4600, here is a 4600 comparsions at Tomshardware (link bottom) told Creative has bad noise fan, it only 49dba, Creative cards is made by MSI. So I find the noise level of GeforceFX Ultra FlowFX be 50dba, it not that BAD! I leave my PC on all day most of the time. I used headphone to play games during late night when people go to bed :)

I will look forward to get GeforceFX 5800 Ultra if I am lucky as here will be only 3000's 5800 Ultra (2%) worldwide and also look forward to play C&C: Generals in 128 bit colours as well as new Tomb Raider, Gun Metal and Splinter Cell :D

FlowFX noise in PC is no worse than the noise of Pentium 120 PC I had from college 7 years ago ;)

http://www.tomshardware.com/graphic/20020522/ti4400_4600-03.html

[-=DVS=-]

You compared in 2d mode ? and it sounds like your entire computer sounds put together , GFfx runs alot louder in 3d mode :D and think how much louder it will get when you combine your computer sound with GFFX :D

And in 128bit mode GFFX gets 50% performance penelty ;)

Better read some more before you waste your money ;)

[Red Dog]

I suggest you check out the avi movies on page 3 of Annand's review.

talk about loud, and the pitch is almost like a dentist's drill! what was nvidia thinking?

I would never use an FX unless it can be watercooled. Hell I wouldnt run a cpu without watercooling and this thing puts out almost as many watts as my athlon.

for me the question is, how easy will it be to remove the vac and if you do remove it will you experience problems due to the hardware fan monitoring circuit on the card?

if it has a fan tach lead and doesnt get the fan rpm feedback will there be an error/fault condition?

still I cant help wondering how much overclocking headroom there would be with the core watercooled. the again, its very likely mem bandwidth would be a factor which deminishes the performance gain.

hmmmmmmmm

[AthlonXP1800]

Yes I was talked about that nvidia avi movie clip from anandtech, it is just the same noise as my system but here is something anandtech never did tested it in a closed case, it told the noise level will drop when in closed case, it probably a bit less than my system with Creative Geforce 4 Ti 4600. :)

[mocca]

Originally posted by AthlonXP1800
Yes I was talked about that nvidia avi movie clip from anandtech, it is just the same noise as my system but here is something anandtech never did tested it in a closed case, it told the noise level will drop when in closed case, it probably a bit less than my system with Creative Geforce 4 Ti 4600. :)

I'm sorry but there is no way that the GFFX will run quieter than your rig with GF4Ti4600, unless you have a really annoying HSF and PSU. The GFFX is way too loud for a gfx and hot like hell. In 3D mode, the card is louder than my server with 4psu :eek: Closing the case panel might help a bit but not much. There is no way I would pay $400 plus changes for this too big, too loud, too hot and perform on par with R9700P. I'm no ATI fanboy and I use both company product but the GFFX is a pathetic attempt from nVidia to compete with ATI and fail miserably.

The GFFX IMO is just a factory-overclocked-overvolted with gigantic annoying HSF and produce high temp = complete total failure.

Mocca

[AthlonXP1800]

Too loud? You all probably did the wrong way, read Tomshardware review to find out how to do that, tune your speaker volume to match the PC beep at bootup as I did, it turned matched at half volume up. I redo the tests again, it still the SAME sound as my system.

Here are very interesting about noise level:

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,846370,00.asp

No wonder extra 8dba is sound like 1dba, funny Radeon 9700 is 54db louder than my Geforce 4 card's 49db and GeforceFX Ultra is 54db in 2D and then went up to 58db in 3D. Why is ATI fans got noisy Radeon 9700? :)

Seem I am right at all.

Also it look like all GeforceFX Ultra reviews are in wrong mess and have to redo it and I hope Nvidia will submit official noise level of GeforceFX Ultra FlowFX :D

[lagadu]

remember that decibels are a logaritmic scale, for example, 52.6db is 100% louder (yes, 2x) than 50db...
[edit] forget what i said earlier, taken from www.everything2.com
And realize that for every 10 decibel increase you're increasing the volume of the sound by 10 times. 20 decibels, 100 times. It's a logarithmic unit.
so a couple of decibels is actually a LOT of increase

[AthlonXP1800]

Hmmm that very interesting, no wonder my system is sound like a hair dryer and fridge :)

I am glad that the FlowFX is the same sound as my system that the card I will be get.

I realised here are people who has very sharp hearing cant bear with 100% louder noise so then GeforceFX Ultra with FlowFX is not for you so hopefully the other manufacturers probably put on other less noisy cooler around 40db :)

People like me can cope with 52db and over can get it if the FlowFX will be on all cards will be the luckiest if we can find one with 256Mb. :D

Peace

[lagadu]

a watercooled card is bound to show up sooner or later, that'll solve the problem...

[MuFu]

Originally posted by lagadu
remember that decibels are a logaritmic scale, for example, 52.6db is 100% louder (yes, 2x) than 50db...

It's not. 53dB is twice as intense (double the power). 57-60dB is twice as "loud", although it's subjective.

MuFu.

[noname]

owww, here are vids of the noise on the GFFX and 9700, see and hear

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/video/nvidia/geforcefx/review/nvidia.zip

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/video/nvidia/geforcefx/review/ati.zip

[Placid]

http://www.thenakedreview.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=13752

[Nv40]

yes! so dam funny that picture .. hehe
i must admit is a piece of art.. :)

on the topic ,as a fact people always exaggerate things
when they dislike a product .

many people were so dissapointed to see that the geforcefx is not a radeon9700pro killer that they start looking things worse than they are...

"look its ugly" oh "look its slow as hell" "who is goig to pay for that " oh "look its needs at a 350watss power supply"
:rolleyes:

so ,i really doubt that the FX fan produce more noise in gaming
than my mid towercase open with all the big radioshack fans
i have inside... :D

my best advice to most users interested in the geforcefx
is to try the card .. a couple of days and see by yourselves
if the sounds its ok for your tastes or not ...
if you are not happy then you can return back your card
but at least you have your own opinion which is alot better
that those others that knows nothing about the geforcefx
diferent that what "others say" ;)

another thing is that you can reduce or isolate the noise levels of your entire system including the FX-fan if you use a little your
inventive and imagination.

i think that the people doesnt know really what is to deal with a louder sound everyday...

i need to deal with this sometimes..

http://starbulletin.com/2001/08/23/news/story7.html

how about 90db-100db , is this louder than the dustbuster ? :eek:

"comparable to the noise made by a lawn mower, table saw or helicopter"

this is usually incredible deadly-annoying for most people that
hear this for the first time ..

cooQUIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!

i have heard stories of tourist that simply cancel their vacations just because of this tiny frog.. :eek:

its nothing less than *INCREDIBLE* how a so tiny frog can produce that noise at those high levels ... hehe
but with time , believeme you can learn to live with that and
even ignore that the sound is there .

so again , if you want to buy the geforcefx but are worried
about the "so evil sound " ,then try it first and see if the sound its ok for you ,if not then simply ,return the card and get your money back.. ;)

performance? i think we will need to see DIrectx9 games benchmarks to conclude about where the GeforceFx stands
in todays games is overall as good as the radeon9700pro.

[-=DVS=-]

Originally posted by AthlonXP1800
Hmmm that very interesting, no wonder my system is sound like a hair dryer and fridge :)

I am glad that the FlowFX is the same sound as my system that the card I will be get.

I realised here are people who has very sharp hearing cant bear with 100% louder noise so then GeforceFX Ultra with FlowFX is not for you so hopefully the other manufacturers probably put on other less noisy cooler around 40db :)

People like me can cope with 52db and over can get it if the FlowFX will be on all cards will be the luckiest if we can find one with 256Mb. :D

Peace

Even if you don't care for sound !

You do realise you will be paying premium prize for only 10 % max increase in performance and downgrade in some :rolleyes:

[pieman109]

The problem here is not so much the loudness of the fan (tho' it is loud) but the PITCH of the noise. I have heard a coupla MP3s of this fan at start up, running 3dmark etc, and it sounds like DELTA screamer going at full bore to me. Absolutely terrible if you ask me. just make sure you got earplugs ready.

[Shinri Hikari]

I seriously doubt it will be louder than what i already have, if any thing it will be drowned out by my rig.:D I am going to be deaf anyway(hereditary), so more noise won't bug me.:D As for performance it's still just rough estimates anyway, we won't know for sure until the card has been on the market for a while...:bleh:

[lagadu]

you'll probably notice it, as pieman109 said, the fan is very small for the rpms it's working at, thus a very high pitch noise is generated, ignoring the 77db for a moment, a high pitch continuous noise is far more anoying for me at least than a low pitch continuous noise...