260 GTX potentially the best stock cooler card?

[LAN_deRf_HA]

I've seen reviews that have shown a 260 GTX (216) able to match a 280 GTX when clocked to 660. With a simple bios mod you can increase the voltage to 1.18 and top out at nearly 800 MHz.. something you can't do with the 280 GTX because it's already at it's max volts. So in theory even an overclocked 280 GTX that was able to reach 730 would still only be about even with a 800 MHz 260 GTX. You'd need to do a physical vmod on the 280 and that's starting to get into needing better than stock cooling territory. Then of course there's the price dif. of over a $100...

To top it all off I figure DX10.1 is being skipped in favor of DX11 with windows 7... so there's no loss there. I can just use the crazy clocked 260 GTX for physx and get a nice DX11 card when windows 7 rolls out. So for $250 or lower this card (with a tweak) seems to be the most impressive card on the market once you look at all the factors... anyone else agree?

 

[Binge]

I own a 280 and I like the IQ of the 280 more. It's just more robust and it doesn't get much more hot. I'd say the GTX200 series as a whole is a good buy. GTX260 192s especially for the impressive overclocks & temps. With the GTX260 192 Vantage scores of 10-11k which are close to my similarly clocked GTX280 which scores 12k on the graphics

 

[Bjorn_Of_Iceland]

GTX 260 216sp is win! I have the fan stuck to 100% all the time in bios level and everything is cool and comfy.

One thing ive noticed, a single card heats up more vs a dual rendering.

You sure its ok to pump it up to 1.18v?

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

Well I can't say for sure, mine came at 1.12 and I was able to clock it to 729/1458/2520 so I figured I wouldn't mess with the bios mod, just made two fan and clock profiles with evga precision that I toggle between.

 

[Jeffredo]

My 192 is only clocked at 666/1107 but it does run very cool and quiet with stock fan speeds. I think the highest its ever been in a long gaming session (back in the warm weather of September) was 70C.

 

[wolf]

704/1404/2376 here bios flashed on with min 60% fan speed too.

very fast, very cool, very quiet. excellent card.

 

[Prash]

Hey guts, ordered an EVGA GTX 260/216 yesterday, will be needing your help for that bios volt mod soon...

@current owners of the cards: can you guys tell which brand and variants of GTX 260/216 are you owning atm please....

 

[ZenZimZaliben]

Check out the alcopone thread. GTX260s are performing very well. However you will not see a GTX260 beat a GTX280 with similar clocked CPU's. The 216 vs 240 is the difference oh and the extra ram. Dont get me wrong I completely agree the GTX260 is way better deal, especially when OC'd. Also yeah a stock GTX280 will lose to a very OC'd GTX260...but the GTX280 does a fair job of oc'ing as well and once it is the GTX260 can't really catch it.

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=72114

 

[Irish_PXzyan]

I plan on buying the BFG GTX 260 MAXCORE OCX and I was wondering if I bought the cheaper BFG GTX 260 without being overclocked, can I overclock it as good as the OCX on the stock cooler???

 

[phanbuey]

you can also flash the bios to kick the fan in to 100% at 70C which keeps that as its max temp... also on mine decreasing extra voltage to 1.08 gave a better OC. i got both of mine to 756 / 1512 no w no probs - before it would give out in certain games due to heat.

you cant usually get it to 800MHz - that is a crazy good chip and is not representative of the GTX 260's as a whole... average is 729 core 1458 shaders. also IQ of 280 and 260 is identical

 

[wolf2009]

I own a 280 and I like the IQ of the 280 more.

IQ of the all the GTX cards should be the same.

 

[ZenZimZaliben]

I plan on buying the BFG GTX 260 MAXCORE OCX and I was wondering if I bought the cheaper BFG GTX 260 without being overclocked, can I overclock it as good as the OCX on the stock cooler???

Yeah there is a good chance it will oc just as well (there is also a chance it wont oc even close to the maxcore version), however you will need to upgrade the cooling to a 3rd party cooler. At least to get a lot more out of the OC then the stock cooler will allow...even at 100% fan the stock doesnt really compare to nice copper 3rd party cooler.

 

[JousteR]

I have the BFG OCX Version and i must say a most impressive card.
Went through the 8800gts and the 8800 gts 512mb missed the 9 series cards to one of these.
Temps now having dropped out of Fallout 3... 55c ..but i got little spare room with window open.

 

[Irish_PXzyan]

Ive never got an after market cooler for a gpu before. Not sure how it is done!
Perhaps I will go for the OCX!

One more thing, where can I get an OCX?

 

[ZenZimZaliben]

Ive never got an after market cooler for a gpu before. Not sure how it is done!
Perhaps I will go for the OCX!

One more thing, where can I get an OCX?

It is so easy. Maybe a total of 8 little screws and thats it for most stock coolers. Off it goes. Clean up the GPU and Ram with some rubbing alcohol, apply new thermal paste, put on the new cooler.

 

[Irish_PXzyan]

Sounds easy enough!

I will probably wait until janurary, see if the 55nm GTX 260's would be worth it!

 

[Prash]

you can also flash the bios to kick the fan in to 100% at 70C which keeps that as its max temp... also on mine decreasing extra voltage to 1.08 gave a better OC. i got both of mine to 756 / 1512 no w no probs - before it would give out in certain games due to heat.

GTX 260 216sp is win! I have the fan stuck to 100% all the time in bios level and everything is cool and comfy.

How is the noise with fan at 100%, with a closed case...

 

[JousteR]

Ive never got an after market cooler for a gpu before. Not sure how it is done!
Perhaps I will go for the OCX!

One more thing, where can I get an OCX?

Here is where my OCX Lived..

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/896M...-2250MHz-GPU-655MHz-216-Cores-2xDL-DVI-I-HDTV

 

[Prash]

@Jouster and others: Whether the cooler on the BFG OCX is different than a normal GTX 260? From the pictures i don't find any difference, can anyone please explain...

 

[Triton.se]

How is the noise with fan at 100%, with a closed case...

no, you don't want fan @ 100%. Wearing headphones, then it's OK ofcourse. At 80-85% I think it's too windy, and my SLI setup, oc'd max (extra GPU volts) stays 60C gaming at 75%.

many modern games are capped at 60, 85, 90, 100fps....my SLI gpus there go 50-55C at 60-65%, self-modded auto fan in nibitor.

 

[Irish_PXzyan]

JousteR: Thanks!

 

[JousteR]

@Jouster and others: Whether the cooler on the BFG OCX is different than a normal GTX 260? From the pictures i don't find any difference, can anyone please explain...

I dont know if theres any difference between the two coolers tbh m8..?
I have stripped none of the cards myself(yet)so i cant tell you man ...

 

[Irish_PXzyan]

Then why bother buying the OCX if it using standard cooler?? can't we just buy the cheaper cards and overclock them ourselves?

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

Interesting, not many cards I know of have more overclocking potential when the voltages are decreased. Also interesting how all these cards seem to respond exactly the same to certain temps and voltage settings, like every core is made equally awesome. I'd def. say just get the cheapest 216 version as they all seem to clock the same.

 

[Prash]

Interesting, not many cards I know of have more overclocking potential when the voltages are decreased. Also interesting how all these cards seem to respond exactly the same to certain temps and voltage settings, like every core is made equally awesome. I'd def. say just get the cheapest 216 version as they all seem to clock the same.

I have done the same, i ordered the standard EVGA GTX 260/216.