Like always, This is not a professional analyst. I really just wanted to see the difference in the power from the wall.  So please, take it for what it's worth ( yeah!! I know probably should have left on paper). I know there is a few reviews out on the power consumption of these cards, but I always like to see it for myself. I was writing all this down on paper and then putting it into Word. Then starting messing around with Word. This is what I came up with.

 I was only going to do Vantage runs and then I figured why not Heaven Benchmark. I have not really played with Heaven Benchmark before and if it wasn't for DirectX 11. I wouldn't have touch it.

 All the hardware is my sig. With a few exceptions. This was all done inside a Lian-Li PC80 (case closed)
 E762 (the GPU's were in PCIE slots 1 and 5, sound card in the middle)
 6GB of ram
 9 - hard drives
 7 - 38mmX120mm fans
 4 - 25mmX120mm fans

I used the cheezy Kill-A-Watt P3 and the PC was the only thing plugin (meaning: straight from the wall) . The latest of both Vantage and Heaven Benchmark. Each test was done at least 3 times

The Victims:
2X EVGA GTX 480SC - (stock) 1451/1900 - BIOS 70.00.21.00.82 - Drivers 197.55 - Fans 100%
2X EVGA GTX 295 Plus's -(stock)  594/1296/1026 - BIOS 62.00.45.00.90 - Drivers 186.18 - Fans 100%
CPU is a 980X retail, OC @ 4510MHz for all the testing.
Heaven Benchmark was maxed out on all testing at 1900X1200.
Vantage was ran at default Performance.

About the 295's: I could run them comfortably at 700/1527/1207 with a 920@ 4315MHz. I could not do that with the 980X. I had to knock them down a bit to 695/1516/1195. On the DirectX 9 run with Heaven Benchmark, I had to knock it down a little bit more to 690/1505/1190.

(I just noticed, right click to view as an image. The fonts are a little smoother that way )



 It's not pretty, but it works for know (you should see my kitchen table/benching table). I lost my man cave a few months ago (she says I will get it back )


 

 Here is Tri SLI 480SC's. The screen shot was my first run with Vantage. The card were at stock clocks with fans at 100%. It was ran with the hardware specs up above, minus 3 hard drives and used the 197.75 drivers. The 980X was the same too (24/7/OC - 33x137 with 6GB of ram).

 First the Watt's. Vantage was ran at default Performance. Again, I'm using my $13 high tech (LOL) Kill-A-Watt meter (from PSU to meter to wall, dedicated line).

1.Jane Nash          1088W__
2.New Calico         1070W__
3.AI Test                878W___
4.Physics               821W___
5.Texture Fill          983W___
6.Color Fill             892W___
7.POM                   1079W__
8.GPU Cloth           867W__
9.GPU Particles      919W__
10.Perlin Noise      1143W__


http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dmv=2172909
(right click to view full size)



You know I had to show a pic of the cards .



 Right now, the GPU temps are sitting at 36c/37c/39c. I did change the TIM on 2 of the cards. All the cards came with the same BIOS 70.00.21.00.82, but all the voltages are different 1.025v/1.050v/1.063v ( taken from Nvidia Inspector 1.7). My system idle watts went from 435W to 490W. My 12v went from 12.10v to 12.04v (idle).

Nice work as always! Your getting to close to my 470's vantage score

boredgunner

His Tri-SLI GTX 480 score is higher than the score in your mods rigs.

http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dmv=2172909

Not much higher though, but your CPU clocks are totally different (3.4 ghz vs 4.5 ghz).  

Sorry cky2k. Your wrong again!
 
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dmv=2166398

Nice rig dude. Can you monitor your gpu usage in dirt 2 with max settings at 1920x1080? I have tri sli 480's and my gpu usage in most games hover around the 60% mark. Trying to expose the bottleneck in my rig. Can u plz test and report back, any game will do.

I'm guessing that gpu usage is when your gaming at 2560x1600, can you test 1920x1080 for me? I'm concerned my 920 (4ghz) is the bottleneck. However it is prob the resolution. Plz test for me dude.

Thanks

Ok thanks mate. That prob seems about right given u have 470's and I have 480's. It seems the resolution is the bottleneck.

Thanks heaps dude. That gpu usage flucuates like mine. What was the actual benchmark result?

johnyz333

Hold on, your gpu usage wasn't 89% all the way through the benchmark was it? If so that is incredible gpu utilization! I'm assuming the benchmark run is the area were the gpu usage is spiking up and down...

Your probably right. I started Precision, then the game, then the benchmark. Quit the game and took the snap shot. I've notice that the highest watts is in the menu's and intros before game play. During game play it stays around 1000w. So that 89% was in the trailer and outside. I would think.

sorry no, give me a few minutes.

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Excellent analysis and thank you for such clean charts.

johnyz333

Nice score dude. My minimum is 130 and Average 150. Your scores are better than mine. Your cpu is definately the difference. Im really considering the 980x, im just concerned that i cant get it to oc to 4.5ghz on air..

Why would that be a concern? You are guaranteed to get a higher overclock compared to what you're using now since the 980X runs so much cooler, AND you will have the advantage of more cores. It's a win/win.

Congrats on the BR! You deserve the 2nd spot in the Vantage thread and doing it on Air