H20+TDP=Pointless or Productive…?
Did We Get Anywhere?
Sadly there is no magic equation, no Newton’s law or Einstein’s theory because every card and indeed any energy consuming device has exclusive requirements and infinitely contrasting levels of efficiency. Nevertheless, the power and temperature curves of our Danger Den adorned 480 come very close to those of Tech Powerup’s Zotac, 1.05 watts per degree for the former and 1.2 for the latter.
Moreover, our marginally lower value makes sense since it was obtained from an average calculation based on considerably wider thermal and power ranges. Had actual measurements been taken, the both traces would escalate in uneven increments and either steepen or level off toward the end. Nevertheless, this at least lends some credence to our presumptuous calculations.
In conclusion, our theory from many a graph ago is substantiated. It is far more difficult to apply the virtues of elaborate water cooling to indigenously frugal frame savants like the Titan, than parched pixel savages such as the GTX 480, let alone avail its value for hard cash. Or is it?
The pair of charts above display the thermal, power and frequency spectrum of both air assisted cards at their default speeds and compares them with the same values garnered from our coolant craving counterparts when clocked to submission.
Anybody glancing would glean the exact opposite of what this exhaustive experiment set out to establish, though I publish them for posterity with good reasons.
First, to cut short those cacophonous cries of bias, second to warn that when it comes to statistical integrity, even the most impartial collection of facts and figures is futile in face of sly selectivity and strenuously slick spin.
I admit, there is a third reason . They took me bloody ages and I had to justify their inclusion with a florid philosophical discharge.
This is Where the Story Really Ends
In the case of the contemporary video card, that is, as things stood, now stand and shall continue standing for as long as is necessary to preserve the relevance of our latest departure from simplicity, what we can conclude is, the greener the design – in more senses than the obvious – the lower its designer will decree the TDP and for long as this limit retains its powers of self-preservation, the joys hydro therapy will remain partial and disproportionally extravagant. Bah! exclaim the experts, just take a screwdriver and lobotomise that card’s loathsome autonomy. Perhaps it would be safer to wait for GPU Boost 3.0.