GeForce GTX 580 Showdown: ASUS Matrix vs.EVGA Classified

Temperature & Noise Testing

Since video card temperatures and the heat generated by next-generation cards have become an area of concern among enthusiasts and gamers, we want to take a closer look at how the graphics cards do at idle, during gaming and finally under a full load.

We recorded temperatures during several scenarios on each of the cards we tested today and the benchmark results are shown above. The ASUS MATRIX GTX580 Platinum had an impressive idle temperature of just 25C, which was 3C cooler than the EVGA GeForce GTX 580 Classified. When running HAWX 2 at 1920×1080 we saw the card peak within just 1C of each other after running three loops of the benchmark, which is basically a tie. The final test that we do is run Furmark 1.9.1 for five minutes at a resolution of 640×480 on extreme burn-in mode to see what temperatures the cards peak at. Here the EVGA GeForce GTX 580 Classified came out on top as it was 5C cooler.

Temperature Testing Winner: TIE

When we were testing the ASUS and EVGA video cards we noticed that they sounded completely different, so we took out our trusty sound meter to get some numbers.

With out sound meter placed at the edge of the motherboard we were able to measure a decent difference in decibels between the cards. The EVGA GeForce GTX 580 Classified was not the winner when it came to idle temperatures, but it was 3dBA lower than the ASUS MATRIX GeForce GTX 580. During gaming the ASUS MATRIX GeForce GTX580 with the DirectCU II cooler was 6 dBA quieter than the EVGA card, which was very noticeable. Remember from the temperature testing the ASUS card was 1C cooler during gaming, so it is both quieter and cooler during gaming. At full load with Furmark running the EVGA was the coolest, but here we see that the fan noise was 3 dBA louder.

Sound Testing Winner: TIE

At the end of the day both the EVGA have strong and weak point when it comes to cooling and noise levels. If you are worried about gaming performance then ASUS MATRIX GTX580 Platinum is the winner as it is quieter and cooler!