Mid-Range AMD Graphics Card Round-Up (HIS 7770 GHz / HIS 7850 / Sapphire 7850)

We recorded the graphics cards' fan speeds during each test scenario, allowing us to emulate the noise output with an adjusted system.

To eliminate the main contributors of noise interference, we disconnected the case and CPU cooler fans.  This gives us a system that can accurately reproduce the noise output of the graphics cards' coolers alone. We manually input the previously-recorded fan speed values and measured the acoustic output for each scenario.

We measure at a distance of 1 metre from the closed chassis and 4 foot from the ground to mirror a real world situation. We allowed the graphics cards' coolers to operate at their default – ‘auto' – settings.

Please refer to our KitGuru noise guide for a comparison between the noise levels of these components and everyday scenarios.

KitGuru noise guide
10dBA – Normal Breathing/Rustling Leaves
20-25dBA – Whisper
30dBA – High Quality Computer fan
40dBA – A Bubbling Brook, or a Refrigerator
50dBA – Normal Conversation
60dBA – Laughter
70dBA – Vacuum Cleaner or Hairdryer
80dBA – City Traffic or a Garbage Disposal
90dBA – Motorcycle or Lawnmower
100dBA – MP3 player at maximum output
110dBA – Orchestra
120dBA – Front row rock concert/Jet Engine
130dBA – Threshold of Pain
140dBA – Military Jet takeoff/Gunshot (close range)
160dBA – Instant Perforation of eardrum

Both open-fan coolers take first and second place in the acoustics competition. Sapphire has the quietest cooler, even though the Dual-X fans' speeds were 5% higher than the speed of HIS' IceQ X fan (as a percentage of each cooler's respective maximum fan speed).

The HIS IceQ cooler used on the 7850 IceQ is surprisingly quiet, given its blower-style design.

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