PowerColor HD6990 Crossfire Review
Introduction and Technical Specifications
Published: 8th March 2011 | Source: PowerColor | Price: £550est |
Introduction
GPU Scaling has long been a thorny issue.
The main problem is one of diminishing returns. Each additional graphics card adds system overheads and so the benefit you have isn't linear at all. Quadfire most certainly does not give you 4 times the performance of a single GPU, rather you end up at about 266%. One extra card helps massively, but after that you really need to want to flex your virtual masculinity and empty your wallet to bother going Triple or Quad.
To some degree this can be overcome with driver improvements, but generally even with a seriously powerful system that last card is just for show as opposed to go. With the fearsome performance of the HD6990 will another card help us achieve hitherto unheard-of heights?
Following on from the single reference review we had to see how Quadfire performed with the new HD6990 and thanks to PowerColor we are able to do so on launch day. This isn't the first time PowerColor have been there for us and once again we need to thank them for going the extra mile at a time when review-sample demands are at their highest.
Technical Specifications
As this is a reference card to all intents and purposes there isn't anything particularly different to mention so rather than regurgitate what you've only just read, here is the specification table once again. Of course if you have leapt straight in to this Crossfire review then you've only got yourselves to blame. Although you're probably reading the 3D Mark results and not the introduction.
Let's get cracking shall we.
Most Recent Comments
I don't want to get in the middle of this but........... I will say that I am very disappointed with both camps as far as performance is concerned. They. like the CPU makers seem to be intentionally holding back to a degree. The only way to have substantial gains is to over clock any more. Not something, I think, most people can do or do successfully. Why has it taken SO LONG for a manufacturer to break the 1Ghz barrier ? Just one has done it ( Gigabyte ) straight out of the box and the newest stuff still hasn't done it. Why ?
Well its hard to make graphics cards that exceed it due to heat and nano metre restrictions on circuitry. Also cost is factor making cards like that would cost alot more.
Also had an XFX 5970 black edition and sucked so hardly chopping at the bit to use this.
I don't want to get in the middle of this but........... I will say that I am very disappointed with both camps as far as performance is concerned. They. like the CPU makers seem to be intentionally holding back to a degree. The only way to have substantial gains is to over clock any more. Not something, I think, most people can do or do successfully. Why has it taken SO LONG for a manufacturer to break the 1Ghz barrier ? Just one has done it ( Gigabyte ) straight out of the box and the newest stuff still hasn't done it. Why ?
"Beat" the opponent by so many %, if the margin is too big, cut it back and keep it for next year, or a quick next gen release.
Sound familiar.
570=480, 580=480+the balance of the cores.
Switch the cooler and no-one shouts foul. There is no big story between 4xx and 5xx. A few years ago people would be crying "re-brand".
I can understand it gets frustrating, that doesn't mean you shouldn't say anything about it though.
and yup, that's mine, ESP '06 model Signature model, best guitar I've ever owned. Sound good through my VH4S too
meh. I'd be impressed if I didn't own a pre-CBS Stratocaster; sn50006, produced in Nov. 1960 according to the books.
j/k mate. Just so long as you love it and play the heck out of it it makes no difference, does it? Maybe we could jam the next time you're in Lakefield, ON, Canada.
personally the problem that I have with the Strats is that first volume button placement, just killed it for me (when playing something with mutes at least). But I do really love the smoothness of the neck on the Strats. And I'll remember to give you a heads up if I'm ever heading that way
Disappointing results though
Warranty depends completely on the manufacturer. While I'll personally recommend MSI because of the Twin Frozer III coolers. If you're going to use custom water cooling or Arctic Cooler VGA coolers; go for XFX because their warranty service covers removal of the stock cooler. Also comes with life time warranty.
Asus Asus, I had water blocks on two Asus 5970, Both cards went down. To much over clock. I installed the original heat sinks. RMA to Asus, they returned two 6950 HD GPU. No complaints at all. Watewr Cooling the 6950 installing them on a Asus Maximus 4 Extreme with Intel 975- I-990 Extreme CPU.
HD 6970 perform the same or less a little bit from GTX 580 and coast $160 less and if you get CF you will get the same or better a little bit from GTX 580 SLI.
When you com to the dual GPU the HD 6990 beaten the GTX 590 at 80% of the tests and they are the same price.
The HD 6950 coast the same like GTX 560 and give performance near or equal to GTX 570.
It's obvious that AMD walking on the right way and still having control since the HD 4000 series.
Warranty depends completely on the manufacturer. While I'll personally recommend MSI because of the Twin Frozer III coolers. If you're going to use custom water cooling or Arctic Cooler VGA coolers; go for XFX because their warranty service covers removal of the stock cooler. Also comes with life time warranty.
I heard that XFX warranty for HD 6990 will not cover removal of the stock cooler
CSS Valid