Sapphire HD6950 FleX Edition 2GB Review

The tests were performed in a controlled air conditioned room with temperatures maintained at a constant 23c – a comfortable environment for the majority of people reading this.

Idle temperatures were measured after sitting at the desktop for 30 minutes. Load measurements were acquired by playing Crysis Warhead for 30 minutes and measuring the peak temperature. We also have included Furmark results, recording maximum temperatures throughout a 30 minute stress test. All fan settings were left on automatic.

The custom cooler design is fantastic, maintaining a sub 70c degree result in our specific environment. Furmark loaded the card higher, by 7 degrees to 76c.

Return to ambient is a feature we have recently added to our reviews … we measure the time it takes for a solution to return to idle temperatures, immediately after full load. The faster the time, the better the cooler – for example a Noctua NH D14 cooler will return an Intel processor to idle temperatures much faster than a reference cooler. This is a good indication of how quickly a heatsink can dissipate heat.

The HD6950 FleX cooler is significantly better than the reference design, maintaining cooler temperatures throughout the thermal curve and reducing the temperature to idle in 20 seconds. Noise levels are also much lower, another added benefit of the Vapor X design.

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