XFX HD6950 DD, HD6870 DD and HD6790 DD Review

There is no doubt that the latest XFX range of ‘Double Dissipation' graphics cards are right up there with the best Sapphire boards we have tested in recent months.

The XFX HD6790 ‘DD' makes an ideal choice for a versatile media center build and to game with modest settings at 720p. In reality, the card is actually potent enough to power many games at 1080p, although it can run out of a steam with some of the latest Direct X 11 games at this resolution.

At only £116 inc vat it is a great buying decision and runs cool under load. The excellent dual fan cooling system has no problems coping with the thermal overhead while maintaining a non aggressive fan profile. It would be one of our first recommendations for media center build, especially if modest gaming demands are also a priority.

The XFX HD6870 ‘DD' is built around the same cooling system as the lower specified card and is a formidable gaming solution for a high definition television or monitor, excelling at 1080p resolution gaming. We were able to power all the latest Direct X 10 and Direct X 11 titles without needing to compromise by lowering image quality settings.

At £137 inc vat it is considerably more powerful than the HD6790 DD with only a modest price increase (£21). With this extra horsepower however comes a higher thermal footprint and additional noise under extended load. When idle, it only consumes 6 watts more power than the HD6790, highlighting the class leading efficiency standards with the latest AMD 6 series.

The high end XFX HD6950 ‘DD' is easily the most powerful card on test today and will suit gamers who like to crank all the image quality settings to the limit. When powering demanding titles such as Lost Planet 2 and Total War Shogun 2 the performance differences are noticeable in the ‘real world', giving a smoother overall experience at 1080p. It does demand more juice at the socket, but it is still surprisingly quiet under load, making it ideal for gamers who don't want to deal with irritating noise emissions.

At £229.99 inc vat it is also easily the most expensive of the three cards, and it would need to be weighed carefully against the HD6870 DD, which is the best value card of the three on test today. That said, If you want higher image quality settings and more horsepower with demanding Direct X 11 games then it should be at the top of your shortlist.

Pros:

• The ‘DD' dual fan cooler is class leading.
• Good headroom from all cards.
• Price points are aggressive.

Cons:

• The HD6950 DD is considerably more expensive than the HD 6870 DD.

***You can win these cards over here! Hurry closes end of November 2011***

Kitguru says: An excellent range of cards from XFX with one of the best coolers on the market.

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