ASUS HD7790 Direct CU II OC Review

The ASUS HD7790 Direct CU II OC has certainly left a lasting impression, being one of the quietest video cards we have tested in the last year. When loaded it barely creates a noise, and assuredly any fan noise will be masked behind a CPU cooler, or case fans.

When compared against the excellent Sapphire HD7790 OC which we reviewed on launch day, the ASUS is equal. While the Sapphire HD7790 OC runs at around 6c less under load, the fans are a little louder, as they are spinning faster. Sapphire have opted for a slightly more aggressive fan profile, while ASUS are focused on lowering the noise level even further.

In reality, both cards are quiet and the coolers perform exceptionally well. If you want the lowest possible noise, opt for the ASUS and if you are running in a warmer environment, the Sapphire board makes a little more sense. Both solutions overclock well, with the Bonaire core peaking in excess of 1,200mhz.

As we said on launch day, the prices of the HD7790 still concern me. The ASUS HD7790 Direct CU II OC is priced around £135 inc vat (and up to £145 on other retailers) and is more expensive than a variety of HD7850's available online today for as little as £128 inc vat. To make matters worse, some high grade custom cooled HD7850's are available for £139.99 inc vat.

This makes a buying decision difficult, because while the HD7790 is certainly a capable graphics card, the HD7850 has a 256 bit memory interface and enhanced shader power which can improve frame rates in the latest, demanding Direct X 11 titles. We would imagine HD7850 prices will not hold at a sub £140 price point for long, so if you are interested best snagging one while you can.

Pros:

• exceptionally quiet
• overclocks well
• good looking board

Cons:

• price point puts it up against some bargain HD7850 deals right now.

Kitguru says: A great release from ASUS, but we really would like to see these cards hitting around £120 as HD7850's are available online for £130.

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