Powercolor HD6970 PCS+ Review – silent and deadly

The reference HD6970 is an impressive graphics solution, and one KitGuru has firmly supported since it was released. The option to use three screens out of the box is fantastic, especially when a decent 24 inch screen can be purchased for £150. This hardware is capable of powering many engines at 5760×1080 resolution without the need for an expensive Crossfire configuration.

Powercolor have taken AMD's reference hardware and totally redesigned the cooler, concentrating on creating the quietest possible solution. The Powercolor HD6970 PCS+ has achieved these goals with flying colours, reducing dBa emissions to the point that the dual fan system won't be heard under real world situations, even when gaming. For such a high powered graphics card, this is not an easy goal to achieve. Even with a very diffident fan bios configuration, the card remains cooler than the reference solution.

When we reviewed the GTX570 we noticed that it was generally slightly faster than the reference HD6970. The overclocked Powercolor HD6970 PCS+ has retaken this performance crown in the majority of engines, apart from nVidia favourites such as Far Cry 2 and Tom Clancy HAWX 2.

If you are in the market for a performance graphics card and want the quietest possible solution, then the Powercolor HD6970 should be right at the top of your shortlist. We have heard louder mid range cards and this in itself is some achievement.

KitGuru says: The silent and deadly assassin.

Become a Patron!