Sapphire HD6850 Toxic Edition Review

The tests were performed in a controlled air conditioned room with temperatures maintained at a constant 25c – 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.

While the temperatures are higher (8c when gaming), the card is consuming more power and it generates noticeably less noise than the reference solution (more on this over on the next page). The fan never spins higher than 36%, which is 30-35% lower than the XFX Black Edition at full speed. Sapphire have clearly opted for a slightly higher temperature threshold for reduced noise.

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.

Due to the low fan speeds on the Toxic Edition, the card takes 28 seconds to return to idle.

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