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 HIS HD6870 ICEQX cooler design is extremely proficient with the fan spinning between 870 rpm at idle, to just over 2,000 rpm at Furmark load (translates to a 30%-58% fan ratio).
When gaming, the card rest between 61c and 64c, considerably less than the reference design.
The effectiveness of the heatpipe implementation is apparent by the return to idle time of 17 seconds, one of the better results we have recorded in our labs. This is made even more impressive when the slow spinning fan is factored into the equation.
WOw that cooler melts my eye balls.
Thank god you dont have to look at it all the time once its installed !
Hey, anyway we can petition them to make the cooler a different colour? that really is dire looking.
but hey it works I ‘pose ! nice one.
Why have they a y shaped plate over the memory? whats that about?
Bit of a contradiction that card. one of the best AMD 6870s and easily the ugliest.
Those temperatures are great, especially for the new version of Furmark, which melts some cards. I am not sure I value furmark anymoer for temps, but I like the fact you include gaming results.
@ Dave. the metal plate is obviously for cooling, there are probably thermal pads under it. and then the fan above keeps it cooler and it takes the heat from teh chips.
Nice card design and great performance. as the review says though the 560 is a tough card to beat at this price point.
Weird choice of colours for the cooler design. its very bright. looks like cheap plastic.
I still have concerns about HIS warranty in UK, ive read horror stories.
Wow, 975mhz core, thats insane for an out of the box setting. They must have a good batch for this release.
Very good card from HIS. Its a make I never look at when buying a card, but this one looks like one of the best.
the color isn’t for everyone, apparently. It’s a good match though for Gigabyte Mobo’s. Not that anyone should be buying a VC because of the color. Excluding case modders, possibly.
Where can I buy this exact card? I recently read a review in PC Gamer magazine noting it at £149, but can’t find this model online anywhere!