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The XFX HD6970 Black Edition ships in an oblong box with distinctive futuristic artwork. We always like the subtle yet dramatic XFX artwork.
The bundle contains two sheets of XFX branded stickers, a ‘Do Not Disturb' door sign, literature on the product, and software discs. There is also literature supplied which highlights the excellent XFX range. The stand out item for us is the little aluminum adhesive badge (above right).
Sadly we were immediately disappointed to see that XFX hadn't bothered to create a custom cooler for this card, instead relying on the reference design, which as we know is somewhat lacking when compared to other cards we have reviewed lately. There is no backplate on the back of the PCB.
One point worth making is that this card ships with a protective film layer (see above) on the cooler and fan sticker. It is important to remove these before using the card as heat can make them warp under use. In the past we have experienced one of these (BFG model) detaching from the card under heat and getting wedged in the fan during operation.
The card is Crossfire capable in 2/3/4 way configurations. It requires a 6 pin and an 8 pin power connector to operate.
All HD6970 cards have a switch next to the Crossfire Connectors which enables two modes. Setting 1 is an unprotected mode for user updates and setting 2 is protected as factory default.
Connectivity adheres to the reference design, with 2 miniDisplayport connectors being complimented by an HDMI 1.4A output and 2 DVI ports (one DL and one SL).
The cooler is a 5th generation Vapor Chamber system which AMD claim has great cooling efficiency and acoustic performance. The 2GB memory installed on the card is Hynix H5GQ2H24MF.
An overview of the overclocked card in the latest version of GPUz.
Great results. runs a bit hot in furmark, but it tends to push hardware to limits no game will. shame they didnt opt for a dual slot cooler like they used on their 6800 series.
We all know how good the HD6970 is, but why would they not do the full monty on this. If powercolor can do it, surely XFX can.
those temps are too high. if I see 90c with any card I panic. I liked their dual cooler system on their other cards, really helped drop the temps. Can they update this card later with a new cooler ?
When I saw the card on page 2 I was stunned. its a reference cooler with an XFX sticker! I dont mind this on release day, but months later? what a letdown.
Its worth paying extra for their warranty, as my card failed and they replaced it without a problem last year. I wouldnt pay for a reference AMD card without a new cooler as my mates 6970 runs higher than this after he flashed his bios.
How much extra is it? £20?
That is no Black Edition Card. The only thing slightly above average were the memory speeds. Come on XFX! You can do better than that!
It’s ironic isn’t it; XFX One of AMD’s leading partners got out classed By Powercolor. Seems Powercolor Grew some man junk overnight and XFX decided profit was more important than a good product.
A rather disappointing release from XFX really. 95c in furmark is very high.
It is really going to struggle against some of the very cool competiting cards from people like powercolor and asus.
I love the HD6970, but this card isn;t offering anything the reference design isnt. its easy to overclock to these speeds with all 6970s. so why pay for it.