PowerColor Radeon HD 6950 PCS++ Graphic Card

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Introduction

For processors and graphics cards, it is common for high-end chips also come in cheaper products are used. Partly to reduce production costs through economies of scale, partly to some defective chips that do not work in the fully equipped entirely. Only recently is exactly what happened with the Radeon HD 6970, the Cayman-GPU is used in a slightly slimmed down form on the Radeon HD 6950th Has often were resourceful crafters in the past to how can reactivate the deactivated units, which worked often do without errors. And so it was also found on the Radeon HD 6950.

PowerColor is now the first manufacturer who makes this trick to Use: This allows the Radeon HD 6950 PCS + + unlock officially and with guarantee of a switch when it comes to a GPU Radeon HD 6970 (the memory speed remains unchanged). Reason enough that we look at the 3D accelerator more detail.

PowerColor currently has two versions of the Radeon HD 6950 in its own portfolio:

• PowerColor Radeon HD 6950: Reference Design, Standard clock speeds, 2,048 MB
• PowerColor Radeon HD 6950 PCS ++: Design Your Own disabled, SIMD can be unlocked officially, 2,048 MB

The PowerColor Radeon HD 6950 PCS ++ is available in some online stores but now only to the online shop Snogard for 270 euros to have while there, the normal version of the Radeon HD 6950 is 255 euros not much cheaper too. At other online stores, the card is not available.

The PowerColor Radeon HD 6950 PCS + + features like any other Radeon HD 6900 card through the dual BIOS feature. Between the BIOS versions can be switched back and forth via a small switch on the PCB. While in this case only a BIOS is programmed 6950 Reference values for a Radeon HD, the other variant, the card switches to a Radeon HD 6970 release. The two shut down SIMD units are restored through this trick and it took the additional shader and texture units in operation. At the same time, the chip clock raised to the level of the Radeon HD 6970, while the memory clock is unchanged. So that the power supply is designed strong enough installed the manufacturer has a slightly modified PCB a Radeon HD 6970 and works simultaneously on an eight-pin and a six-pin instead of two six-pin power connector, which would be common for a Radeon HD 6950 . PowerColor guarantee that the unlock works with any card, while there remains a guarantee.

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The Radeon HD 6950 PCS ++ will be available only in a small quantity, as AMD will prevent the disconnection of the shutdown SIMD units in a soon revised GPU revision.

Benchmarks

The following benchmarks were with the current graphics card test system based on an Intel Core i7 965. This is operated with a clock of 3.87 GHz to thwart not the cards unnecessarily. As the driver came for all measurements (including power consumption and volume) of the Catalyst 10.10E (HD 6900: 8.79.6.2) or the GeForce 262.99 (GTX 570: 263.09, GTX 560: 266.56) were used.

Performance Rating

With the usual BIOS, the card is, not surprisingly, exactly as fast as the reference design of the Radeon HD 6950th The more interesting BIOS version with unlocked SIMD units, however, shows that the Cayman architecture and its predecessor is not so much interested in the memory bandwidth - although the card has 500 in this mode, MHz less memory clock, it is almost the "original" Radeon HD 6970 approached. In 1920x1200 the video card has to give only two percent of a Radeon HD 6970 hit, while the Power Color card renders eight percent faster than a Radeon HD 6950th The GeForce GTX 570 in our smaller test track narrowly beaten by the Radeon HD 6970, which does its work faster by three percent. The Radeon HD 6950 PCS + + is more advanced than a small percent of the competitors.

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Other measurements

Between the two BIOS versions on the PowerColor Radeon HD 6950 PCS + + there is very little difference. On Windows, the card operates independently of the BIOS to 45 decibels louder than minimal and is not exactly quiet reference design. Too bad.

It looks a lot better under load. With 49.5 decibels is the 3D accelerator much quieter than a standard model. Although it is heard readily, but not unpleasant. Quite a good result. The default BIOS is subjectively louder than the minimal unlocked version, as the fans are working at the speed achieved with a somewhat unfortunate frequency.

Even with the faster BIOS the temperature of the PowerColor Radeon HD 6950 PCS ++ with a maximum of 81 degrees Celsius lower than the Radeon HD 6970 and with the slower version, which remains at 71 degrees Celsius, a lot cooler, 6950th among the results of the Radeon HD Because the manufacturer to dispense with a cooling plate on the back, there are the temperatures higher than the reference design, but this is absolutely alright.

Regardless of the BIOS runs the PowerColor Radeon HD 6950 PCS ++ under Windows 170 watts from the power (meaning the entire computer), minimally more than the reference design. Under load it appears that the manufacturer has put on a power supply for a Radeon HD 6970. Because the BIOS with the lively 3D accelerator with 407 watts requires only minimal more than a Radeon HD 6970, with the normal BIOS but with 355 watts or equal to 28 watts more than a Radeon HD 6950, although it should not be any differences between configurations . Energy saving is the Radeon HD 6950 PCS ++ is not so.

By default, the BIOS PowerColor Radeon HD 6950 PCS + + inhibited, because a higher GPU clock than 840 MHz and a memory frequency of 2650 MHz are not possible. The performance increases depending on the application by three to five percent. With the power and volume changes not help. With the faster we can, however, the BIOS limit of the Cayman GPU on the PowerColor card account, which is located at 921 MHz. The memory can easily climb up to 2,900 MHz overclock, then slows again the BIOS. Five to six percent more power we can extract the 3D accelerator, the power consumption increases by 16 watts and the volume by 2.5 decibels.

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Positive characteristics :

• Fast enough for 1920x1200 and sometimes more
• Consistently possible AA / AF
• Eyefinity
• With 2,048 MB storage
• Quite low under load
• On HD 6970 can be enabled without warranty loss

Negative characteristics :

• Very high power consumption under load
• Not quiet on Windows

Conclusion

For Radeon HD 6950 Radeon HD 6970? The PowerColor Radeon HD 6950 PCS ++ shows that it is possible. By flipping a switch and in compliance with the warranty. With the performance BIOS the card operates eight percent faster than an ordinary Radeon HD 6950, while the Radeon HD 6970 only another two percent faster on the road - the memory clock is the BIOS switch is not that is automatically Radeon HD 6970- level raised. This must and can be helped manually, but under warranty. Elsewhere demonstrates the relationship to the real Radeon HD 6970th The PCB including the power connections and the power consumption under load are very close to the big map, or even lie just above the values of the single-GPU flagship of AMD, the same goes for energy use on Windows.

In 2D mode, the PowerColor Radeon HD 6950 PCS ++ Unfortunately, as the reference design, not just quiet. Who wants to have an inaudible graphics card, you should look for another. For the 3D accelerator operating under load and is very peaceful there clearly superior to the reference model. Unspectacular, in contrast, operating with the normal BIOS for Radeon HD 6950, since then the card is not faster than the original, but requires more power. Who the PowerColor Radeon HD 6950 PCS ++ buy, so they should operate in fact with the "fast" BIOS. Even with the current retail price of 270 euro is the card is very good, for a Radeon HD 6950 is only 15 euro, cheaper, a better Radeon HD 6970 is not but 25 euro more expensive - while maintaining the PowerColor card quieter under load. The only catch is ultimately disturbing the volume in Windows. Otherwise, the Radeon HD 6950 PCS ++, as long as it is commercially available, a Radeon HD 6970 brought forward in the reference design.