PowerColor PCS+ HD7950 Review

The HD7950 is a fantastic GPU in its own right so can PowerColor make an already great GPU any better? We take a look at the PCS+ HD7950…

Product on Review: PowerColor PCS+ HD 7950

Manufacturer and Sponsor: PowerColor
Street Price: €420

Hopefully you will have already read our review of the latest graphics card to be rolled out of AMD’s laboratories, the HD7950. The trimmed down version of the HD7970 impressed us a great deal and while the cooling was very good, certainly better than the AMD coolers of old, it was still particularly loud when the fan speed increased. The conservative clockspeed of the ‘stock’ GPU left plenty of room for overclocking. So while overclocking can obviously be done manually, it wouldn’t have hurt none too much to have the card pre-overclocked and having a custom cooler is rarely a bad thing either so on the face of it, the PowerColor PCS+ HD7950 seems to fit the bill quite nicely.

The PCS+ HD7950 represents over a decades worth of experience at the pinnacle of GPU design and manufacturer. Of course AMD can take a lot of the credit but we have seen in the past that even the fastest GPU is pointless without a solid, well engineered platform. PowerColor offer this foundation with their GOLD power kit and Professional Cooling system to make the HD7950 into something rather special.

This is the first PowerColor product we have reviewed at Vortez so while they are an established graphics card brand, it is only fair to give you a brief overview of what they have to offer in terms of being a Top Tier AMD partner. First and foremost, they are a leading brand for AMD products (formally ATI). From 1997 they have been churning out quality products, both in stock format and perhaps for what they are better known for, custom cooled products. Their quality assurance is second to none with an very good 2 year limited warrenty and quick RMA service thanks to bases in China, Taiwan, the U.S.A., and the Netherlands. Powercolor have also won numerous awards, not just from the I.T media but also received the 2005 Taiwan Symbol of Excellence Award from the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the R.O.C. This award represents one of the most revolutionary, high tech, high quality, and high value products in the market. So it should go without saying that when you buy from PowerColor, you are purchasing not only a product but a service that is second to none. But don’t just take our word for it, here’s what they have to say for themselves:

PowerColor, established by Tul Corporation in 1997, is a graphics industry leading brand name now and well known for its outstanding performance and innovative technology. As a leading provider of graphics card, PowerColor offers powerful, reliable and cost-effective solutions to customers worldwide.

To succeed in this ultra-competitive industry, great products need to be complimented by speed-to-market, cost and service. PowerColor strives to the very best of our ability to fulfill our responsibilities, both to our customers and to society, thereby making a brighter future for tomorrow.

Specification

The HD7900 series will feature the new Tahiti core which is the successor to the Caymen core of the HD6900 family. The Caymen core was based on a 40nm manufacturing process so it is fair to say that perhaps the biggest improvement to the Tahiti core is the reduction to 28nm process. This has enabled AMD to cram 4.31 billion (4,312,711,873) transistors into the new Tahiti core as opposed to the 2.64 billion on the HD6970 Caymen XT.

Comprising of what AMD calls ‘Graphics Core Next (GCN)’ archetecture which is optimised for heterogeneous computing, the new Tahiti core has upto 32 CU’s (compute units) with dual geometry engines along with 8 back-ends comprising of 32 colour ROPs per clock and 128 Z/Stencil ROPs per clock. Each CU has a Vector unit and Scaler Co-Processor and can execute instructions from multiple kernels.

The VLIW4 SIMD has evolved to the GCN quad SIMD which equates to similar computational power yet grants better performance, threading and simplification. The GCN also has a new Cache hierarchy with 16KB instruction Cache and32KB Scaler Cache shared between 4 CU’s. The L2 Cache is accessible by each CU with it’s own separate process to ensure coherency. These changes increase the GFLOPs by 140%.

Tesselation on the Tahiti core is also enhanced by increased Vertex re-use off-core which theoretically at least, means the 7900 series has 4 times the throughput of the 69XX series. The are improved ansioscopic filtering algorithms too which come at no performance cost allegedly. These new algorithm improvement will allow the use of Forward Rendering with 1000’s of potential light sources and will also mean MSAA can be rendered easily.

Tahiti XT Schematic

Looking at the schematics above, we can identify the bulk of the GPU is taken up with the 32 CU’s. Above these are the geometry engines. To the left and right are the 8 Render back-ends, 4 each side. There’s 768KB of L2 cache along with 6x64bit dual channel memory controllers making a 384-bit GDDR5 memory interface capable of delivering up to 264GB/sec. All of technology coupled together is transferred through a fully compatible PCI Express 3.0 x16 bus interface. Have no fear though because the cards are backwards compatible with PCIe 2.0. Note that 256 Stream Processors are disabled for the Tahiti Pro Core. Whether this is at the hardware or simply a software level remains to be seen. If it is software then a BIOS flash may see the Pro’s becomming XT’s again?

Comparing the HD7950 against it’s bigger brother, the HD7970, the 7950 has 256 less Stream Processors with 16 less Texture units. Obviously this equates to less Pixel and Texture fillrate and coupled with the slightly lower clocked memory of 5000MHz (effective) as opposed to the 5500 of the HD7970, performance is due to take a hit. The power requirements of the HD7950 are however slightly lower in that it has a claimed TDP of 200w compared to the 20% higher TDP of the HD7970.

Comparing the HD7950 to the green team it is interesting to note that the HD7950 has more the double the texture fillrate of the GTX570 and a 40Billion/sec advantage over the GTX580. The NVIDIA cards do however have the upper hand in pixel fillrate but by a much smaller margin. AMD card have traditionally been clocked higher than their NVIDIA counterparts and we see no change in that here with the lowest clocked HD7950 (800MHz) still surpassing the 772MHz of the GTX580. The memory clockspeed is also higher and now with a matching 320-bit memory interface, the AMD cards are finally on a level playing field. this equates to a much higher memory bandwidth than NVIDIA.

PowerColor

The PowerColor PCS+ HD7950 expands on the already impressive specification of the HD7950 by increasing the core clockspeed from 800MHz to 880MHz. The memory clockspeed stays the same however at a rather conservative 1250MHz (5000MHz effective). It is also worth pointing out that the PowerColor version of the HD7950 is not of a reference design far from it as the both the PCB, power regulation and cooling is totally different. We will expand on these differences later in the review but suffice to say – this is no ‘vanilla’ re-brand of the HD7950.

Let’s take a look at the cards features…

Features

PCS – Professional Cooling System
With unique cooling technology and an attractive cooling design this cooling solution can decrease operating environment temperatures effectively and enhance headroom for overclocking capabilities.

GOLD Power Kit
Digital PWM, Multi Phase design and Ferrite Core chokes allow for the ultimate in power provision and regulation.

AMD CrossFire™ Technology
The AMD Radeon™ HD 7950 GPU supports AMD CrossFire™ Technology and provides excellent multi GPU scaling. With the introduction of the AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 Series Graphics, AMD began delivering improved AMD CrossFire™ Technology scaling when using two GPUs. AMD is proud to continue to offer that amazing performance with its newest AMD Radeon™ HD 7000 series graphics products.

AMD Eyefinity Technology
AMD Eyefinity Technology provides advanced multiple monitor technology enabling an incredibly immersive graphic and computing experience with innovative display capabilities, supporting massive desktop workspaces and super-high resolution gaming environments. AMD Eyefinity technology with DisplayPort connectivity enables a single GPU to support up to six independent display outputs simultaneously, depending on the OEM implementation.
AMD Eyefinity technology works with games that support non-standard aspect ratios, which is required for panning across multiple displays. To enable more than two displays, one of two cases must be satisfied:

1) Additional panels with native DisplayPort™ connectors are used;
2) Certified DisplayPort™ adapters to convert your monitor’s native input to your cards

DisplayPort™ or Mini-DisplayPort™ connector(s) are used.
With the introduction and wide availability of DisplayPort™ to single-link DVI dongles, option 2 above is a low cost way to convert a set of already-owned monitors into an AMD Eyefinity technology ready display configuration.

Unlike a similar multi monitor gaming solution offered by NVIDIA, AMD Eyefinity technology does not require two graphics cards to work. Therefore, AMD offers a multi monitor gaming solution with potential for a lower setup cost. A single AMD Radeon™ 7950 GPUs can employ AMD Eyefinity technology and AMD CrossFire™ technology to provide an outstanding multi monitor gaming experience. The following chart shows the AMD Radeon™ HD 7950 graphics in a dual AMD CrossFire™ configuration versus the NVIDIA SLI GTX 580 in three monitor gaming scenario’s.

Improved Tessellation
The latest iteration of architecture in the AMD Radeon™ HD 7970 GPU features a brand new Generation of Tesselator (Gen 9) in its Geometry Engine. This features optimizations such as; Increased vertex re-use, Off-chip buffering improvements and larger parameter caches. This helps Improve performance at all tessellation factors at up to 4x the throughput of AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series graphics (Gen 8 ).

AMD HD3D Technology
AMD HD3D Technology is supported by an advanced and open ecosystem that, in conjunction with specific AMD hardware and software technologies, enables 3D display capabilities for many PC applications and experiences.

Your PC has evolved, offering unprecedented amount of games, photos and movies for you to play, watch, design, create, share and download in 3D. With the arrival of the latest in 3D technology you can now enjoy an enhanced visual experience on Stereo 3D-capable desktops and notebooks powered by AMD HD3D Technology.

HDMI 1.4a
More bandwith than standard HDMI allows full implementation of 60Hz Stereo 3D. Standard HDMI ports do not have adequate bandwidth for more than 3D 1080p at 24fps.

Ultra-high resolution (4k Panels)
– Current implementations currently use 4*DVI or 2*DP 1.1, which is expensive and unwieldy.
– AMD will move to a single-connector output for 4k via DP 1.2 HBR2 and HDMI 1.4a 3GHz mode.

AMD Quad Buffer SDK
– Native 3D support for Developers.
– functions with Dx9, 10 and 11
– Native support scheduled for Windows 8
Nearly 600 games support AMD’s implementation of 3D either natively or through middleware partners. Also support for many 3D displays already on the market including Samsung and LG’s proprietry implementation.

Video Codec Engine (VCE)
– H.264 HD Encoder
– Power efficient
– faster than realtime 1080p @ 60 FPS
– Variable Compression Quality
– Multiple Input Options:- (1) Frame Buffer, (2) GPU Display. (2) is useful for wireless displays.

AMD ZeroCore Power

When a discrete GPU is in a static screen state it works to minimize idle power by enabling a host of active power saving functions including (but not limited to); clock gating, power gating, memory compression, and a host of other features. However, GPUs with AMD’s exclusive ZeroCore Power technology can take energy savings to entirely new heights by completely powering down the core GPU while the rest of the system remains active.

Nearly all PCs can be configured to turn off their displays after a long period of inactivity. This is known as the long idle state; where the screen is blanked but the rest of the system remains in an active and working power state (ACPI G0/S0). As soon as the system goes into long idle state and applications are not actively changing the screen contents, the GPU enters the ZeroCore power state. In the ZeroCore power state, the GPU core (including the 3D engine / compute units, multimedia and audio engines, displays, memory interfaces, etc.) is completely powered down.

However, one cannot simply remove the GPU and its associated device context completely; particularly when it is the only GPU in the system as is the case in many enthusiast platforms. The operating system and SBIOS must still be aware that a GPU is still present in the system. For this reason, the ZeroCore Power state maintains a very small bus control block to ensure that GPU context is still visible to the operating system and SBIOS. The ZeroCore power state also manages the power sequencing of the GPU to ensure that the power up/down mechanism is self-contained and independent of the rest of the system.

The enablement of the ZeroCore Power feature is controlled by the driver. The driver monitors the display contents and allows the GPU to enter the ZeroCore Power in the condition that the GPU enters long idle and subsequent work requests are no longer being submitted to the engine. If any applications update the screen contents, ZeroCore Power technology can periodically wake the GPU to update the framebuffer contents and put the GPU back into the ZeroCore Power state. Furthermore, applications such as Windows 7 desktop gadgets are architected to minimize activity and save power in the long idle state. These applications are active during screen-on mode to display dynamic content such as weather, RSS feeds, stock symbols, system status, etc. but also have the intelligence to suspend any updates and activity when the system enters long idle. These applications will not wake the GPU from the ZeroCore Power state in long idle.

AMD ZeroCore Power technology delivers tremendous energy savings. Many PCs remain in the long idle state for a variety of use cases that are highly relevant to everyday consumers, enthusiasts and professionals. In ZeroCore Power mode, users can still enjoy non-graphics activities such as file serving/streaming, motherboard audio and music, and remote access while the GPU core is essentially powered off.

ZeroCore Power technology also scales with AMD CrossFire™ technology. With an AMD CrossFire platform, all non-primary GPUs are in the ZeroCore Power state when not in use. For AMD CrossFire workloads, the driver will engage the non-primary GPUs to deliver full performance on-demand. The primary GPU can also enter the ZeroCore Power state during long idle as well. This delivers scalable benefits for the enthusiast. First, it effectively removes the power increase for users of AMD CrossFire under idle and light (single GPU) workloads. Second, it removes the noise penalty multiGPU users have always had to endure since the GPU fans are off in ZeroCore Power mode.

Packaging & Accessories

Package Front

The exterior of the package is nicely presented with a very ‘cool’ looking concept sports car with a PCS grill. Also found on the front of the package are the main features of the card being that it has 3GB of GDDR5, 4 screen Eyefinity support and claims that it is 15% more stable, 15% cooler and 20% quieter than a reference design.

Package Rear

Flipping the box over we see that PowerColor have gone to great lengths to explain some of the unique features of it’s PCS+ design. Included in the descriptions are the Gold power kit and cooling system.

Inner Box

The inner box is a plain, unbranded cardboard affair with fold out tabs which serve to hold the graphics card firmly in place. I’m not normally a fan of this method, instead preferring foam inserts over cardboard but I must concede that PowerColor’s method works well on this occasion.

Accessories

The accessory list is adequate comprising of a driver CD, installation booklet, Crossfire bridge, miniDP to full size DisplayPort and DVI-HDMI adaptors.

Let’s take a look at the main feature of today’s review, the graphics card itself…

First Look

Card Top

Our first look of the PowerColor PCS+ HD7950 proves to be impressive yet strangely familiar. The cooler looks strikingly similar to the Sapphire DiRT3 editions however this design has two fans. The fan shroud is very nice to the touch, similar to the rubberised plastics used on some high-end mice. The PCS embossed emblem is UV reactive so will look great in a case with suitable lighting.

Card Bottom

At the bottom of the card we see that PowerColor have not used the reference design and there are hints that this design has a beefier voltage regulation module. Sadly, no backplate is included so all of the components are on display.

Heatpipes

Unlike the reference design, the PowerColor PCS+ has 3 sintered heatpipes squirming around the heatsink to aid heat dissipation and as we will see later, prove very effective.

Protection

It is worth noting that PowerColor have afforded all of the exposed gold fingers with plastic tabs to protect against static electricty and there are also tabs to prevent dust intrusion at the I/O area.

Crossfire Tabs

Two Crossfire tabs tell us this card can be configured in a multiple GPU environment. Like the 6 series cards, the 7 series can be paired up from any other card out of the same family, currently 7970 and 7950 which both make use of the Tahiti core.

Power Ports

The PowerColor PCS+ HD7950, like the reference design makes use of twin 6pin PCIe power ports and recommend a PSU capable of delivering 500w, of which 75w will be provided by each of the PCIe power ports.

I/O Area

The I/O area, unlike the rest of the card is identical to the reference design having a DVI port coupled with HDMI 1.4a and twin display ports for eyefinity compatibility of up to four screens.

Let’s take a closer look at the cooling and PCB…

Closer Look

Heatsink Assembly

The heatsink has 3 large heatpipes that stretch out from the core at both sides across the aluminium fins to maximise heat spread. We have seen with previous graphics card reviews that this method proves to be a very effective method of heat dissipation which will hopefully be the case with this card.

Core Baseplate

Rather than using direct contact to the core, the heatpipes are soldered to the copper baseplate which then make contact via the core. The thermal interface material used is very good and well applied so should not need replacing as it gives very good contact to the exposed Tahiti Pro core.

Naked HD7950

With the cooler removed we see that the PowerColor PCG is not a reference affair. The same configuration is used regarding the 3GB of GDDR5 memory framing the core however what makes this card a little different is the VRM area.

Voltage Regulation Module

The PowerColor PCS+ HD7950 uses a 6+2+1 power phase design which will hopefully enhance overclock-ability ensuring the ultimate in stable power delivery and filtering. The VRM utilises a digital PWM which also makes the PowerColor card efficient and the Ferrite core chokes should also make for a quiet (read none-squeal) GPU.

CHiL

The CHiL regulator ensures that this card can be overclocked to the absolute maximum as both the clockspeed frequencies and voltages can be adjusted (via MSI Afterburner).

3072MB GDDR5

As with the stock HD7950, the PowerColor PCS+ features 3GB of HYNIX memory with the product code of H5GQ2H24MFA T2C which is rated at 5GHz – we will see just how far we can push this memory but from past experience, 5.5 should be achievable without to much trouble.

Test Setup

With the latest Intel chipset release we decided to update our ageing X58 setup to the new X79 chipset. Not only that but we will be using the flagship Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor clocked to 4.5GHz to ensure we have no CPU bottlenecks. With 16GB of ram on board there should be minimal paging so the benchmarks we run today will hopefully give a true reflection of the graphics card’s performance.

Some of the components for our test bench were kindly donated by CORSAIR who provided the majority of components without whom we would not have been able to bring you this review so a big thanks to them.

Graphics cards on test:

PowerColor PCS+ HD7950 3072MB GDDR5

AMD Radeon HD7950 3072MB GDDR5
AMD Radeon HD7970 3072MB GDDR5
ZOTAC GTX570 AMP! 1280MB GDDR5
NVIDIA GTX570 1280MB GDDR5
MSI GTX560Ti-448 Twin Frozr III 1280MB GDDR5
MSI GTX560Ti-384 Twin Frozr III 2GB GDDR5

For this review we will be using the very latest CAT 11.12 drivers.

Motherboard: ASRock X79 Extreme4-M
CPU: Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition @ 4.5GHz
RAM – 16GB (4x4GB) Corsair Vengeance (Red) DDR3 @ 1866MHz 9-10-9-27
Power Supply – ANTEC High Current Pro 1200W
Hard Drive – Hitachi SATA II 250GB
Samsung F3 1TB
Cooler – Corsair H100

Benchmarks
We have also updated our range of benchmarks to include the following games which will give the graphics cards a challenge and sort the wheat from the chaff. Each benchmark will be run at both stock and maximum overclock settings and utilise 1920×1080 and 2560×1600 resolutions along with AA at various levels (application dependent):

Battlefield 3
Crysis 2
Crysis Warhead
Metro 2033
Batman: Arkham City
Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
DiRT 3
Futuremark 3DMark 2011
Unigine: Heaven 2.5

Let’s see how today’s test sample performed…

Overclocking, Temperature & Power Consumption Analysis

Overclocking
Overclocking graphics cards has never been easier. There are a variety of overclocking tools available on the internet and some included with the actual driver, in this case, the AMD ‘Overdrive’ Utility. Our favourite overclocking utility though is the excellent Afterburner from MSI which we use for all of our GPU overclocking exploits.

As you can see above, the PowerColor HD7950 comes with a 10% overclock over the reference clockspeed of 800MHz. Memory overclocks remain the same though at 1250MHz (5000MHz effective). Loading up MSI’s latest beta version of afterburner we find that both clockspeed and voltages can be adjusted courtesy of the CHiL controller.

WOW! There really is no other word for this overclocking monster. It took a little coaxing but hanks to the additional VRM, voltages could be increased significantly to attain this fantastic overclock of 1160MHz which easily surpassed the previous best of 1040MHz we found on the reference HD7950. Tweaking the memory voltages also allowed us to up the memory clockspeed to a blistering 6000MHz! This are not suicide shots either, they are 100% stable. As you will see below, temperatures were also very good despite this rise in voltages and clockspeed. I think we may have a HD6990 killer on our hands here, never mind the HD7970!

Power Consumption
To test for power consumption we do not use anything to technical, just a wall meter which measures the total system power draw minus the monitor.

The performance of the PowerColour PCS+ HD7950 was mediocre in this area at stock speeds however it did consume a little less power than the XFX model. The overclocked power consumption was huge though due in part to the increase in voltages. Sadly there is always a trade off between overclocking and power consumption.

Temperature
The temperatures were taken upon first installation of the card after windows had finished loading any background applications and when sat in an idle state. Furmark was used to stress the card to 100% which is more than any application will ever do to give the card as much heat as possible to cope with.

Despite the PowerColor’s mediocre power consumption figures, Temperatures were some of the best we have seen at stock speeds. Even with the huge overclock and over voltage dialled in, the PowerColor card still performed excellently with temperatures easily being kept under control.

Let’s move on to our suite of benchmarks…

Battlefield 3

Battlefield 3 leaps ahead of its time with the power of Frostbite™ 2, the next instalment of DICE’s cutting-edge game engine. This state-of-the-art technology is the foundation on which Battlefield 3 is built, delivering enhanced visual quality, a grand sense of scale, massive destruction, dynamic audio and incredibly lifelike character animations. As bullets whiz by, walls crumble, and explosions throw you to the ground, the battlefield feels more alive and interactive than ever before. In Battlefield 3, players step into the role of the elite U.S. Marines where they will experience heart-pounding missions across diverse locations including Paris, Tehran and New York.

Average and minimum frames per second were measured using Fraps during the parking lot scene on Operation Sword Breaker. High and Ultra presets were loaded at both resolutions.

Crysis 2

Crytek took an internet beating from its loyal fans due to the fact that they pandered to the console masses and dumbed down the graphics to DirectX 9. Fortunately, fans of the PC version of Crysis managed to force Cryteks hand and they have since developed a DX11 patch and have also enhanced the textures with added tesselation. It is for this reason that we have decided to include it in our suite of benchmarks.

To test the cards we used the Crysis 2 benchmark courtesy of Adrenaline with both the 1.9 patch, DX11 update and Hi-res texture pack. Settings were manually placed to Ultra, DX11 and tessellation enabled with the Central Park map being run 3 times per resolution benchmark test.

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Crysis Warhead

Following the success of Crysis, the stand alone expansion “Warhead” was hotly anticipated to bring more game play, more weapons, improved visuals whilst maintaining better performance, the latter being what gamers wanted most. After all how many people upgraded their rigs just to play this game… In the game, you play as the upbeat Brit Sergeant “Psycho” Sykes, chasing down a Korean nuclear warhead. Throw in some ice shooting aliens and we’re bound to have a great game. It sure delivered.

Testing was done using Framebuffer’s Crysis Warhead benchmarking tool. The tests were configured to DirectX 10 at Enthusiast levels. Each test on the Ambush map was looped three times from which the average FPS was recorded.

Metro 2033

Based on the novel by the same name, Metro 2033 is a first person shooter with elements of survival horror. As Artyom, you trawl through the mutant infested metro systems of post-apocalyptic Moscow. The game delivers presents a grim ambience that reflects on the overall atmosphere of the underground setting. Metro 2033 uses the setting as a back drop to showcase some of the best visuals of any games out now, making it the ideal benchmark for those looking for the best graphics card.

The bundled benchmarking tool was used on Metro 2033, configuring the settings to High and making use of DirectX 11. The frontline scene was looped 3 times for each configuration. The average FPS was recorded at the end.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Skyrim is not a direct successor to the very popular Oblivion. Instead it takes place 200 years after the events of Oblivion. The non-linear playing that made the Elder Scrolls such a popular series does however make a return along with the beautiful scenery the encompasses the world of Skyrim.

Average and minimum frames per second were measured using Fraps during the drop down passage to Riverwood. V-sync was disabled to allow fluctuating (higher the 60) FPS for these runs. It is however recommended that v-sync is left enabled during normal gameplay due to the games dynamics.

Batman: Arkham City

Batman: Arkham City builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players soaring into Arkham City, the new maximum security “home” for all of Gotham City’s thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds. Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, this highly anticipated sequel introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight.

The results below were obtained from the builtin benchmark utility from the game. All the settings were set to

DiRT 3

As players race to elevate their global standing, DiRT 3 is back delivering mud, sweat and gears world over: from the intense weather-beaten rally stages of Europe, Africa and the US, to executing performance driving showcases and career challenges where car control is pushed to spectacular limits.

The in-game benchmarking tool was used to test performance. All the display settings were set to the maximum available and DirectX 11 was applied. The average FPS was recorded at the end.

Futuremark: 3DMark 2011

3DMark 11 is the latest version of the world’s most popular benchmark. Designed to measure your PC’s gaming performance 3DMark 11 makes extensive use of all the new features in DirectX 11 including tessellation, compute shaders and multi-threading. The benchmark was run in both Performance and Extreme presets.

Unigine: Heaven 2.5

Heaven Benchmark is a DirectX 11 GPU benchmark based on advanced Unigine™ engine from Unigine Corp. It reveals the enchanting magic of floating islands with a tiny village hidden in the cloudy skies. Interactive mode provides emerging experience of exploring the intricate world of steampunk.

Conclusion

It’s not very often we get a cut-down version of a graphics card outstripping it’s bigger brother but today is just one of those days. The PowerColor PCS+ HD7950 in stock form already arrives with a somewhat conservative pre-overclock which is no bad thing as it allowed the card to beat the other HD7950’s on test. Having a custom cooler usually means the card can be kept cool under the most extreme overclocking scenarios and I am happy to report the PowerColor PCS+ cooler certainly did not disappoint because with the monster 1160MHz overclock on the core, the temperatures remained very comfortable. The twin 92mm fans were also quiet in operation, perhaps quietest out of the three HD7950’s we have tested thus far despite the PowerColor card having to deal with more heat.

I could sit here, the night before NDA, waxing lyrical about just how good this card is but truth be told, I’m very tired and if you haven’t already noticed, the results quite simply speak for themselves. For a single, trimmed back version of a graphics card to not only beat the dual core power hungry monolithic HD6990 on occasions but also take it’s bigger brother, the HD7970 by the scruff of the neck is quite a feat. The card finished top of the pile on numerous occasions and while it cannot lay claim to being the fastest overall card on test in every game, it comes really close. Not bad for a supposed castrated graphics card!

So, where’s the bad news? Well the packaging could do with a few little tweaks as compared to other products it is a little lacking. Power consumption figures could be better. A free game perhaps? As you can probably tell, I’m struggling to find any bad points here as the card has pretty much blown me away, such is it’s performance. Priced at 420 Euros it is not going to be cheap so I would expect to pay around 400 of your best British pounds. For that you could easily get a GTX580 or indeed for a little more, the HD7970 however as we have seen in our tests, the HD7950 managed the impossible by squarely beating the overclocked reference AMD HD7970 on majority of occasions. It appears the old adage of you get what you pay for rings true here.

So, overall what you have here is a monster overclocker, it is cool in both senses of the word and while not a budget card, it represents value in terms of performance at the high end of the scale. What more is there to say other than this is a clear example of a Platinum award winning graphics card!

Pros:
+ Best in class GPU core overclocking
+ Great memory overclocking
+ Good cooling
+ Outstanding performance
+ Very quiet operation
+ Lush looking design
+ Black PCB

Cons:
– Only one DVI port