Product on Review: Asus HD6990
Manufacturer and Sponsor: ASUS
Street Price: £524.03
Their flagship AMD graphics card on test today is the stunning HD6990, a dual GPU core model hosting a huge 4GB of GDDR5. Some might argue that there is simply no need for such a GPU, that graphics cards of this nature are for bragging rights only and are simply built to serve those with more money than sense. Others argue that this card should not be classed as a single graphics card. Whichever your interpretation, both AMD and NVidia have both released various incarnations of multi GPU cards, some being of the dual PCB 'sandwich' type like the NVidia GX2 and early revisions of the GTX295, others having two GPUs on a single PCB like the AMD 4870x2, NVidia GTX590 and the HD6990's forbear, the HD5970. The HD6990 is the latter of the two designs, incorporating two cores on a single power circuit board which is now the standard format for dual GPU design.
Two cores will require more power, emit more heat and this usually translates to more noise to keep that heat under control. Previous designs had received negative feedback because the noise the cards make were very loud, often so much so that they were very intrusive when using them for what they were designed for, gaming. The card we have today is of a reference design and as such it remains to be seen whether the cooler has been adapted to create less of a din than previous editions. We will certainly be closely examining the cooler and acoustics of the card to see what innovations, if any, have taken place.
About ASUS
ASUS comes from the last four letters of Pegasus, the winged horse in Greek mythology that represents the inspiration of art and learning. ASUS embodies the strength, creative spirit and purity symbolized by this regal and agile mythical creature, soaring to new heights of quality and innovation with each product it introduces to the market. ASUS pursues technological and aesthetic perfection through continuous innovation. We place ourselves in our customers’ shoes to develop a deep understanding of, and genuine empathy for, their needs—enabling us to create user experiences that transcend the norm. ASUS Design Philosophy ASUS Design develops high-quality solutions our customers will enjoy. Our design process is built on thorough research, early anticipation and well-planned execution. We act with a global vision and a focus on local strengths, conditions and heritage.
ASUS comes from the last four letters of Pegasus, the winged horse in Greek mythology that represents the inspiration of art and learning. ASUS embodies the strength, creative spirit and purity symbolized by this regal and agile mythical creature, soaring to new heights of quality and innovation with each product it introduces to the market. ASUS pursues technological and aesthetic perfection through continuous innovation. We place ourselves in our customers’ shoes to develop a deep understanding of, and genuine empathy for, their needs—enabling us to create user experiences that transcend the norm. ASUS Design Philosophy ASUS Design develops high-quality solutions our customers will enjoy. Our design process is built on thorough research, early anticipation and well-planned execution. We act with a global vision and a focus on local strengths, conditions and heritage.
Let's take a look at the specification of the card we have on test today...
