HIS HD6950 IceQ 2GB Review
Introduction
Product on Review: HIS HD6950 IceQ 2GB
Manufacturer and Sponsor: HIS
Street Price: £229 inc. VAT (GBP)
Established in 1987 and based in Hong Kong, HIS (Hightech Information Services) have produced a wealth of high quality graphics cards, often proving to be superior, especially in terms of cooling than their leading rivals. Being a 1st Tier partner to AMD it should come as no surprise then that HIS have released their own incarnation of the AMD 6950, which hopes to lure customers with its IceQ cooler. We have reviewed a card with this cooler before in the guise of the HIS HD6970 IceQ Turbo so while this example is not overclocked, the IceQ cooler should run much cooler (and quieter) than a reference HD6950 which will only add to its appeal.
IceQ cooling technology is among the best out there for AMD Graphics cards and has evolved over the years to the high performing, efficient state we find today. HIS claim the new design enables the HD6950 to run 18c cooler than the reference AMD version, a very bold statement indeed! This is done by means of 4 copper heatpipes and a 'Black Hole Impeller' which we will look at later in the review.
Great cooling is not the only feature HIS boast though. The HIS HD6950 IceQ also comes with a custom designed blue PCB and is all backed up by a two year warranty. As with many HIS cards, it has a free copy of DiRT 3 and, if you know where to look, a bonus copy of Deus-X: Human Evolution under the product name HIS ATI Radeon HD 6950 IceQ X PLUS Edition which for all intents and purposes is the same card with additional the additional game thrown in. With Battlefield 3's release, there has never been a better time to upgrade your GPU. The question is, does the HIS HD6950 IceQ 2GB tick all the right boxes? I think it's time we found out...
Let's take a look at what HIS has to offer...
Manufacturer and Sponsor: HIS
Street Price: £229 inc. VAT (GBP)
IceQ cooling technology is among the best out there for AMD Graphics cards and has evolved over the years to the high performing, efficient state we find today. HIS claim the new design enables the HD6950 to run 18c cooler than the reference AMD version, a very bold statement indeed! This is done by means of 4 copper heatpipes and a 'Black Hole Impeller' which we will look at later in the review.
Great cooling is not the only feature HIS boast though. The HIS HD6950 IceQ also comes with a custom designed blue PCB and is all backed up by a two year warranty. As with many HIS cards, it has a free copy of DiRT 3 and, if you know where to look, a bonus copy of Deus-X: Human Evolution under the product name HIS ATI Radeon HD 6950 IceQ X PLUS Edition which for all intents and purposes is the same card with additional the additional game thrown in. With Battlefield 3's release, there has never been a better time to upgrade your GPU. The question is, does the HIS HD6950 IceQ 2GB tick all the right boxes? I think it's time we found out...
About HIS
HIS is proud to be AMD's Authorized 1st Tier AIB Partner, Certified Partner and Launching Partner. Long term and favourable relationship with AMD, enable HIS to work closely with AMD to promote the HIS AMD Graphics Board; and to strive for best value on the marketing and sales of HIS AMD Product Line. In Sept 2003, HIS incorporated the state-of-the art Supreme Cooling Technology in the award winning HIS 9800Pro IceQ, which caught the attention of worldwide media. Since then, HIS IceQ series and the latest IceQ X series has been the limelight in the market for its outstanding performance and features over the other rivals. Today, HIS continues its avid commitment to quality product and service. HIS is certain to be Your Choice of Graphics Board Supplier.
HIS is proud to be AMD's Authorized 1st Tier AIB Partner, Certified Partner and Launching Partner. Long term and favourable relationship with AMD, enable HIS to work closely with AMD to promote the HIS AMD Graphics Board; and to strive for best value on the marketing and sales of HIS AMD Product Line. In Sept 2003, HIS incorporated the state-of-the art Supreme Cooling Technology in the award winning HIS 9800Pro IceQ, which caught the attention of worldwide media. Since then, HIS IceQ series and the latest IceQ X series has been the limelight in the market for its outstanding performance and features over the other rivals. Today, HIS continues its avid commitment to quality product and service. HIS is certain to be Your Choice of Graphics Board Supplier.
Let's take a look at what HIS has to offer...
