HIS HD6970 IceQ Turbo Review
Introduction
Product on Review: HIS HD6970 IceQ Turbo
Manufacturer and Sponsor: HIS
Street Price: £299 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 6970, both overclocked and custom cooled in the guise of the IceQ Turbo.
We at Vortez look forward to any manufacturer that manages to produce a custom cooled GPU, especially when the offering is also pre-overclocked. We recently tested the Gigabyte GTX560 with its own custom 'Windforce' cooler which thoroughly impressed the guys in the office with its silent performance. So when I was asked if I'd like to take a look at the HIS Radeon HD6970 IceQ Turbo edition, a faster, more powerful card with its own custom cooling design, I wasn't going to say no!
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 HD6970 to run over 23c 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 key feature HIS boast though. The card we have on test today is the 'Turbo' edition, meaning it is overclocked at the factory and while Radeon cards are generally overclock friendly, any preset overclock is a bonus, especially when you consider HIS offer a satisfying 2 year warranty.
Let's take a look at what HIS has to offer...
Manufacturer and Sponsor: HIS
Street Price: £299 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 6970, both overclocked and custom cooled in the guise of the IceQ Turbo.
We at Vortez look forward to any manufacturer that manages to produce a custom cooled GPU, especially when the offering is also pre-overclocked. We recently tested the Gigabyte GTX560 with its own custom 'Windforce' cooler which thoroughly impressed the guys in the office with its silent performance. So when I was asked if I'd like to take a look at the HIS Radeon HD6970 IceQ Turbo edition, a faster, more powerful card with its own custom cooling design, I wasn't going to say no!
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 HD6970 to run over 23c 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 key feature HIS boast though. The card we have on test today is the 'Turbo' edition, meaning it is overclocked at the factory and while Radeon cards are generally overclock friendly, any preset overclock is a bonus, especially when you consider HIS offer a satisfying 2 year warranty.
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...
