Great but LOUD!
Pros: Great DX11, frame rates, Eyefinity setup
Cons: LOUD!, Needs good cooling setup, Large card
The XFX HD6990 is the 4th AMD/ATI card that I have owned. I was 'Nvidia all the way' until the XFX HD4870 came along (way back then!). All the AMD/ATI cards I have owned have never let me down and this one is no exception.
The XFX HD6990 is easily the fastest card I have owned. It even edges out the Asus HD5970 that it replaced. It has increased my frame rates from between 15-25 frames per second, compared to the 5970 @ 1920x1080 resolution. I only have 2 monitors at the moment, but I have hooked up a third and the 6990 had no trouble rendering Crysis 2 on all 3 screens at max settings. I will be purchasing a third monitor shortly to put it to better use. Make no mistake, It is a BEAST of a card!.
The only thing that blunts the experience is the fan noise. When the card is at idle, the fan noise is hardly noticeable. It usually sits at around 43c on idle at 30% fan. As soon as you "up it for the rent" so to speak, the fan sounds as loud as a Hair-dryer placed about 20cm from your ears!. It can get really annoying, not only to you but everyone in the next room!!
The temps are not bad either. As I mentioned before - 43c at idle and 85c at full load. The fan doesn't get above 80%, but even at this setting the noise is loud.
I would highly recommend an aftermarket cooling setup if you are interested in this card. I went for external watercooling, but there are fan cooling setups out on the market that will provide less noise and lower temps.
Lastly, this is a large card. At over 30cm, you will need a tower setup or a case that will fit this beast. My Antec case had no problems but you can't overlook this point.
This card gets a 4.5/5 just because of the noise factor. If you leave it stock..BE PREPARED!
Other than that, It is the best card that I have owned and I have had no problems with drivers or temps. It is a well built card and what I expect from XFX.
The XFX HD6990 is easily the fastest card I have owned. It even edges out the Asus HD5970 that it replaced. It has increased my frame rates from between 15-25 frames per second, compared to the 5970 @ 1920x1080 resolution. I only have 2 monitors at the moment, but I have hooked up a third and the 6990 had no trouble rendering Crysis 2 on all 3 screens at max settings. I will be purchasing a third monitor shortly to put it to better use. Make no mistake, It is a BEAST of a card!.
The only thing that blunts the experience is the fan noise. When the card is at idle, the fan noise is hardly noticeable. It usually sits at around 43c on idle at 30% fan. As soon as you "up it for the rent" so to speak, the fan sounds as loud as a Hair-dryer placed about 20cm from your ears!. It can get really annoying, not only to you but everyone in the next room!!
The temps are not bad either. As I mentioned before - 43c at idle and 85c at full load. The fan doesn't get above 80%, but even at this setting the noise is loud.
I would highly recommend an aftermarket cooling setup if you are interested in this card. I went for external watercooling, but there are fan cooling setups out on the market that will provide less noise and lower temps.
Lastly, this is a large card. At over 30cm, you will need a tower setup or a case that will fit this beast. My Antec case had no problems but you can't overlook this point.
This card gets a 4.5/5 just because of the noise factor. If you leave it stock..BE PREPARED!
Other than that, It is the best card that I have owned and I have had no problems with drivers or temps. It is a well built card and what I expect from XFX.
