XFX 7970 Black Edition w ref cooling?

C

Callek

Weaksauce
Joined
Jul 3, 2011
Messages
97
Any owners here?

There's such an incredible low supply of 7970 cards in Sweden at the moment, but I have managed to get a hold of a XFX 7970 BE with reference cooler but all the reviews I can find is the XFX 7970 BE DD (3rd party cooling).

If we have any owners on the board, how does it overclock etc?
Does it use the reference VRM-design, coil whine?

Will probably smack a fullcover on it unless the fan is quiet enough.
 
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That will be a reference board with a factory overclock, which means XFX picked a higher quality chip. Everything else is reference based.
 
Just as I suspected. Should arrive on monday, gonna be a nice upgrade from my trusty 5870 that has held it own for 2.5 years.
 
Good info!

"While it may look like a reference card from the outside, it sports an upgraded component layout including a PCB with 2oz of copper for additional heat dissipation, an upgraded fan bearing design and solid capacitors."

Can't wait to start squeeze some extra MHz out of it :)
 
I think I'd rather have the reference Black Edition over the DD version. I've had awesome luck with my reference cooler. Would rather have heat exhaust outside of the case, too...
 
From what I hear, the reference cooler is actually better than the BE DD.
 
If I needed a video card right now I would buy it. I like the reference style. It may even have better vrm cooling than the DD edition.
 
I've done some reading now and it seems like a pretty decent card.

All XFX seems to share the same components expect for cooling and the handpicked chips?

Info from XFX's site:

Core Edition:
Solid Capacitors
Ferrite Core Choke
2oz Copper Layer
Dust-Free IP-5X Fan

DD Edition
Solid Capacitors
Ferrite Core Choke
2oz Copper Layer
Dust-Free IP-5X Fan
XFX Bracket Design
DD Custom cooling

Black Edition
Solid Capacitors
Ferrite Core Choke
2oz Copper Layer
Dust-Free IP-5X Fan
XFX Bracket Design
75Mhz Overclock

DD Black Edition
Solid Capacitors
Ferrite Core Choke
2oz Copper Layer
Dust-Free IP-5X Fan
XFX Bracket Design
75Mhz Overclock
DD Custom cooling
 
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Yes, from what one of the Anandtech writer's told me all Radeon 7970s feature those capacitors/copper PCP features...it's only the cooler/clocks that differ (unless it's a complete custom design)
 
Installed the card today, ASIC quality 64.4% which seems a bit low. Will report back how this baby overclocks.
 
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